REVIEWS

Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depends on simplicity. ~Plato

• moonshadow sunshadow, new compilation CD with works of Vanessa Lann on ATTACCA label (#2015146):
  reviewed in De Volkskrant by Biella Luttmer on December 16, 2015 (see above) - presently only in Dutch!
  

  Review of the moonshadow sunshadow CD in the online magazine Nieuwe Noten by Ben Taffijn (in Dutch, July '16): review
  Score of 9 (out of 10) for the moonshadow sunshadow CD in the magazine LUISTER by Emanuel Overbeeke (in Dutch, April '16)!
  Review of the moonshadow sunshadow CD in the online magazine Opus Klassiek by Siebe Riedstra (in Dutch, January '16): review
  Review of the moonshadow sunshadow CD, as well as other works of Lann, in the blog of musicologist Els van Swol (in Dutch, December '15): review

  
  

  And a review of the moonshadow sunshadow CD in the online magazine "MusicWeb International" by Jonathan Woolf, November 2021: review

  
  

  

  
  
  
  
  • FAR CRIES 401, performance in July with Vanessa's music:
    reviewed in De Volkskrant by Guido van Oorschot on July 23, 2021 (see above)
    

    The smart, subtle music of Vanessa Lann's FAR CRIES 401 knows how to captivate for an hour (Mark Rampling, translation)

    Far Cries 401 in the historic Pilgrim Fathers Church of Delfshaven

    David Kweksilber spits a clarinet note into the church: pew! And another one: pew! He steps on a pedal and the recorded notes sing around. He picks up his saxophone, the sound becomes rougher and more intense. His solo gets busier and louder, exactly 401 years after the renowned Pilgrim Fathers held their last meeting here in Delfshaven, after which they set sail for the New World. Kweksilber kicks off the performance of Far Cries 401 in the Pilgrim Fathers Church very strongly. The idea and the notes come from the brain of Vanessa Lann. The American-Dutch composer had already wanted to reflect on the departure of the English religious Puritans in July 2020. Because of Corona it was canceled then, but in September it was possible to see an early version of Far Cries 400 in the Operadagen Rotterdam. Now, with the experience of one and a half years of Corona, Lann presents an update at the Delfshaven Festival. In the intimate church space, about thirty listeners gather around three small stages. To the left and right are musicians, in the middle three speakers, including Lann herself. They tell about pilgrim leader William Bradford, who left his 3-year-old son on the quay. About the Statue of Liberty in New York, which has welcomed immigrants since 1886. About today's families who have lost a loved one to Corona. Parts from Lann's song cycle Memory Demands So Much (2005) form the musical backbone. Soprano Florien de la Fosse roams the church, her raincoat hinting at the clear waters approaching. She sings about the passing of time, about memory and loss. Beneath her searching vocal lines are sparse piano tones. The short silences create a ritual atmosphere. The theme of Far Cries 401 is the idea of being forced to say goodbye. That fits indeed with the pilgrim fathers, immigration and corona, but the interweaving of such divergent stories still has something forced. This does not prevent the actress Aysegul Karaca from a convincing reading of the report about a Turkish immigrant snatched by Corona who was proud of his new homeland, the Netherlands. Through Vanessa Lann's smart, subtle music Far Cries 401 entertains us for an hour. Take the carillon in the turret of the Pilgrim Fathers Church. The first time carillonneur Geert Bierling announces himself with two simple tones. During the performance, the melodic contours of Amazing Grace begin to appear, the American hymn that became a funeral hit in the Netherlands thanks to Mieke Telkamp (Where to, for what). After an hour, De la Fosse leaves the church with a travel bag. The stragglers wave her off, just like they did 401 years ago. We imagine the boat which waits on the moonlit quay.

