Maralis symphony review on ArtsCriticATL

My review of Thursday night's ASO concert and the performance of five movements from Wynton Marsalis' new symphony can be found at ArtsCriticATL. Marsalis' composition has a lot of good ideas, but there are simply too many thoughts swirling around in each movement. Here's the tail end of the review, which sums up my feelings on the work:

"In the accompanying program notes, Marsalis wrote that he is a self-taught orchestral composer. 'I tend to use my natural hearing and love of what the various instruments like to do and can do to guide my process,' he continued. This compositional outlook produces what sounds like rough sketches of sometimes very good music that simply lacks cohesion.

The trumpeter has some work to do before his vision is fully realized, but with a careful editing eye, 'Blues Symphony' might turn into a very satisfying genre-bending piece."