# John Adams?



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Why am I drawn to JA's music? Lately been listening a lot to Harmonielehre and Chamber Symphony, and there's no denying Dharma at Big Sur of course. Even oddities like this:






So what do you think?


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I think the first Adams work I heard was The Chairman Dances. Back then, my first thought was "Will, you for God's sake just change chords once?"

I enjoyed the piece above though until the found recording part comes in. I think the use of those long rests is amazing. It's calming yet makes me a little anxious too on first hearing because of the uncertainty of the rests. I'd like to hear it with Adam's original sonic found object. (Note: I knew nothing of this beforehand. I'm just looking it up on Wikipedia as I listen.) 

I still have mixed feelings about minimalism. I enjoy it in small doses. "Less is more" maybe, but not without a little more "more" for contrast.


----------



## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Adams is definitely one of my favourite modern composers. I wouldn't say, however, that his music is strictly minimalistic (though some of his works are). His music is less repetive, it changes more frequently; I think it resembles minimalism mixed up with some Stravinsky and some other elements, too.

The Chairman Dances was the first piece by Adams I have heard and it continues to be my favourite; I also like Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Harmonielehre. I also enjoy his chamber work Road Movies for violin and piano.






Best regards, Dr


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Here's a treat, "Roadrunner," the last movement of the Chamber Symphony. It seems Adams was studying Schoenberg while his kid was watching cartoons in the other room...


----------



## HarpsichordConcerto (Jan 1, 2010)

Adams is best known, and rightly so, for one major work.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Adams is best known, and rightly so, for one major work.


In the United States, he's best known to concert audiences for Short Ride in a Fast Machine, said to be the most-programmed piece by a living composer.


----------



## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

KenOC said:


> Here's a treat, "Roadrunner," the last movement of the Chamber Symphony. It seems Adams was studying Schoenberg while his kid was watching cartoons in the other room...


Finally! A drum kit and electronic keyboard in a classical work and it doesn't sound remotely like pop or rock. Won me over. Thanks for this.


----------



## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

It is good old-fashioned music making with a current contemporary voice; Adams is more than competent; there is often more than a remnant of those devices and modes , those semiotic elements which most quite readily, almost automatically, are recognized and make for ready access and understanding.

Adams works I recommend:

_China Gates_ ~ early very 'minimalist' piano study on a pedal point, (four minutes, lovely.)
[From about the same time, Phyrgian gates is an epic extremely minimalist repetitive piece of about 20 minutes duration which has yet to hold my interest for any length of time.]

_Shaker Loops_ ~ the original version for seven strings & the later revised conductor-led version for string orchestra.

_Common Tones in Simple Time_ ~ orchestra. minimal, but without the 'expected' wholesale repetition... music made up of small cells of material, it is a somewhat 'ambient' orchestral music. Something about it makes me think of flying and looking out over the passing landscape. His 'other' short fanfare piece, '_Tromba Lontana_' as a prelude to Common Tones makes for a nice listening program..

_Harmonium_ ~ for chorus and large orchestra. Again, new M.O, while retaining the more traditional sensibility and bag of tricks expected from a work for chorus and orchestra.

_John's Book of Alleged Dances_ ~ string quartet and prepared tape; fun, fresh treatment of some idiomatic American popular forms

_Grand Pianola Music_ ~ (2 pianos, 3 female voices, winds, brass & percussion) I like the first two movements, which are played without pause. The final movement I find intolerably basic and repetitive.

_Road Movies_ ~ violin and piano: lively, again with a very lyric blues-accented middle movement.

_Chamber Symphony_ ~ as recommended, a very fun romp and listen. (the second companion piece, 'Son of Chamber Symphony,' does nothing much for me.)

_Christian Zeal & Activity_ |~ for unspecified chamber ensemble (1973). I am used to the string quartet version, and believe the 'embedded' sound object of the manipulated tape of the preacher is what Adams had in mind.

_Fearful Symmetries_ ~ this is a 'highly repetitive' piece I am fond of, and can and do listen to repeatedly. Over a heavily repeated and steady pulse, and using the 'simplest' of similar material, it covers a wide range of 'emotive' expressiveness while remaining on its relentless course, (a winner in my book.) The title occurred to the composer after he noticed all the material was very foursquare :-0
…. A very nice performance here, and quite unusually, I prefer this as performed by L'Orchestre National de Montpellier, René Bosc direction, over the composer led recording.