    Far Cries 401
    by Company Vanessa Lann
    Mise-en-espace: Neil Wallace
    Classical
    21/7, Pilgrim Fathers Church, Rotterdam Delfshaven

    
    

  • "One/Life," for piano quintet [New Gallery Concert Series (Cambridge, MA, USA) livestream video-concert 'From There to Here' first airing on YouTube in March, 2021] '... somber and uplifting. Lann writes in the program notes that she wanted the piano and strings to portray different elements of (Hanni) Beggs life. This idea comes across clearly in the work, with crashing piano chords that immediately establish a perilous, ominous tone. The piece wanders through sorrow, joy, anxiety, anguish, and wonder throughout, ultimately providing a hopeful picture of a life well-lived, though affected by the shadow of tragedy.'
    I Care if You Listen, Sofia Rocha, April 7, 2021

  • "Tree of Life So Green," for baritone and large ensemble [Regarding the 'X-Mas Contemporary' Faroe Classics CD, with 12 new Christmas-themed compositions, performed by the baritone Dietrich Henschel and Ensemble UnitedBerlin under the direction of Vladimir Jurowski] ' Vanessa Lann succeeds particularly impressively in "Tree of Life So Green".'
    Oznabrukcker Zeitung, Pedro Obeira, December 10, 2019

  • "Tree of Life So Green," for baritone and large ensemble [Regarding the 'X-Mas Contemporary' Faroe Classics CD, with 12 new Christmas-themed compositions, performed by the baritone Dietrich Henschel and Ensemble UnitedBerlin under the direction of Vladimir Jurowski] 'Lyricism dominates, as in the glowing contribution of the Dutch-American Vanessa Lann, who hints at medieval techniques.'
    Volkskrant, Merlijn Kerkhof, December 13, 2019

  • "Tree of Life So Green," for baritone and large ensemble 'At the end of the programme is a piece with a smaller instrumentation which impresses with its unity as well as its echoing effect. To close it off Dietrich Henschel sings a single note with extreme concentration.'
    Rheinische Post, Norbert Laufer, December 19, 2019

  • "I'm Migration," for percussion ensemble 'Koleva asked American composers living in the Netherlands to write works for a program ("How to Play the Triangle", with Youth Percussion Pool) having Bernstein's West Side Story as the point of departure, and the result was very special. The triangle didn't always play a prominent role, itself, but was often symbolically present as a metaphor for the underdog in society. For instance, in Vanessa Lann's gripping "I'm Migration," which culminates in six percussionists, using twelve sticks, elbowing each other and trying to fit together (full = full) while playing a way-too-overcrowded vibraphone.'
    Trouw, Peter van der Lint, July 22, 2019

  • "The Key to the Fourteenth Vision," for violin solo 'Vanessa Lann's "The Key to the Fourteenth Vision" for solo violin (also featuring Ms. Ge) was like a percolating, modernist homage to the Paganini caprices'
    The New York Times, Anthony Tommasini, October 9, 2018

  • "Springs Eternal," for violin and piano '... a solo by Viktor Kopatchinsky on the cymbalom with racy, virtuoso sounds from Romania and Moldova, this contrasted with the 'spring' piece that the American composer Vanessa Lann wrote ten years ago. (Patricia) Kopatchinskaya is always on the go, hops between five music stands, stands next to the pianist, looks deeply into his eyes, turns around jerkily, and in the next moment runs back to the other end of the stage and turns her back on the pianist. This is how it is written, and it's just what the composer intended. A crazy piece full of surprises, wit and virtuosity. Just the right thing for Kopatchinskaja and the improvisation-loving Anthony Romaniuk, who has learned much from his experiences in jazz.'
    Journal21.ch, Annette Freitag, May 1, 2017 (Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Anthony Romaniuk perform in Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern)

    'The Scherzo from Beethoven's "spring sonata" inspired the Netherlands-based American composer Vanessa Lann to write the composition "Springs Eternal". Patricia Kopatchinskaja jumps to five different locations in exactly eight and a half minutes, according to the meaning of the word "spring" in Dutch (leap). Patricia Kopatchinskaja jumps barefoot, of course.'
    Berner Zeitung, Valeria Lucentini, May 2, 2017 (Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Anthony Romaniuk perform in Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern)

    'A more premeditated cross-century linking came next: the short Scherzo from Beethoven's 'Spring' Sonata (full of energy) before Kopatchinskaja ran across the stage to tackle the Vanessa Lann from the other side of the platform. Born in the US in 1968, Lann is based in the Netherlands. There was more running across the stage for Kopatchinskaja during the piece, which ends with what sounds like a barn dance. It's fun and was entirely in the spirit of the basis of the evening's activities.'
    Seen and Heard, Music Web International, Colin Clarke, May 8, 2017 (Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Anthony Romaniuk perform in Wigmore Hall, London)

