‘The one movement Violin Concerto is more relaxed and some of its Schoenbergian textures are frankly gorgeous.’

‘A rare opportunity to hear several of the major symphonic works of a true American original. Hyla happily mingles expressionistic, complex contemporary atonal idioms with elements of avant-garde jazz, and rock and garage band with results that cannot be anticipated. His honking, strongly articulated rhythms mask an inner beauty that almost always seems ready to burst into radiant sunshine.’

‘The music of Boston-based composer Lee Hyla is a riveting, bejeweled enigma, one in which disorder and confusion crash into pristine, balanced beauty. A fascinating study in contrasts, Hyla’s scores pit blunt noise against placidity, and lushly scored masses vie with percussive, rocking grooves. Hyla’s is a wholly original voice, and at long last, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project has committed three of his major works to disc via New World, one of the few American labels still concerned with preserving an promoting contemporary music.’

‘The eventful Concerto for bass clarinet dates from 1988. Just over ten minutes long, it is dense enough to fill a work twice its length. The soloist quacks and rasps like an ugly duckling, but the possibility of a more beautiful ‘swanhood’ is not far away. While Hyla’s idiom is Classical, he uses musical gestures and phrases in a jazz-like manner; the repeated use of the word ‘riffs’ in Ted Mook’s ‘insider-y’ booklet notes is very appropriate. It’s impossible to suck the juice from this work in one or two sittings, and hardly more possible to do so in a dozen- there’s just so much going on. Something about Hyla’s music makes one want to try, however.’

‘Hyla put together one of the most unpleasant series of snorts and squalls I’ve heard in a long time. (There is just no polite way to say this)…..Frankly it was trash and should be appropriately disposed of.’

‘The music of Lee Hyla….takes its place amongst the best of modernist visions, from Olivier Messiaen to Magnus Lindberg, alongside fellow Americans Elliott Carter and Roger Reynolds….This fine disc should be heard by all those devoted to contemporary music.’