Customer Reviews

The Music of Peter Boyer

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This recording of Peter Boyer's orchestral music is an outstanding introduction to his catalog of symphonic works. I purchased it not long after it was re-released in remastered form by Propulsive Music, and it has became one of THE definitive recordings of American orchestral music in my collection. It's hard to believe that almost 10 years have passed since this album was first released by Koch International Classics, as the music still captivates with the same exuberance, intensity, and vitality as when it was first written and recorded - a true testament to its ongoing relevance within the symphonic repertoire.

The performances on this album are truly top-notch: the composer himself conducts the legendary London Symphony Orchestra, and the sonic brilliance of these recordings is further enhanced by the famed acoustics of Abbey Road's Studio 1 in London, where they were recorded over the course of two intense days of sessions. From the ecstatic opening bars of the initial fanfare, "Celebration Overture," to the exotic and varied colors of such works as "Titanic," "Ghosts of Troy," and the uplifting "New Beginnings," this collection achieves a level of artistry that has become all-too-rare in modern recordings: it functions "as a piece," that is to say, as a cohesive and well-programmed album. As such, it joins the ranks of the elite few recordings that truly live up to the title of "album" - its carefully-paced programming invites and allows the listener on a musical journey with a satisfying beginning, middle, and end. That all of Boyer's compositions also stand upon their own as artistic works of integrity and merit, existing as sufficient ends unto themselves (as they were initially conceived of and composed), makes the overarching stylistic cohesion all the more impressive.

Personal favorites from this recording include the aforementioned tracks, as well as "Three Olympians" and "The Phoenix" - all of which represent Boyer's flair for vivid orchestral colors, imaginative instrumental forms and timbres, and soaring, epic melodies. This melodic ability is present throughout these works, particularly in the lyrical melodies of "Aphrodite" (movement two of "Three Olympians") and "New Beginnings," the latter of which concludes this fantastic recording, lingering on in the "mind's ear" long after its end.

In sum, this is a terrific collection of Peter Boyer's music, which stands on the very forefront of American orchestral music today. For listeners who, like myself, are struck by his seamless balance of musical accessibility and sophistication, I would encourage you to seek out his other equally-impressive releases: first, there is the Grammy-nominated Naxos recording of his "Ellis Island: The Dream of America," which has become one of the most-performed American orchestral works in recent history. Also of note is his most recent composition, "The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers," commissioned by the Boston Pops for their 125th anniversary season. The recording of this latest work features Keith Lockhart conducting the Boston Pops, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and such luminous celebrity narrators as Robert De Niro, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, and Cherry Jones.

Throughout all of these recordings, a fresh new voice in American music emerges - one that is here to stay for quite some time to come.

I can only remark, as a professional musician, that I would not programme this CD again. All the works could have been composed by someone else. John Towner Williams is the first composer that comes to mind. Whatever happened to originality?

Sorry, but this music was just too contemporary for me. It was not as great as the music he composed about the imigrants coming to America. (that one was excellent..and a "must hear".