    'Netherlands-based American composer Vanessa Lann created with "Springs Eternal" a piece of miniature music theatre, a bold improvisation on classical poses.'
    Der Tagesspiegel, Christiane Peitz, May 9, 2017 (Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Anthony Romaniuk perform in Konzerthaus, Berlin)

    'The scherzo from Beethoven's Spring sonata was deconstructed before our ears by American composer Vanessa Lann...'
    The Independent, Cara Chanteau, May 10, 2017 (Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Anthony Romaniuk perform in Wigmore Hall, London)

    '... alongside the Beethoven Spring Sonata, the brazen, circling-around-itself Beethoven paraphrase "Springs Eternal" by Vanessa Lann, the awake Anthony Romaniuk proving an equal partner to Patricia Kopatchinskaja in irony and fervor.'
    Berliner Morgenpost, Matthias Noether, May 11, 2017 (Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Anthony Romaniuk perform in Konzerthaus, Berlin)

    'The springy Scherzo (Allegro molto) from Beethoven's Spring Sonata (1800) served as an essential lead-up to Vanessa Lann's ironic pastiche based on this short movement. In "Springs Eternal," which this Dutch-American composed in 2007 for the Delft Chamber Music Festival, you hear this movement first deftly deconstructed and then recycled - a bit as our own Clément Doucet does in his Chopinata based on Chopin. The result is a sort of music theatre, straight from the gut, where Kopatchinskaja performs as a fish in water. She moves and grooves and leaps from one music stand to the other, and provides the necessary flair to the show. Another way the word "spring" in the title can, and must, be interpreted. At points when the pianist has the upper hand, the violinist gradually takes back control. A piece which was as humorous as it was temperamental, making for more than one reason to enjoy it. '
    Klassiek-Centraal.be, Tim De Backer, June 5, 2017 (Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Anthony Romaniuk perform in De Bijloke, Antwerp)

    'Also inspired by Beethoven, not by the "Kreutzer" but by the "Fruhlings" Sonata, is the new piece which Vanessa Lann composed specially for the (Delft Chamber Music) Festival. For her "Springs Eternal" Lann took as her point of departure the equal importance between the two instruments. In an exciting game of role reversal, based on notes from the Scherzo movement of Beethoven's sonata, the violin gradually takes over the leadership position from the piano. Ferschtman and Barnatan performed the work with theatrical "schwung" ("momentum," German).'
    AD / Haagsche Courant, Winand van de Kamp, August 14, 2007

  • "ZEMTSOV'S FIVE," for viola quartet plus viola student(s) 'There are not so many pieces written for viola quartet, but they do exist. Take Vanessa Lann's ZEMTSOV'S FIVE where the fifth viola part MUST be played by student violist(s). The resulting quintet becomes split between a trio on the stage, including the student(s), and a duo in the back of the hall. This delivers a surprising landscape of sound. '
    STRATUMSEIND Klassiek, Frank van de Loo, April 3, 2016

  • "Arlecchino Unmasked," for blockflute, panflute, viola, accordion and percussion 'Quieter, deeper, but most importantly as a juxtaposition (to the work of Roderik de Man), "Arlecchino Unmasked" rang out. The musicians, who were distributed throughout the space, each eventually wove their own ostinato into an organic pattern. A wildness gradually becomes an intense dialogue, in fact "unmasking" the harlequin amidst the musicians. An exciting work of the American Vanessa Lann, which received its first performance here with a very enthusiastic response.'
    Lingener Tagespost, Peter Loning, July 8, 2014

    'Repeated rhythmical motives in Vanessa Lann's "Arlecchino Unmasked" are like similar hand controls, causing this kaleidoscopic piece to revolve between the sweet and the fanatic, the melancholic and the playful, an alternation which is characteristic of the entire ("Kaiseki" / Black Pencil) CD.'
    Blokfluitist, Sarah Jeffery, September 2017

