Main

In the Media : Reviews and Awards



Dessoff in the News

  • "Mr. Maazel coaxed a rich-textured performance from the massed voices of the New York Choral Artists, the Dessoff Symphonic Choir and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus" [for Mahler Symphony No. 8].
    Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, June 25, 2009
  • "...the Desoff Symphonic Chorus ... sang with great precision and emotional strength" [in Mahler's Symphony No. 8].
    Howard Kissell, The Daily News The Cultural Tourist, June 25, 2009
  • "The Dessoff Symphonic Choir and the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York contributed gamely to the Prokofiev [Alexander Nevsky]".
    James Oestreich, The New York Times, November 3, 2007
  • "The Dessoff Choirs sang beautifully" [for Tan Dun's Water Passion].
    Anne Midgette, The New York Times, June 3, 2005
  • "The Dessoff Choirs contributed shimmering, translucent timbres to the vocal movements" [of Terry Riley's Sun Rings].
    Daniel Schlosberg, The New York Sun, October 8, 2004
  • "Kronos has a much-deserved reputation for being among the few truly fearless ensembles, and its ferocity, commitment, and comfort with new music still make it the gold standard by which every group devoted to the genre must measure itself. The Dessoff Choirs —capably conducted by Aaron Smith —matched the Kronos in derring-do, taking the work as seriously, finding the beauty in the simple (but not simplistic) score [of Terry Riley's Sun Rings].
    Daniel Felsenfeld, MusicalAmerica.com, October 13, 2004
  • "....the performance [of Prokofiev's Hail to Stalin] featuring the combined forces of the Dessoff Choirs and the Russian Chorus of New York was superb. The high Cs from the sopranos at the end were overwhelming."
    Bill Zakariasen, The Westsider, February, 2003
  • "...the onscreen ovations for Stalin [Prokofiev's Hail to Stalin] segued into live cheers from the audience. Surely they were meant for Ashkenazy, the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra and the impressive Dessoff Choirs."
    , The New York Times February 25, 2003
  • "The choral singing [for Handel's Acis and Galatea] was provided by the Dessoff Choirs, and they were superb; their music director, Kent Tritle, has achieved that perfect combination of steely accuracy with apparent boundless ease and enthusiasm, and the conductor clearly relished working with them -- their attack at 'Oh, the pleasure of the plains,' the precise yet mellifluous blending of the parts in 'Wretched lovers!' and most of all their tender 'Mourn, all ye Muses!' provided object lessons in the singing of English choral music, 'neither harsh nor grating, but of ample power to chasten and subdue.'
    Melanie Eskenazi, Classical Music on the Web, August, 2002
  • "[Handel's L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato was] a fine blending of music and dance, thanks to Mark Morris's choreography for his Mark Morris Dance Group and performances by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, conducted by Nicholas McGegan, four vocal soloists and the Dessoff Choirs, conducted by Kent Tritle ... a sense of joy was communicated by dancers and singers alike. Indeed, as the dancers swooped and scampered about while the chorus sang its final praise of mirth, it was easy to imagine Handel smiling down from heaven."
    Jack Anderson, The New York Times, August 17, 2002
  • "The score [of Handel's Acis and Galatea as reorchestrated by Mozart] abounds with joyous choruses for cavorting nymphs and shepherd sand wondrous music that conjures murmuring streams and wafting winds...and a somberly beautiful chorus that warns the happy couple of fate's decree: 'no joy shall last'...The Dessoff Choirs (Kent Tritle,director) sang with full-bodied sound and suppleness."
    Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, August 13,2002
  • "The impressive combined forces of the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir and the Dessoff Choirs got a bigger workout in The Bells, Rachmaninoff's settings of four Edgar Allan Poe poems, as freely adapted into Russian by Konstantin Balmont. Working with three fine vocal soloists (the soprano Marina Shaguch, the tenor Ilya Levinsky and the bass Sergei Koptchak) Mr. Ashkenazy gave a radiant performance of a striking work, which Rachmaninoff considered among his best."
    Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, January 8,2002
  • "Schwarz was back on the Mostly Mozart podium on August 22 at Avery Fisher Hall for a particularly affecting, dramatic performance of Mozart's unfinished Requiem, in Franz Süssmayr's standard edition and completion. Of the soloists, mezzo Florence Quivar, tenor Michael Schade and baritone Richard Zeller were strong, soprano Ute Selbig less so. Kent Tritle's Dessoff Symphonic Choir went from strength to strength, then delicately abetted Schwarz's decision to cap off the Requiem, as he had done in a previous festival, with Mozart's sublime late motet, Ave Verum Corpus."
    Leighton Kerner, Opera News Online, November, 2001
  • "Mr. Schwarz's work was more rewarding after intermission when the Dessoff Symphonic Choir (Kent Tritle, music director) and four vocal soloists joined the orchestra for an affecting performance of Mozart's Requiem.The palpably involved choristers raised the energy level of the music making, while maintaining the serene and poignant overall mood that Mr. Schwarz was after."
    Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, August 25,2001
