 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Alphie
Date: 2005-11-13 19:32
We're in the middle of our annual composer’s festival, this time with music by John Adams with himself as an honorable guest.
It’s the first time for me playing his music and it’s a great experience. His rhythmical patterns lie as a fundament for very virtuoso moves. You need to get the swing and absolute accuracy in togetherness or it’ll just sound messy, but when it works it’s awesome.
In the concert last Thursday we played among other pieces “Century Rolls” for piano and orchestra written for Emanuel Ax, a good friend of the orchestra’s since many years. The soloist this time however was Finnish virtuoso Olli Mustonen.
Coming week John Adams himself conducts in “Harmonielehre” and other pieces. This is American contemporary music at its best. Great fun.
Alphie
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-11-14 00:10
I'm surprised one of the symphonic concert bands I once played in hasn't done 'Short Ride on a Fast Machine' - they usually did some modern squeaky gate music and this would have fit the bill - and the auduence of about 5 may have been impressed too.
To be brutal, all this 'contemporary' music does bugger all for me - at worst it's music for people that don't like music and fits in with their empty minimalist existances, especially with some of the stuff from Michael Nyman, Philip Glass and everything by Ludovico Einaudi - it just sounds like technical studies.
No, not for me.
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Author: Jack Kissinger
Date: 2005-11-14 00:56
It's all a matter of taste, I know, but I personally have always found Adams one of the more interesting minimalists and wouldn't classify his music as of the "squeaky gate" variety. Any one who puts a mooing cow into a clarinet concerto can't be all bad.
One of the orchestras I play with planned to schedule "Short Ride ..." last year -- until we learned that the rental fee would be around $350 for a 4-minute work. We decided it just wouldn't fit our budget.
Best regards,
jnk
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Author: Alexis
Date: 2005-11-14 03:13
Chris
"contemporary music" means a lot of things to a lot of people. In fact the distinguishing feature of our the current art music culture is the incredible diversity of styles which co-exist.
From your post you seem to have a fairly restricted view of new music as either the 'squeaky gate' variety or minimalism.
Its uninformed prejudice like this that destroys a living music culture.
Sorry I feel rather strongly about this
Alex
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-11-14 04:43
Boy
the contemporary music mafia here in NZ regard Adams as "really quite conservative" and below their radar.... i personally think that Gnarly Buttons is one of the best Concerto type works from last century (while i've certainly performed lots "squeaky gate" material, i would count myself as a critical listener who's hard to please).
The NZSO performed Fast Ride just a week or so ago, and i counted its inclusion as one reason to avoid the concert and go to a party instead. But you know, the audience enjoyed it- and they outnumber me somewhat. Just as well we don't all like the same music, or nothing would ever get sold from the bargain bins!
donald
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Author: Chris P
Date: 2005-11-14 11:38
Bradley,
I do like Arvo Part's choral works, but they're not exactly the sort of thing the general concert goer will like, they might find the dissonances too much in comparison to the popular 'easy listening' variety of minimalist - the kind of stuff that goes right through me without triggering any emotion, and has no melody that can be remembered as there's no melody.
The average concert goer over here relishes Binge, Coates, etc. and will probably have a heart attack if they hear an augmented 4th or a flattened 9th.
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Author: Mark G. Simon
Date: 2005-11-14 18:42
Maybe Adams can be convinced to write a piece called "Squeaky Phrygian Gates".
Alphie, I am pleased for your enthusiasm about this music. I find it amusing that we still get the knee-jerk "but nobody likes this stuff" replies even with your testimony to the contrary.
Where is this John Adams festival taking place?
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana--Mediocrates (2nd cent. BC)
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Author: Bob Phillips
Date: 2005-11-15 00:43
Like the man said: three kinds of music that ain't music: country , western and "modern."
I'm just not sophisticated enough to withstand music that is not melodic, not rythmic and not harmonious. At my age, its unlikely I'll get past the good stuff I want to play to have time to take one the dissonant stuff.
Although, as I learn more music "theory," I better understand the rules underwhich some of this STUF is composed.
Bob Phillips
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Author: donald
Date: 2005-11-15 05:51
well, there's plenty of melody, plenty of rhythm and plenty of harmony in John Adams that's for sure
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