  • "De Stilte van Saar," opera in co-production with VocaalLab and Ensemble Klang 'Saar is a girl with 203 Facebook-friends who collapses into a coma. A grotesque medical trio asks if she's a virgin and advises electroshocks. "She's just normal, right?" asks her father. Normalcy for Saar has gone too far; she has so successfully blended in to expectations, that she has become a copy lacking an original, in the short opera "The Silence of Sarah" from the company Muziektheater Hollands Diep. In an alternation of dream scenes and family scenes the opera focusses on the theme of longing to be real. The singers of VocaalLab are a strong cast... The music of Vanessa Lann is accessible and obsessive. Ensemble Klang brings us musical highpoints.'
    NRC Handelsblad, Joep Stapel, February 25, 2013

  • "Micro-fohn," for mezzo soprano, violin, recorder and percussion '... The most abstract part of the (Ensemble Electra) programme is "Micro-fohn or Witches, Words and the Wind", an older, nicely-wrenching piece of Vanessa Lann with text of Gertrude Stein, where the sound of spoken text is subtly distorted through electronic means.'
    De Volkskrant, Frits van der Waa, December 20, 2011

  • "O Whispering Suns," for violin, cymbalom, large choir and medium choir 'Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja approaches, barefoot. She walks through the hall of the Philharmonie, followed by sopranos from the Dutch Radio Choir. Once on the stage her bowing grows wilder, while her father - Viktor Kopatchinsky on cymbalom - joins in. A male choir is added to the mix, and the Latvian Radio Choir can be heard singing from the balcony. The result is a swell of surrounding sound which completely envelops the audience... At the end of the day, the underlying idea that the violinist is searching for her "source," and that the women are searching for the men who have disappeared from their lives, in no way distracts from the musical power of this spatial ritual.'
    NRC Handelsblad, Floris Don, July 4, 2011

    'The work "O Whispering Suns," of the American-Dutch composer Vanessa Lann, is not a traditional concert piece, but a composed happening. The various themes of the 6th International Choir Biennial - Eastern European folk music, compositions with a spatial dimension, the search for personal identity - flow together here... The musical means that Lann uses are modest: a handful of tones, a simple rhythm, a simple motive. With these building blocks she creates a layered structure in which background and foreground overlap and interweave. The result is at times moving, at times overwhelming.'
    Haarlems Dagblad, Winand van de Kamp, July 4, 2011

  • "American, Woman," for soprano and flute '... Lann generates with a minimal amout of material a powerful expressiveness. The piece opens with the flute, where Eleonore Pameijer unraveled her notes as if she were casting a ball against a wall in gradually shifting distances. Thus a ritualistic atmosphere is created, which is intensified as Irene Maessen eventually comes to sing the same patterns, while the flute adds more and more tones to her own theme. On the text "A mighty woman with a torch" the musicians build up to a climax with an energetic rhythm and large intervallic leaps. After this thundering fortissimo the work regains its calm in swaying, jazzy syncopations ... '
    Radio 4 Blog, Thea Derks, January 19, 2010

  • "Divining Apollo," for cello and ensemble '... Conductor Reinbert de Leeuw achieved a double-whammy for his ensemble with the world premiere of this remarkable work. He made a big impression at the Amsterdam Cello Biennial and also set the stage for the new series of Thursday-evening concerts at the Muziekgebouw. Daring and originality were unmistakenly present in this new composition by Vanessa Lann. The at times brutal simplicity of the melodic material went hand in hand with a unique, and as far as I'm aware, new concept of form. The four movements of the cello concerto formed, in two groups of two, an embrace of the half-hour intermission of the concert program. The rustling and smalltalk of the public during the break therefore became an integral part of the piece, making one think possibly of practices in the Japanese Kabuki Theater, where actors hold discussions while located amidst the audience, situated on planks above the heads of the spectators. Evoking simultaneously the ancient and the new, that is the power inherent in many of Lann's works. Also in "Divining Apollo," which begins with Dionysian motives: the oboe imitating the aulos, the instrument which was said to have accompanied wild orgies in days of yore. Jazzy, filmlike sounds create the soundscape of the second movement, while the composer interweaves slower, protracted patterns in the brass, which almost test the boundaries of repetition. Gradually the work makes room for the solo cellist to enter in full glory, by - among other things - changing position in each of the movements... '
    Trouw, Kees Arntzen, October 24, 2008

