By Jeff Dunn, in the most recent San Francisco Classical Voice:

“The second Saturday concert introduced two additional composers new to the Festival, John Mackey (no relation to composer Steven) and Stewart Wallace, whose Harvey Milk was performed by the San Francisco Opera in 1996. Both composers provided highly entertaining works, expertly performed by Alsop’s crew. Mackey’s Redline Tango is a true dazzler, eliciting a powerful audience response. “Redline” refers to a limit marked on gauges by engineers. In Mackey’s case, the engine is the orchestra, and it gets pushed into the danger zone right away by frantic pacing, with only hints of a tango to come. The hell-bent engine segues into a flamboyant tango of great inventiveness and humor. Although Mackey introduced himself to the audience as the “least ethnically interesting person in America,” his tango abounds with Latin and klezmer references. The swooping melody is carried on a virtuoso violin part. The theme gets ever more sleazy as it progresses before the piece ends with a reprise of the infectious chase music. John Mackey is a composer whose next visit to California is eagerly awaited.”

You can read the entire article here.