Arlene Sierra's Kiskadee is described as "effective and engaging" in the Texas Classical Review, in a series of performances by the Dallas Symphony, Fabio Luisi, conductor in March 2025
Pairs of premieres and showpieces provide enjoyable contrast with the Dallas Symphony
Kiskadee is the latest of several works by Sierra that incorporate transcriptions of bird song; in this case, the call of the titular bird provides a four-note motif that is one of many irregular, coloristic gestures derived from natural sounds in the kiskadee’s habitat. Following a raucous opening that introduced the kiskadee’s call, the piece unfolded as a complex soundscape consisting of shimmering strings and reiterated pitches in the winds and brass, all coordinated by the steady beat indicated by Luisi as he also cued distinct bird calls within the collage. The result was an effective and engaging suggestion of a teeming outdoor space.
- William McGinney, Texas Classical Review
Review: Two new pieces and two audience favorites from the Dallas Symphony
One of a series of Sierra’s works based on bird songs, Kiskadee makes much of the eponymous American flycatcher’s three-note call. Eight minutes long, its layered jabs and jerks of sounds expand into four- and five-note motifs, with chatters of winds and violins. Dissonant growls of horns and trombones supply timbral contrast and sonic underpinning, with percussion booms and tinkles.
- Scott Cantrell, Dallas Morning News
More about Kiskadee here