  • "Valse Ancienne" or "Thirteen Ways of Looking Out a Window," for cello and piano 'The afternoon began with "Valse Ancienne (Thirteen Ways of Looking Out a Window)" by the Brooklyn-born composer Vanessa Lann. This slow, trancelike work owes a debt to Erik Satie: A repeated pattern of chiming, slightly dissonant piano chords forms the backdrop for epigrammatic motifs and glinting harmonics in the cello. Changes are incremental, and there's little conventional melody. It casts a spell over a listener... Gordon and Hodgkinson dispatched all four pieces with excellent musicianship, both individually and as an ensemble. Transparency, balance, and rhythmic precision were impeccably maintained throughout.'
    The Boston Globe, David Weininger, September 12, 2007

  • "Landscape of a Soul's Remembering," for string quartet 'Lann's "Landscape of a Soul's Remembering" was clear in concept and design. While cellist Hans Woudenberg stayed in his seat in the first three movements and restated his part again and again, the other musicians exchanged places, playing the parts that already existed on each music stand they arrived at. In this manner one heard the same music again and again, but from a different perspective, as if one looked at a painting with fresh eyes. In the last movement, with Woudenberg on piccolo-cello, everything fell into place, and the music began to dance and hum. With a synchronicity of bowing patterns, the group of four appeared as one organism that was driven by one will.'
    Tilburgs Dagblad, RenÈ van Peer, April 5, 2007

  • "Is a Bell... a Bell?," for two toy pianos (one performer) 'Vanessa Lann's "Is a Bell... a Bell?" (2004) is a propulsively rhythmic score, but its real charm is its use of two toy pianos with different timbral qualities to suggest orchestration, of a sort'
    The New York Times, Allan Kozinn, September 29, 2006

  • "The Flames of Quietude," for symphony orchestra '... The influence of The Hague School of composition, with its angular, anti-sentimental and rigorously worked-through concepts, resounded in Vanessa Lann's "The Flames of Quietude".'
    AD Haagsche Courant, Erik Quint, September 18, 2006

  • "Illuminating Aleph," for cantor, choir and instrumental ensemble 'Vanessa Lann went the furthest (on the program) in showing that different musical styles could blend together convincingly. In this surprising new commissioned work everything came together into a unified whole. That probably occurred first and foremost through the philosophical concept upon which Lann based her piece. But also a listener unaware of the aforementioned philosophy would be gripped by the tranquility, the diversity and the color in this subtle work. Subtle, also because quite traditional musical gestures are at every moment cloaked unnoticably within a manner of expression that is original.'
    Trouw, Kees Arntzen, December 13, 2005

    'Composer Vanessa Lann strove in "Illuminating Aleph" (2005) to provide a path for (soloist) Mizrahi which remained within the style of cantorial singing to which he was accustomed. He received, and made the most of, all possible ways in which he could shine - within a perfectly paced dramatic structure.'
    NRC Handelsblad, Jochem Valkenburg, December 13, 2005

    'Composer Vanessa Lann, who wrote a work with the title "Illuminating Aleph" for this production, understood well the particular language of the cantorial singing style.'
    De Volkskrant, Frits van der Waa, December 13, 2005

  • "Inner Piece," for piano solo 'Vanessa Lann is an American living in Holland, and her "Inner Piece" (1994, like Meredith Monk's) is [much more] open and optimistic in nature, moving from a rumbling low moto perpetuo to much more jazzy/bluesy materials that emerge above it.'
    Fanfare Magazine, Robert Carl, March/April 2007

    '... a very pleasant, mellow work that at times sounds minimalist but also evokes jazz piano writing. I liked this music a lot, and found it to be fairly distinctive'
    Sequenza21, David Toub, September 12, 2006

    'It's a toccata, and it rolls into a boogie-woogie excitingly, treble-flecking drama tinged with bop traces. Soon a pop tune evolves, drizzled with upper-voiced delicacy --- intricate and attractive.'
    MusicWeb-International.com, Jonathan Woolf, May 6, 2006

    'just check out the remarkable "Inner Piece" of Vanessa Lann, which is driven by a fast ostinato that rolls along for most of eight minutes'
    All Media Guide, David Lewis, May 2006

    '...Lann's "Inner Piece" is a meditative work. Bass notes in the lowest register are syntactically supplemented with, and taken over by, chords rooted in those same notes. Its fairly simple time signatures and minor seventh chords are shoved up against almost jazz-like rhythmic structures that enter and fade as images rather than compositional elements -- which also lends considerable beauty to the work. It's a workout for Mukaiyama, whose dexterous use of the left hand in playing it against the right is remarkable.'
    All Music Guide, Thom Jurek, June 18, 2004

