Benjamin Fontvella, Orchestral Works
(Translated from Spanish) Gordon Getty says of himself that he is “seventy percent a nineteenth century composer,” and so he is, but it appears that the other thirty percent channels Copland, Prokofiev, and Stravinsky, and that isn’t a bad thing…The truth is that these pieces are very enjoyable: his music is sweet, delicate, simple, easy, and sentimental. That this approach is the most hated by the old guard of the 1970s and today’s academia doesn’t seem to keep people from enjoying it…Those who like to listen to all kinds of music…can have a good time with this disc.
Jason Victor Serinus, Orchestral Works
A joyful experience, overflowing with lovely, richly scored pieces…Listening to this disc would be a genial way to spend the afternoon.
Jeff Simon, Orchestral Works
A scrupulous and appealing performance of Getty’s charming, if unremarkable, music…
Kevin Filipski, Orchestral Works
Gordon Getty…composes facile but propulsive music, to which this CD makes a good introduction. In the space of 12 minutes, the delectable overture to his opera Plump Jack, based on Shakespeare’s immortal Falstaff, creates a juicy musical characterization of the Bard’s unforgettable fat man. The discs’ other works, which include the Ancestor Suite and the Homework Suite, have the same attractive qualities as the overture, and they are all played robustly by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner.
Anna Reguero, Orchestral Works
Not many contemporary composers call themselves two-thirds 19th Century in style, but San Francisco composer Getty makes no apologies for his use of traditional composition techniques. Nonetheless, his compositions are anything but regurgitated material. There are always surprises and unique colors to be found, always written with detailed attention to orchestration and character. This PentaTone Classics release paints Getty as someone adept in varied styles, from opera suites to busy marches, and from transparent textures to colorful marches.