[1] The piece is dedicated to the orchestra, about which Salonen remarked, "I wrote LA Variations specifically for the players of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
[2] Reviewing the world premiere, Mark Swed of the Los Angeles Times called L.A. Variations "a happy event" and praised Salonen for his "brilliant orchestration."
Swed noted the influence of Jean Sibelius and such 20th-century composers as Witold Lutosławski and György Ligeti, but added, "Still, Salonen puts it all together in his own way.
And there is the sheer exhilaration of providing at least a thrill a minute during the 19-minute piece from a virtuoso orchestra that he knows intimately.
"[4] In 2013, Seth Colter Walls of WQXR-FM reflected that the work was "a bold step forward" in Salonen's career as a composer.