    'Vanessa Lann made a great impression with her minimalistic composition "Inner Piece" in which she demonstrates many layers of compositional ability. She already won the Amsterdam Foundation for the Arts 1995 Prize for Composition for this work. She would make a good candidate for the (Gaudeamus) prize'
    Trouw, Eric van Balkum, September 8, 1995

    '...using rhythm as the most striking element ... from a rumbling trill emerges a refined and jazzy piece... the high speed and energy of the notes provide force and movement ...layers of pitches and colors serve to further accentuate the rhythmic patterns ...the melody that ends the piece comes as an incredible surprise'
    Groene Amsterdammer, Jacqueline Oskamp, October 26, 1994

  • "Gardener of the Stream," for symphony orchestra '...In "Gardener of the Stream" there arises a suspenseful balance between, on the one hand, soft, sustained tones and, on the other hand, a diversity of lively rhythmic patterns. This is a strong "process piece," in which one is struck by the symmetry of its structure - more specifically, a mirror form. Fragile tones coming from two groups of violas, placed on opposite sides of the hall, were heard at the beginning and the end. It is an interesting idea to have different groups of instruments, each with their own rhythmic patterns, form a tapestry of sounds. One could not say that Vanessa Lann's music is wanting, either in terms of refinement or a feel for structural proportion. But what must be said is that to write music that sounds so sparse and so tightly packaged, yet builds up such a sense of excitement - there are very few composers who can acheive this.'
    Haagsche Courant, Ad van der Ven, January 21, 2003

  • "Resurrecting Persephone," for flute and chamber orchestra '...Vanessa Lann proceeded to draw forth an ocean of sounds from the soloist and the ensemble. Now and then amplification was used to project very special flute techniques which otherwise might have been too soft, but the most special sounds and colors arose through a skillful and inventive orchestration. An exciting composition of 25 minutes in length with an unbelieveable variety of sounds, which the composer had thought through and managed beautifully.'
    Trouw, Kees Arntzen, November 29, 2000

    '...Vanessa Lann did not couple the meaning of the underworld with dark and gloomy sounds. The first and last movements of this arch-like composition sounded light and etherial, with a fragile flute tone which allowed the breath of the performer to be continuously audible. In terms of instrumental color, the first movement is especially beautifully crafted - also in the orchestra.'
    Haagsche Courant, Ad van der Ven, November 27, 2000

    'In the new "Resurrecting Persephone" for flute and chamber orchestra (1999) our concentration is held throughout by the exemplary use of refined, small nuances. Persephone, daughter of Demeter and Zeus, who was captured by Hades to rule by his side in the underworld, was brought back to the world by Demeter and then allowed to return at regular time periods. It is this contrast - in a music of shades and shadows set against a rousing dance of tangible contours - that Vanessa Lann has successfully portrayed, while she represents with flute and drum Demeter's search for her daughter. Having presented the first movement ("Temple of the Mind") as an opening of static stillness, the second movement ("Fruit of the Body") explores the inner regions of the flute through extended techniques, leading to the upwardly-climbing motion of the third movement ("Play of the Spirit") in which Persephone returns for an orgiastic dance before she descends once again in the last movement ("Memory") to the underworld. Even without this helpful storyline, Vanessa Lann's music would remain captivating and enthralling from beginning to end. The first two movements could be seen as a long approach to the trance-like, quasi-archaic dance motion of the main section, which is followed by a coda reminiscent of the first movement. The tight way, not quite concertante, that the orchestra takes over the long lines of the flute, keeps up this portrayal effortlessly until the end.'
    NRC Handelsblad, Ernst Vermeulen, November 29, 2000

    ORIGINAL REVIEW IN DUTCH: 'MUZIEK LANN BLIJFT BOEIEN'

  • "DD (Double D)," for piano solo '... a work in which technical toughness is combined with subtle visual imagery... "DD (Double D)" combines motoric Minimalist repetition with a Bartokian rhythmic sense and harmonic edge... picturesque'
    The New York Times, Allan Kozinn, January 21, 2000

