The Grofe…[is] an excellent one. The sound is fantastic, with crisp, clean brass and sweet-toned strings; and the interpretation is spot-on. The Gershwin…is another fine performance that really catches some of the breeziness we expect from Gershwin without downplaying the complexity of some of the musical ideas. © 2012 American Record Guide Read complete review on American Record Guide online

This may be the most gorgeous sounding entry yet in the Gerard Schwarz/Seattle Symphony collection…from the ‘90s, reissued by Naxos in a way that does full justice to the sound qualities of the originals.

The present account of An American in Paris impresses the listener by the bravura Schwarz and the Seattle invest in their performance. The layout of Gershwin’s symphonic-balletic rhapsody would seem to be simple enough.

This performance is handled by Gerard Schwarz with all the élan the music deserves, building up to an exuberant finale. They include an interlude where the main theme is heard in the lower strings, as well as delectable passages for flutes and the bassoon…I find the additional music very enjoyable.

An American in Paros, Grand Canyon Suite, Naxos ∫ Un clin d’œil aux années folles et pourquoi pas le Festival de jazz avec ce Gershwin. Classique dans son essence et mettant en vedette le trompettiste américain Charles Butler, premier pupitre du Seattle Symphony sous la direction de Gerard Schwarz, tout est parfait. À découvrir aussi le grandiloquent Grand Canyon Suite. © 2012 Journal de Montréal

The work begins with an orchestral interpretation of the sounds of traffic in a busy city…The melody is offered by the strings but the brass play a major part in this section and this is where the Seattle Symphony and engineers excel on this recording. As the orchestra builds up to a crescendo and down to melancholy with a bassoon offering the motif followed by a solo violin the tempo and orchestration changes to one of a jazzy blues style complete with saxes and a wonderful trumpet solo. As the strings takeover providing a lush arrangement of the theme the trumpet is still in the background offering the melody. Another melody is offered by the orchestra with all of the sections participating. This is a nice test for your speaker system as treble and bass are tested!