"With his relatively minimal means, Mr. Ashley sets out to explore huge ideasl "Imrovement" rolls along like a shaggy-dog story, continually shifting sound and perspective; as it's fractured story considers love and loss, its tropes consider memory and dream and conjecture, public authority and private experience, materialism and spirituality. Like Mr. Ashley's other operas, "improvement" reminds listeners that the mind offers a far more expansive stage than any theater.” — Jon Pareles, The New York Times, 10/12/1991
