JOHN ADAMS

[dulcinea]

This past week I bought the cantata HARMONIUM, by John Adams. 'twas a total disappointment; dull and unimaginative, it was definitely not Adams at his best. Besides NIXON IN CHINA, which I already have, what really good pieces of Adams would you recommend to me? Also, is he related to the family of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams?

[Ralph]

This past week I bought the cantata HARMONIUM, by John Adams. 'twas a total disappointment; dull and unimaginative, it was definitely not Adams at his best. Besides NIXON IN CHINA, which I already have, what really good pieces of Adams would you recommend to me? Also, is he related to the family of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams?

*****

No he isn't despite the fact that both his names are very rare in America.

[Corlyss_D]

This past week I bought the cantata HARMONIUM, by John Adams. 'twas a total disappointment; dull and unimaginative, it was definitely not Adams at his best. Besides NIXON IN CHINA, which I already have, what really good pieces of Adams would you recommend to me?

[MahlerSnob]

You might try some of his more recent works: On the Transmigration of Souls, Naive and Sentimental Music, Century Rolls, etc. There will hopefully be a recording of Doctor Atomic soon. I heard a bit of it in a broadcast a few years ago (while he was still working on it, obviously) and I really liked what I heard.

I don't think he's related to the President John Adams. He does have a sense of humor about is name, though, and seems inclined to pass the joke on to the next generation: his son's name is Sam.

[jserraglio]

You might try some of his more recent works . . . Naive and Sentimental Music.

I second that emotion. N&S Music is my favorite work of Adams. I heard it live before the recording came out and it did not disappoint. Even those in the audience who hated Adams' music stuck around to the end to boo it, instead of slinking out after the Mozart concerto.

[diegobueno]

I like his orchestral works better than his vocal ones. N & S is good, Fearful Symmetries is a lot of fun. There's a two-piano work called Hallelujah Junction that I heard performed and was really blown away by.