About Douglas Anderson as a conductor…
Audience responses (written) after concerts of Haydn’s religious choral music with the Putnam Chorale (2018):
”…Beautiful! Rich and full bodied—a fine wine…Powerful production. Electrifying….SUBLIME…Musicianship is top notch all around…Love it!! Gave me chills.”
Audience responses (written) after the first ever performance of the complete Messiah in Putnam County, NY (December 4, 2016):
Beautiful, excellent, superb…Brilliant!…Fabulous…Absolutely outstanding – just marvelous…Amazing performance…Spectacular! Great!…This was Fantastic…Messiah performed with the most heart I’ve ever seen/heard. Loved the flow – I was swept away, transported…
EXCERPTS FROM REVIEWS:
Re: Images of Her, the world premieres of Through/In by Douglas Anderson, and of Simonetta, by Larry Lipkis:
“Anderson expertly conducted both works, and the orchestra performed flawlessly throughout the evening.”
–New York Theatre Wire, Oct. 1 2022
Re: Orchestral concert (music by Rossini, Smetana, and Haydn)
“a delightful evening…The orchestra responded well to the baton of Dr. Anderson…[The Moldau] was handled quite well with spontaneity and spark. Anderson was able to extract the right color and voice from the music…”
The New York Amsterdam News, 4/23/98
Re: Martín’s Beast and Superbeast (world premiere)
“a terrific show, wholeheartedly supported by conductor Douglas Anderson and his vibrant pit band.”
The New York Post, 6/24/96
“Dr. Anderson completed the picture by skillfully conducting the orchestra through the intricate score.”
Sightlines, 9/5/96
Re: Cadman’s Garden of Mystery (stage premiere)
“enchanting, graceful vocal lines and heavily perfumed orchestration…conductor Douglas Anderson and his orchestra were on top of the music.”
Opera News, May/96
“a marvelous musical discovery…the score is exquisitely realized and truly inspiring to hear just as pure music…Douglas Anderson’s conducting and the instrumental playing deserve a first recording.”
The Westsider, 2/29/96
Re: Faustworks
“(Douglas Anderson) conducted the instrumental ensemble throughout the entire evening, in complete command of the four diverse musical styles.”
Sightlines, 6/1/95
Re: Beeson’s Hello Out There and Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti
“The performance was energetic and generally idiomatic, with sharp direction from Douglas Anderson.”
New York Times, 6/7/94
Re: Albright’s Seven Deadly Sins
“Douglas Anderson led a clean performance.”
New York Times, 10/23/93
Re: Holst’s Savitri
“Douglas Anderson ably led the small orchestra.”
New York Times, 3/9/93
Re: Menotti’s The Telephone and The Medium
“Both operas featured lively orchestral playing…Douglas Anderson at the podium.”
Sightlines, 1/12/92
Re: V. Giannini’s Blennerhassett (stage premiere):
“Musically they were serious…there is a trio for female voices that is heartstopping, and the whole score is tight, tuneful, and completely enjoyable.”
New York Daily News, 3/1/91
“The vocal lines pour as thickly and smoothly as sloe gin. The climaxes are perfectly calculated. There is not a single stumble during the dramatic interchanges.”
New York Times, 2/28/91
Re: B. Adolphe’s The Tell-Tale Heart and P.M Davies’ Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot:
“Both pieces were performed by the company’s small orchestra as conducted with a light but controlled touch by their Musical Director, Douglas Anderson.”
Sightlines, 12/1/88
“Miss Donnithorne’s Maggot was well performed last month by the American Chamber Opera Company; better than I have heard before…Douglas Anderson, conducting, drew eloquent lines from his instrumentalists.”
The New Yorker, 12/12/88
Re: D. Moore’s Gallantry and L. Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti:
“Both (performances) are excellently conducted by Douglas Anderson.”
East Side Express, 2/4/88
Re: The October 1987 performance of a triple bill:
“The performances led by Douglas Anderson were completely satisfying in the vocal and instrumental departments.”
New York Daily News, 1/31/88
Re: A. Shield’s Shaman and H. Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas:
“The dulcet and precise choral ensembles were led by Douglas Anderson.”
New York Native, 6/1/87
Re: The February 1986 performance of a triple bill:
“(The) operas were musically polished under Douglas Anderson’s alert direction.”
New York Magazine, 2/24/86