Several times I wrote "Wow!" next to a work being played...
Peter Jacobi, Herald Times
Justin Merritt describes "River of Blood" as being inspired by a 1980 massacre in El Salvador. But it would demand an audience's attention even if they were unaware of that. Merritt seems to have the strongest sense of dynamics of any of the seven composers, most notably when a storm of percussion gives way to a sorrowful solo viola. For singularity of style, Merritt's piece was the standout.
Rob Hubbard, Pioneer Press
Various works for solo piano appeared throughout the year, but the highlight came Nov. 9 with Justin Merritt's Five Preludes for piano. Each prelude, alternating fast and slow, briefly explores one of a number of ideas, from the fast aggressive ultra-romantic expression of the first and third preludes, recalling late Scriabin, to the exploration of overtone sonorities in the slow sustained style of the second and fourth preludes. The final prelude is a raucous, rhythmically jolting work that recalls Conlon Nancarrow's out-of-sync player piano studies.
-Peter Schimpf, Bloomington Independent
Merritt uses unexpected shifts in tempo and tonality for dramatic effect: long, simple lines with echoing violin and horn phrases reflect the singer's musing. As his unease increases, so does the music, in an undercurrent of skittery, edgy passages and tight harmonics. Bold use of clashing chromatics intensifies the experience, especially in the score's starkly luminous finale.
-Diane Windeler, San Antonio Express-News
Merritt has a fine ear for instrumental color and knows how to exploit the
virtuoso resources of an ensemble as fine as this one.
-Benjamin Frandze, The San Francisco Classical Voice
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