Textura Magazine offers high praise for composer Adam Schoenberg and the Kansas City Symphony’s recording of his orchestral music:
“There’s something distinctly American about Adam Schoenberg’s music, and it’s not just because one of the pieces on this recording bears the title American Symphony. Largely tonal, melodically rich, and rhythmically robust… If any composer looms large as a point of reference, it’s Aaron Copland, though there are moments when one might be reminded of Ives and Adams, too. … Don’t make the mistake of thinking, however, that just because it’s accessible, it’s simple. There’s craft aplenty in these works, in both the compositional writing and orchestration departments, plus an attention to detail that makes them all the more rewarding. There’s a deceptive quality to the music, too, in that a piece that appears relatively uncomplicated upon closer examination reveals layers of complexity that speak to its sophistication. Credit must also be given to the Kansas City Symphony and its musical director Michael Stern for bringing the composer’s music so vividly to life. … To say Schoenberg has a promising future is an understatement: he’s currently working on commissions for a number of American orchestras and has also established himself as a film composer; to date, he’s scored several short and two feature-length films, including Graceland, which he co-wrote with his father, Steven Schoenberg. This fine premiere collection of his orchestral works is certainly something of which he has every reason to be proud.” —Textura