    '...the gracious keyboard writing and humor of Vanessa Lann's "DD (Double D)" '
    ClassicsToday.com, Jed Distler, 2002

  • "In the Circumference of My Solitude," for viola and double bass ' ... an exciting relationship between structure and content in this piece, giving the listener a clear image of its meaning...emotion and energy came through clearly.'
    Utrechts Dagblad, Serge van Veggel, February 2, 1999

  • "The Way of the Ram," for large ensemble 'One of the world premieres was "The Way of the Ram," composed by the American-born Vanessa Lann in 1997. This exciting and colorful piece is an example of programmatic music which is totally convincing as such. The one-note rhythmic motive of the double bass which returns again and again after the exhilarating escapades of the brass instruments, wholeheartedly captures the character of a "destiny-leitmotif" and is exceptionally effective. '
    Gelderlander, Ivo Postma, February 6, 1999

  • "In the Moment," for recorder quartet 'Enthousiasm was created by "In the Moment" by Vanessa Lann ... she is able to break through the severe character of the recorder by liberating the free tones. The music swirls and turns inside the sounds, which is in fact an Asiatic technique. The simultaneous singing in octaves - a consistent theme throughout the work - reminds us of Tibetan monks reciting in overtones. Moreover the piece is extremely interesting to look at, as it requires a complete choreography, in which the musicians move towards and away from microphones in a spectacular way in order to color the dynamic flames. The material is quite simple as in a BartÛk dance, but the way the input leads to the result is particularly effective'
    NRC Handelsblad, Ernst Vermeulen, February 14, 1998

  • "Dancing to an Orange Drummer," for large ensemble '...is not only jazzy, as the title suggests. It is also an extremely tightly interwoven piece of polyphony, which is convincing in a fugal manner... very original'
    Gelderse Courant, Maarten Brandt, January 10, 1994

    '...without doubt a piece of craftmanship and technical ability...'
    NRC Handelsblad, Emile Wennekes, October 10, 1997

    'cheerful and enthusiastic'
    ParisTransatlantic.com, 1998

    'sparkling'
    zealNYC.com, Leonard Bopp, August 8, 2017

  • "Coming Home," for mezzo soprano and ensemble '...with extreme vitality Vanessa Lann engages the singer and guitarist in a gripping, repetitive tune which she places against an already busy background. Lann also knows how to make good use of the improvisational talents of the musicians.'
    Trouw, Kees Polling, February 27, 1995

    '...playful and pop-like'
    Nieuwsblad van het Noorden, Paul Herruer, December 5, 1994

  • "Madness and the Moonwoman," for symphony orchestra '...radical, the austerity of Feldman in a beautiful packaging'
    Haagsche Courant, Dimitri van der Werf, May 15, 1993

  • "Entranced by the Beckoning Light," for piano solo 'In "Entranced By The Beckoning Light" for piano solo, Vanessa Lann (USA) offers biting sonorities, long angular lines, and a singleminded logic reminiscent of Ruggles or Ornstein.'
    Perspectives of New Music, Vol. 32, No. 2, p. 296, Elliott Schwartz, Summer, 1994

    'The 25-year-old Vanessa Lann surprised us all with "Entranced by the Beckoning Light," a piano piece in which an energetic and grindingly-dissonant climactic arc is created from harmonies which are layered as building blocks upon each other'
    De Volkskrant, Frits van der Waa, September 9, 1993

    '...very special... a small interval grows more and more expressive and pounding... roaring emotions...'
    Amersfoortse Courant/Veluws Dagblad, Emile Wennekes, December 20, 1993

  • "Lullabye for a Young Girl Dreaming," for string quartet '... transported us magically into a mellifluous atmosphere'
    Vrouwen, Patricia Werner Leanse, July/August 1991

    '...this young composer possesses an inventive and fascinating intellect. Vanessa Lann is an artist to watch and listen for in the future.'
    International League of Women Composers Journal, Suzanne Summerville, Dr. phil., September 1991

  
  (photo: Vanessa amathea butterfly)
  
  
  

  
  

  For more biographical information about Vanessa Lann (temporarily only in Dutch; publisher is revamping catalogue):
  article from DONEMUS Composer's Brochure and bio from DONEMUS Composer's Brochure

  
  

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