_Eros Piano_ ~ for piano and chamber orchestra. 
This is on a CD along with Ingram Marshall's beautiful "_Fog Tropes_," (before it became better known as used in the sound track of Scorcese's "Shelter Island"); Ives' _Unanswered question_ (chamber orchestra version); Morton Feldman's "_Madame Press died last week at ninety_." 
'_Eros_' was written as a tribute to the then recently deceased Toru Takemitsu, and it is a real departure for Adams in that he 'walks' the terrain of Takemitsu's vocabulary, and very well indeed -- Lovely piece which is often programmed and performed, though I think it is not so generally well known. // Selections from this CD make a fantastic through program.
1.) _Madame Press died last week at ninety_
2.) _Eros Piano_
3.) _Fog Tropes_
4.) _Unanswered question_

_Violin Concerto_ ~ a fine work, the first movement one of the more outstanding 'developed' (as in old style 'development') movements of the latter half of the 20th century, a lovely Chaconne middle movement (the ground bass is from the ubiquitous Canon in D of Pachelbel), the last a typical 'display' finale - my taste has that third movement leaving me both disappointed and a bit cold, but another very good piece overall.

_Century Rolls_ ~ piano and orchestra (Emanuel Ax; Cleveland, orchestra, Cristoph Dohnyani) is a helluva rocking romp for all players, the middle movement, 'Manny's Gym' is dedicated to the pianist and a tribute to Satie, as in 'Gymnopedie.'

_American Berserk_; a harsh and somewhat brilliant solo piano piece, also written for Mr. Ax.

_Slonimsky's Earbox _~ a piece using tons of various scales as found in Slonimsky's 'Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns,' is ebullient, then lyric, returning to ebullient: it is fun, well crafted, and readily enjoyable.

_On the Transmigration of Souls_ ~ orchestra, chorus, children's choir and pre-recorded soundtrack. Commissioned as an in memoriam piece for the victims of 9/11. Restrained in that that it is not a political polemic, or meant to invoke remembered outrage, but as a true in memoriam. It's innate theatricality may be the element which makes it less interesting to listen to repeatedly or often. Won the Pulitzer Prize, though it is easy to imagine the subject matter had great influence upon the committee.

_Hallelujah Junction_ - rollicking and very nice piano duet solo

_Dharma at Big Sur_ ~ for six-stringed electric violin and orchestra. I think this is a wholly integral and brilliant piece, perhaps worthy of the label 'masterwork.'. One listen will convince, or not. Speaks for itself

_A flowering Tree _~ his most recent opera, is very promising as heard from this excerpt of its finale....





P.s. Touted - even a bit self promoted as -- a 'populist' composer, and that he may be, but there is one camp who make it out as if the populist composer has 'sacrificed' an ivory tower proclivity in order to bring music to the people, or some such construct. I find that hogwash, believe that the 'populist' composer is actually writing as he can and wants, and it 'happens' to be more commonly and readily understood.

A composer, for most of his career, who survives off of commissions and royalties from performances and recordings, I think about half the pieces are 'inspired,' and very readily listenable and engaging conservative contemporary music.

Adams himself said, early on, that he was a 'minimalist' who had tired of minimalism, and I give him much credit for following a path of development and change over the course of his career.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

PetrB, thanks for your comments! I'm going to go back and re-listen to some of these works with your thoughts in mind.

Adams also has a few "lesser" and shorter works that don't outstay their welcome. My wife's favorite is "Lollapalooza." Yes, we're the Adams family!


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

A reminder for those interested: John Adams' new Saxophone Concerto will be streamed today from www.stlpublicradio.org. The concert begins at 8:00 PM Central time.


----------



## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Too bad it will be 3 AM here.  

Best regards, Dr


----------



## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

Great. It will be 10:00 PM here.


----------



## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

Swell. Couldn't you record it for me or something? 

Best regards, Dr


----------



## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

DrKilroy said:


> Swell. Couldn't you record it for me or something?
> 
> Best regards, Dr


Of course... but it will cost you ten bucks!.


----------



## ArtMusic (Jan 5, 2013)

_Nixon In China_ was interesting. (I watched most of it at my uncle's place two weeks ago.)