  • "Philip Glass [was] the featured composer at this year's Lincoln Center Festival. The opening work on the choral/chamber program, 'Knee Play No. 3,' at least in this choral version, is almost 'Philip Glass for beginners,' pared down to the barest essentials to outline many of Glass' common techniques (tonal harmony, constantly shifting meter, repetition of a single progression, blindingly fast singing using numbers or solfège syllables as text). It set the mood nicely, and was expertly executed... The sleeper hit was Three Songs for Chorus A Cappella, which is Glass at his most refined. His understanding of the chorus is excellent, and his technical facility with tonal music borders on quirky wizardry. These pieces, written for celebrations of the 450th anniversary of the founding of Quebec, are an excellent addition to the choral repertoire, performable by passionate and dedicated amateurs (such as the Dessoff Choirs). Particularly moving was 'There are Some Men' with beautiful words by Leonard Cohen —words that were,sadly, unavailable in the program book. The choir handled these pieces adroitly and with excellent diction.
    Daniel Felsenfeld, andante.com, July, 2001
  • "Frank Lewin's Light Footfall (1995) for violin,marimba, and choir is a lovely folklike setting of 'The Cap and Bells' by W. B. Yeats. It is cast in the style of a jig. The violin (fiddle) and marimba spin the tale while the choir sets the swirling moods and charmed word painting that was both evocative and effective,and thankfully avoided the trappings of becoming a mere crossover stunt. Lewin's music is unfamiliar to me, and this was a thoroughly satisfying piece. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and the Dessoff Choirs should be commended on their continued presentations of new and recent American music."
    George Boziwick, New Music Conoisseur, Summer 2001
  • "The Dessoff Choirs -- both the full 70-member group and the smaller Chamber Choir --handle these four tonal but challenging pieces with assurance and luster. The 22-member orchestra, apparently a pick-up group, plays like a well-integrated ensemble,and features some excellent solo playing (particularly trumpeter Scott McIntosh in the Moravec work and pianist Steven Ryan in the Convery). Music Director Kent Tritle and all the singers, instrumentalists, and composers can be proud of this substantial achievement."
    review of Dessoff's first CD, Reflections:Four Contemporary American Composers Look Back
    Joshua Rosenblum, Opera News Online, February, 2001
  • "The Brooklyn Philharmonic performed splendidly under former music director Dennis Russell Davies, who has premiered all of Glass's symphonies,including this one [Symphony No. 5] in Salzburg ... The 80-member Dessoff Choirs and the 50-member Brooklyn Youth Chorus were robust and thrilling."
    Philip Anson, Musical America.com, October 6, 2000
  • "...the 'Coronation' Mass, which ended the concert, was given a striking performance. Not least among its charms was the solidity of the collaboration between Mr. Spivakov's ensemble and the Dessoff Choirs, and the thoroughness with which they brought out the music's grandeur."
    Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, March 29, 2000
  • "Mozart's rapturous Coronation Mass, the final work on the program, was given a vibrant performance...The beautifully prepared Dessoff Choirs performed with passion, responding completely to Spivakov's disciplined dynamics."
    Donald Westwood, Opera News Online, July 2000
  • " In order to incorporate the congregation, so important in these services, Mr. McCreesh brought in the 100-voice Dessoff Symphonic Choir to sing hymns [in the Praetorius Mass], interspersing their full sound and folklike simplicity...it was the answer to a listener's prayer."
    Heidi Waleson, The Wall Street Journal, December1999
  • "The performance [of the Praetorius Mass]...was both polished and at times thrilling in a visceral way: at the end... the audience responded with the kind of vocal standing ovation more typical of rock concerts than of early-music performances."
    Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, December 22, 1999
  • "With the fine Dessoff Choirs and four excellent soloists, Schwarz led a most impressive performance of the Requiem... At the end, Schwarz went straight into the heavenly, serene Ave Verum corpus, a wonderful conclusion to Mostly Mozart."
    Strings Magazine, November/December 1999
  • "In this performance [of the Mozart Requiem],Gerard Schwarz was helped by the Dessoff Choir, finely trained singers who intoned their lines with particular tenderness."
    Jerry Ben-Asher, New Jersey Jewish News, September 9, 1999
  • "The Dessoff Choirs sang with a suave, beautifully balanced sound, particularly in the Lacrymosa... Mr. Schwarz ended the concert, and the festival, with the serene 'Ave Verum Corpus.' It was a lovely performance."
    Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, August 23, 1999
  • Winner of the Chorus America / ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming.
    June 1999
  • "One of the great amateur choruses of our time."
    Robert Hilferty, New York Today, December 5, 1998
  • "Mozart gives the vocal soloists very little to do...The Dessoff Choirs were the real show, and they sang with grace and conviction."
    Shirley Fleming, The New York Post, August 24, 1998
  • "The Dessoff Choirs produced a big, glowing sound, with solid and often vigorous support from the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. The solo quartet was as finely blended as the chorus..." Allan Kozinn, The New York Times,August 26, 1998
  • "The Dessoff Choirs, well-drilled by its music director Kent Tritle, provided a full and rhythmically precise sound, with exactly the right balance for the orchestra and proper focus on the text [of the Coronation Mass]."
    Ken Smith, The Star-Ledger, August 1998
  • "The [Songs of Love and War] concert led by Music Director Kent Tritle was impressive...The Dessoff Choirs continues a long history of making excellent music and should be commended and encouraged in its efforts to present good new music as well as great old music."
    George Boziwick, New Music Connoisseur, September1998
  • "Mr. Botstein drew stylish performances from the orchestra, and the choir sang with admirable flexibility, particularly in the changing dynamics of the closing chorus [of Haydn's Il Ritorno di Tobia]."
    Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, November 12, 1997