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John Adams: Genius or Boring? (or something in between)


Morivou

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@CO I agree with you. I think people will talk about Nixon in China and Phrygian Gates forever. But, other than that, his works will probably just become rep hiding in the fold.

But, that's ok. I still really like his music. I think it's just.. different! I mean, it's not the most developed music. It's very bouncy around different ideas. But, to be honest, I don't think he CARES about classical structure or any type of organization. He simply wants to express emotion any way he knows how. And, for that, I admire. I couldn't do what he does. Post-minimalism is hard, because you want to hold on to past ideals, but they are too strict, and the future of music is too open to really grasp. It's a scary thought. Somehow along the way, we have to live in the moment and just write what we feel. What do we do? I don't know. I think somebody LIKE John Adams is a good example, because from what I have analyzed, he is different. His sound is "John Adams". I mean, I could listen to any number of his works and call him out like a sore thumb. That is ALWAYS what you want. Whether it's bad or good, if I can tell your work, that's when you start to become unique.

Hopefully, one day, I will develop my voice and people will recognize me. :)

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Morivou: I honestly can pretty much tell who wrote what, so I can tell when it's your piece already. ;) Post some more stuff!

I will soon! I am currently writing a Bassoon solo to be premiered in October. So, soon after that, I will post the score and a recording. Keep on the look out!

I am also revising my Toccata for two pianos to be rerecorded sometime late Fall. So, I'll be posting an updated version of that. It's gonna be part of a Larger cycle of dual piano works I hope to have done by the end of Summer 2012.

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  • 2 months later...

I love some oh John Adams, and dislike some. I personally think the man is a genius (the stuff i hate is his fairly atonal stuff). On the transmigration of souls always gives me the shivers. China and Phyrigian Gates are great. I also own shaker loops, PHENOMENAL!!!!!!! I think he's more rythmnically driven than minimalist, or much like Ravel, cannot really be categorized all that well, but tends to fall into one category.

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  • 2 months later...

It's hard to proclaim somebody a "genious", it's better not to do it.

For John Adams, I like some of his music and I don't like some of it as well. I like Short ride in fast machine, Harmonielehre (I used this work to apply for lectureship at the academy) and I don't like Grand Pianola music. Every composer has written some masterpieces and some weaker stuff. The better composers have more masterpieces than weaker stuff, though.

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He comes closer to it than a lot of others, though I can't say I'm convinced. I'm not altogether sure he takes the art seriously enough, but maybe that's just his personality. (I met him briefly and he seemed like a really nice guy, for the record.) He uses some...odd...titles and has some passages that seem rather childish.

By far my favourite piece of his, and which I do consider a masterpiece, is Fearful Symmetries (Nixon in China lovers should check it out, as it was written at the same time). I'm a little surprised it hasn't been mentioned. Other pieces I tend to like in part, or certain movements thereof, but not necessarily in whole. Maybe he's inconsistent, or maybe it's just me.

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  • 3 months later...

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