Heart-wrenchingly Beautiful - Musical Images Vol. 1 Album review
In his review of MUSICAL IMAGES FOR CHAMBER ORCHESTRA: REFLECTIONS AND RECOLLECTIONS, VOL. 1, Darren Rea at Review Graveyard has given album a top score of 10 out of 10. "Mark John McEncroe (Dark Clouds in Life; Live in Ostrava; Musical Images for Piano; My Symphonic Poems) has a knack for delivering music that is capable of touching your heart and lifting your soul. It's a skill few composers possess these days, but McEnroe seems to be able to do it naturally and effortlessl
Catchy & Melodic - My Symphonic Poems Album review
Your Opera Advisor has posted a short & sweet review of MY SYMPHONIC POEMS. "Seine kleinen Orchesterwerke... sind vom musikalischen Charakter der Romantik entlehnt. Miniaturen die selten länger sind als 10 Minuten, melodisch, eingängig von der Melodie und dennoch keine Filmmusik. The Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra unter der Leitung von Anthony Armore finden für jedes dieser Werke einen individuellen Tonfall." - Sven Godenrath "His small orchestral works... borrow from the mus
Impossible Not To Fall In Love With - Live In Ostrava Album review
McEncroe's first album of live recordings, LIVE IN OSTRAVA, has reviewed a score of 10 out of 10 by Review Graveyard's, Darren Rea. "I have a fondness for Mark John McEncroe's compositions. In recent years he's released three incredibly emotive albums: Dark Clouds in Life Natalie's Suite & Other Works; Musical Images for Piano; and My Symphonic Poems: Orchestral Images. His music is able to reach out and connect with the listener on a raw emotional level, up there with some o
Pleasantly spacial - Live In Ostrava Album reviews
Just one day after release LIVE IN OSTRAVA has already received some great reviews.
"The seven-movement Symphonic Suite No. 1—A Modern Medieval Tale is well-written and shows a sure command of the orchestra,
"…simply listening to these two orchestral works… hearing them as a sort of film music without visuals,… – leads to a satisfying experience." - The Infodad Team
"McEncroe's music is… very atmospheric in its narrative style. …the recordings are pleasantly spatial and tr
A high water mark for listening experiences - Live In Ostrava - Album Review
More great press from Midwest Record, this time for McEncroe's newest release, LIVE IN OSTRAVA. Chris Spector of Midwest Record online writes: A welcome recording for those who want to get into contemporary cats that have a great respect for tradition. Playing like a work from the existing classical canon despite being newly written, McEncroe would be at home in any era with his grand, sweeping thoughts. Expertly realized by Janacek Philharmonic, this is a high water mark fo
An Incredibly Fine Album - My Symphonic Poems review
My aim, in all compositions, is to paint images and evoke emotions in the listener. So it's gratifying to read an album review like Darren Rea's, in Review Graveyard; to see my compositions are not just greatly enjoyed, but stirring the heart and soul. It just makes me want to keep on writing and producing more works. "This double album contains so many rich and varied themes that it's difficult to know where to start singing its praises. This is a methodical, beautiful album
Unassuming, Honest Works - My Symphonic Poems review
More press! Jim Westhead has published a well-considered review of MY SYMPHONIC POEMS at musicweb-international.com. "McEncroe has a pleasant melodic style... Tchaikovsky he isn’t – but the pieces are nice, quite unassuming works, honestly composed and presented. Incidentally, I am in awe of anyone who starts to study piano at 37 (I tried briefly, and failed miserably) and then goes on to study composition for over a decade. This speaks of an intense love of music, and so Hu
Evocative and Gripping - My Symphonic Poems review
Having never heard McEncroe's work before, Mel Martin at Audiophile Audition, is now keen to hear more of his work. In this month's online review of MY SYMPHONIC POEMS, Martin writes: "From the spry energy of That Old Indian Summer, to the majestic dignity of Movements in the Night, McEncroe’s talent for creating compositions that evoke both image and emotion is on vibrant display. This is a very nice and listenable collection of music from a talented composer that has eluded
Nostalgic Symphonic Poems by McEncroe - Album review
"A Romantic, filmic flow with a style that seems to be a parallel to Howard Shore’s scores with touches of English Impressionism and mid-20th Century orchestral style", writes Steven A. Kennedy at Cinemusical in his November review of McEncroe's album "My Symphonic Poems". The double album offering comprises 10 works in which the Janacek Philharmonic orchestra, conducted by Anthony Armore, explores purely orchestral music. Describing the pieces in turn as "an interesting comb
Music Pared to its Essence - My Symphonic Poems album review
In their November review of McEncroe's latest album "My Symphonic Poems", Textura.org describe Mark's composition as splendid, "presented without unnecessary ornamentation, the music pared to its essence to communicate without obfuscation and with clarity and immediacy... "McEncroe's gift for melody regularly surfaces, from the folk-like motif voiced by multiple instrument groups in “That Old Indian Summer” to the wistful theme that flows so gracefully through “Movements in t