----------



## DrKilroy (Sep 29, 2012)

And how was the Saxophone Concerto?

Best regards, Dr


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Sax Concerto was big and noisy, a lot of saxophone playing! It didn't do a lot for me on first hearing, but that's not surprising. The concert was recorded and the piece will be issued on Nonesuch, paired with City Noir. City Noir's a piece that still doesn't do much for me -- hoping the Sax Concerto is different!


----------



## brotagonist (Jul 11, 2013)

I'm leaving this party early :lol:

The samples so far confirm my impressions of this particular Adams' works: populist and decidedly mainstream, almost non-classical in character, what I euphemistically call an 'American' sound, which is a subjective impression, not a political designation, that I use to mean _blech_. I can imagine these works as soundtracks to films or PBS documentaries. There's something Gershwinesque, even sanitized Zappan, about this music.

The middle section of _Road Movies_ is okay, I guess, but I'd definitely edit out the beginning and end sections, and _Roadrunner_ doesn't give me heartburn, I suppose, but I still want to go home to listen to something else.

It's not personal, JA. It's just my impression  You've made your millions; you can't please everyone.


----------



## aleazk (Sep 30, 2011)

DrKilroy said:


> And how was the Saxophone Concerto?
> 
> Best regards, Dr


I didn't like very much, to be honest. It seems that Adams wanted to try a more "modern" vocabulary, but it didn't work for me (not because the fact he changed the vocabulary!, but because I think he needs to refine a little more this new vocabulary). The craft was excellent, as usual.
I think Adams' best vocabulary, the one you can say he's comfortable with, is that of Dharma at Big Sur, which is a masterpiece.
Also, the piece didn't have any percussion instrument. To me, that didn't work either. The texture became monotonous quite quickly.
To me the piece sounded like a washy Dutilleux.


----------



## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

*No percussion????*



aleazk said:


> I didn't like very much, to be honest. It seems that Adams wanted to try a more "modern" vocabulary, but it didn't work for me (not because the fact he changed the vocabulary!, but because I think he needs to refine a little more this new vocabulary). The craft was excellent, as usual.
> I think Adams' best vocabulary, the one you can say he's comfortable with, is that of Dharma at Big Sur, which is a masterpiece.
> Also, the piece didn't have any percussion instrument. To me, that didn't work either. The texture became monotonous quite quickly.
> To me the piece sounded like a washy Dutilleux.


I attended the performance with the Baltimore Symphony. The music could have used percussion. It felt weird not hearing any.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

KenOC said:


> Sax Concerto was big and noisy, a lot of saxophone playing! It didn't do a lot for me on first hearing, but that's not surprising. The concert was recorded and the piece will be issued on Nonesuch, paired with City Noir. City Noir's a piece that still doesn't do much for me -- hoping the Sax Concerto is different!


I heard City Noir on the radio Tuesday night, and I enjoyed it. I was surprised to hear the announcer say John Adams was the composer.


----------



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

PetrB said:


> It is good old-fashioned music making with a current contemporary voice; Adams is more than competent; there is often more than a remnant of those devices and modes , those semiotic elements which most quite readily, almost automatically, are recognized and make for ready access and understanding.
> 
> Adams works I recommend:
> 
> ...


Surprised Harmonielehre isn't on your list!


----------



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

JA is one of my absolute favorites, but that doesn't mean I believe everything he's done is golden. At his best, his music captures the spirit of our times, is beautiful, bold, and often profound. On the other end of the spectrum, he can be too clever and cute for my taste.

My favorites:

*Harmonielehre 
*Nixon in China
*Chairman Dances
*Naive and Sentimental Music
*Common Tones in Simple Time
*Two Fanfares: Tromba Lontana and Short Ride in a Fast Machine
*Eros Piano


----------



## 20centrfuge (Apr 13, 2007)

Here's a great article from the Guardian about Harmonielehre.
http://http://www.theguardian.com/music/tomserviceblog/2014/mar/11/symphony-guide-john-adams-harmonielehre-tom-service

I believe this work will be viewed as one of the most important works of of the twentieth century. It will be in company of other 20th century orchestral masterpieces such as Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra and Stravinisky's Rite of Spring.


----------

