BMOP/sound Announces the Release of 'Lukas Foss: Complete Symphonies' for Upcoming 25th Anniversary Season

Known as the nation's foremost label launched by an orchestra and devoted exclusively to new music, BMOP/sound today announced the release of its 43rd recording, Lukas Foss: Complete Symphonies, led by conductor Gil Rose and performed by the intrepid Boston Modern Orchestra Project (BMOP), celebrating its 20th anniversary season in 2015-­??16. A seminal contribution to the discography of 20th century American classics, this two-­??disc SACD compilation is the first recording of the complete symphonies of Lukas Foss (1922-­??2009). BMOP previously released Foss's cantata The Prairie (BMOP/sound #1007, 2008), set to texts of Carl Sandburg.

"Although his roots are firmly grounded in Boston, Foss played a leading role in America's music history," says Gil Rose, executive producer of BMOP/sound. A German-­??born composer/conductor/pianist/educator, Foss eagerly embraced both his adopted country and its explosion of musical languages, which he incorporated into a body of over 100 works. Assimilating serialism, neoclassicism, minimalism, and more, Foss's music explored the tension between tradition and new modes of musical expression.

His four engaging and evocative symphonies, spanning the years 1944 to 1995, bookended his career-Symphonies 1 and 2 in the beginning, and Symphonies 3 and 4 toward the end. The former are inspired by his love of great composers of the past, including J.S. Bach and Igor Stravinsky. Symphony No. 1 (1944) represents the Boston School of neoclassicism with flair. Foss used his Symphony No. 2 (1955-­??58) to probe ideas of tonality, notation, and fixed form, while essentially maintaining his neoclassical style. Three decades later, Symphony No. 3 (1991) and Symphony No. 4 (1995) embraced the stylistic eclecticism of late 20th century new music. Foss's assured order of previous years evolved into self-­?? assured disorder, as he remained faithful to his own inspirations and influences but refused to follow trends. "The whole point now is that I can be just as crazy tonally as I was before atonally," said Foss.

About BMOP/sound

BMOP/sound, BMOP's independent record label, was created in 2008 to provide a platform for BMOP's extensive archive of music, as well as to provide widespread, top-­??quality, permanent access to both classics of the 20th century and the music of today's most innovative composers. BMOP/sound has garnered praise from the national and international press; it is the recipient of five Grammy Award nominations and its releases have appeared on the year-­??end "Best of" lists of The New York Times,The Boston Globe, National Public Radio, Time Out New York, American Record Guide, Downbeat Magazine, WBUR, NewMusicBox, and others. Admired, praised, and sought after by artists, presenters, critics, and audiophiles, BMOP and BMOP/sound are uniquely positioned to redefine the new music concert and recording experience. BMOPsound.org

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