Robert Raines
Composer
…[his music has] the power to move the listener emotionally…dramatic and evocative…we will be hearing much from Robert Raines in the future. Atlanta Audio Society
…considerable talent and imagination…the orchestration is rich and imaginative…there is a life-force behind his music which involves the listener and keeps the material fresh…
Flute World / Music Web
…the music is never monotonous or wearying; the varying moods are sweetly poetical…[he gives] this ensemble of equal instruments [flutes] a veritable orchestral or even choral heft…
Classiqueinfo-Disque.com
…spinning polyphonic lines...lift the music off into the air…tart and jazzy... expertly scored…[his music] really grows on you...
Allmusic.com
The Return of Odysseus: The music for “The Cyclops” is graphically ominous in its snaking melodic contours and generally low pitch, while the ethereal “Song of the Sirens,” generally high and seductive, acts as good contrast”… Echoes of Sarah: “It is touching in its evident sense of yearning. Solo lines evoke the loneliness of the shakuhachi. The performance is disciplined and strong…
Fanfare Magazine
Rainesmusic is the web site of Robert Raines, Composer, Author, Educator, and Musician
By Robert Raines
Published by Oxford University Press
Composition in the Digital World: Conversations with 21st Century American Composers
In this series of personal interviews with some of the most prominent composers of art music currently working on the American music scene, composer and educator Robert Raines leads the intimate conversations through subjects ranging from the source of inspiration to work habits, the realities of the business of music, and the impact of technology on music and life in the 21st century.
REMOTE ESCAPES
Robert Raines’ critically acclaimed CD, “The Return of Odysseus,”
Includes “Echoes of Sarah” for nine flutes; “Menage” for flute, bass clarinet, and piano; and the complete ballet “The Return of Odysseus,” performed by the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, released on MSR Classics.
"[All] the compositions here...are well-written... they do reveal an individual voice. I like best [The Return of Odysseus'] gritty view of ancient Greece. This isn't storybook stuff – noir, rather than Disney.
The piano trio gives a reading full of rhythmic vim, and the Moravian Philharmonic has electrifying moments in the ballet."
Steve Schwartz, ClassicalNet
Photo by Dallas Raines
Individual musicians, small groups, ensembles and orchestras: I’m writing music full-time and seeking collaborations with performing musicians. If you are interested in having some original music written for you or your ensemble, contact me and let’s discuss the possibilities!