RUSSELL: Rhapsody for Horn and Orchestra / Middle Earth - San Luis Obispo Symphony Orchestra

American composer Craig Russell’s compositions have often been described as Coplandesque, frequently evoking the many cultural influences of American life. Rhapsody is no exception, paying clear homage, in its five movements, to composers and artists such as Samuel Barber, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie “Bird” Parker and Tito Puente. One critic put it this way: “In what would otherwise be a crazy quilt, the unifying force – the stitches that hold the quilt together – is the horn itself, a remarkable idea.” – Marvin Sosna, The Tribune