PRESS/QUOTES
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"Finally there were arrangements of music for rock ensemble — including [Frank Zappa's] "G-Spot Tornado" — performed by the Fireworks Ensemble, the eight-member group that set up the whole concert... With the change of nomenclature and mood in the rock part of the show, a whole new feeling came into the auditorium, as if, formalities now concluded, everyone could kick off shoes and dance till dawn. Brian Coughlin, Fireworks’ director and bass player, produced some hell-for-leather arrangements that the players, now relaxed and grooving, played the heck out of, down to show-stopping solos in "The Purple Lagoon/Approximate." Finally labels did indeed cease to matter: this was just music, and it sounded like music to keep."
"This may be the hottest new classical band in New York. Call it what you will, their performances are astute and extremely entertaining... I have never seen happier performers and a more relaxed and receptive audience... Run, don't walk, to their next performance and buy their CDs too. This eclectic ensemble of flute, sax, violin, cello, bass, guitar, percussion, and keys is magic. The experience is ecstatic."
"Fireworks lit up Lawrence's Lied Center on Saturday night with a program proving that beloved cartoon characters like Bugs Bunny and Road Runner have provided more than laughs. "Cartoon," made the point in entertaining and musically vivid ways. Where else could one have heard such richly varied and perfectly executed scores where bits of classical, opera, jazz, folk and schmaltz combined with such telling effects? The biggest laughs came at the end with Fireworks' energetic and perfectly synchronized recreation of Milt Franklyn's adaptation of Franz von Suppe's operatic airs for "Baton Bunny" (1959), one of Bugs Bunny's bravura performances. "Cartoon" was serious fun of the highest -- and funniest -- order. Bravo, Fireworks!"
"The second event of the pair was a concert of minimalist works given by
rock-classical crossover band The Fireworks Ensemble at the Tenri Cultural
Institute on March 18th... And the ensemble delivered; with such energy in fact
that what had been touted as the evening’s masterpiece, Louis Andriessen’s
Hout, felt too relaxed a work to take the heat."
"Wow. Whatever your opinion of the remixes, they were anything but boring. And the players are skillful, talented and energetic. Also, the Fireworks Ensemble gets a very enthusiastic thumbs up for being so creative and original... it's refreshing to hear some truly original thinking. And it's healthy to challenge accepted, established notions of the way art should be. And these players do just that."
"Brave, skillful and refreshing... We should all be aflame with such passion."
"The prize for the most madly eclectic program of the season goes to the NYC ensemble Fireworks."
“Fireworks is an octet of passionate young players who combine enormous creativity, imagination, spirit, and technique. I am impressed with just the fundamental integrity of Fireworks’ approach to repertoire. There is no pandering or pursuit of ‘accessibility’ for its own sake. Rather, the group performs music which it truly believes, and which it deems as having a serious purpose. In short, it is devoted to music across barriers as art, above all."
"Fireworks has definitely demonstrated their talent and serious approach by untertaking one of classical music's most challenging masterpieces- Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring.' Any fan of the piece, as well as any chamber rock follower, should not miss this NYC group; they are the bridge between the contemporary classical new music ensemble and the maintream, popular audience, bringing together two very different branches on the music tree. Just as Stravinsky's masterpiece caused riots during its premiere, Fireworks has continued with the mindset of daring, bold, musical strides to bring you a breathtaking interpretation that has insights for both the classical and rock musician- never has electric guitar sounded so compatible with orchestral instruments! Brilliant!"
“This is a very talented group of 8 musicians who are very dedicated to their art and craft. They are forward thinking in their musical outlook, approach and repertoire, yet remain firmly rooted in the classical conservatory tradition.”
"Stravinsky's 'The Rite Of Spring': This is an extraordinary album. The piece is a classic one, and the performance is just brilliant. I can only give you one piece of advice: play it at night; preferably in the dark; make sure that you play it loud enough and don't let anyone else bother you. Essential listening !!"
“A small ensemble that produces a big sound”
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