# Thomas Adès



## Yardrax

So I was listening to Asyla for the first time and in his little opening speech he said that the third movement was a dance movement, only a modern dance like you'd find in a club. At first I was like, 'Nah...', and then as I'm listening it happens - 'Boom - tsh - Boom -tsh - Boom - tsh...'. 10/10 would definitely listen again. There's also some great percussion sounds in there that sound a bit like Gamelan to me, I have no idea really because I'm a neophyte when it comes to ethnic music, but it's still a cool piece and you all should listen.


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## Neo Romanza

The British seem like now all they do is oversell their native composers which is evident in their many classical publications like _Gramphone_ and _BBC Music_. Now, granted, some composers deserve all the press in the world because it seems people have forgotten about these composers' mastery and of course I'm talking about composers like Elgar, RVW, Delius, etc. Composers of an earlier generation who have had far more interesting things to say musically than the current generation IMHO. Anyway, this said, I do think Ades has written some decent music. _Asyla_ isn't bad at all, but he holds no candle to the composers that have come before him.

Just my two cents.


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## juergen

I was quite impressed by his piano piece Traced Overhead:


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## elgar's ghost

I think Thomas Ades' output has been interesting right from the beginning - Five Elliot Landscapes is one of the most assured op.1s I can recall and the standard has been maintained since then based on the other fifteen or so works of his I've got. So far things seem to have gone rather swimmingly for him - I just hope he doesn't burn out or over-reach himself as he seems to be very much in demand.


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## Janspe

Listening to _Powder Her Face_ for the first time. It's quite an imaginative score, I'll give it that, but so far it hasn't really made a huge impression. I'm happy to listen to it though - the only way to make new interesting encounters in music!

I heard Adès' _Totentanz_ live some time ago and it truly swept me off my feet, so I want to explore his music more. Any thoughts on the later operas?


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## mikeh375

The violin concerto is well worth listening to as is his str. quartet Arcadia.


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## Janspe

mikeh375 said:


> The violin concerto is well worth listening to as is his str. quartet Arcadia.


Yes, the violin concerto is a great piece! I've heard the Hadelich/Lintu recording a few times. Arcadia I know less well, will give it a go soon!


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## mikeh375

Ades is also a magnificent pianist and is sometimes considered the successor to Britten. I have him playing Liszt, Janacek, Faure and Kurtag with Isserlis on cello. On that same cd is a recording of his work Lieux retrouves with Isserlis, who thought some of it unplayable at one stage. The 3rd mvt, Les champs sees the cello rise into the stratosphere and beyond with the highest note probably ever written for a cello...an E......that is a _6 ledger line E in the treble clef._..and it's not a harmonic.


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## Becca

While I do very occasionally listen to _Asyla_ (it took a while!), two other orchestral pieces that have made their way into my collection are _Polaris_ & _Tevot_.


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## anahit

for those who haven't been able to hear, here is Inferno from LA premiere. well deserved title, such is the music - I was tortured for 45 minutes...  :devil: 
Ades - Inferno (2019)


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