John Luther Adams (b. 1953)

[Mirror Image]

Good post, and it makes me want to listen to more JLA. Interestingly (and I know you don't like him and particularly dislike this work, yada yada yada...), but that is one reason I love Messiaen's Des Canyons aux Etoiles.

What is your favorite JLA work? I haven't heard many, but I do like what I have heard.

Favorite JLA work? It's really too early for me to pick an absolute favorite right now. I still have so much to hear, but a few works that have made a strong impression on me so far have been The Far Country of Sleep, Red Arc / Blue Veil, and The Immeasurable Space of Tones.

[Mirror Image]

There are several books on JLA, but this one really caught my attention and it comes with a bonus CD of three works that have never been recorded:



To the Christmas wish list it goes.

[lescamil]

If you have a chance to see anything in concert by JLA, do it. With any composer, that if a given, but with his music, that is more so something that one needs to do. I have only seen one work live, Strange and Sacred Noise, but it was without a doubt one of the most significant concerts I have been to in my (relatively short compared to many of you) concert-going life. JLA's music is music of space, and the best sound system with a studio copy recording cannot still even come close to the power of this music when seen and experienced live.

[Mirror Image]

If you have a chance to see anything in concert by JLA, do it. With any composer, that if a given, but with his music, that is more so something that one needs to do. I have only seen one work live, Strange and Sacred Noise, but it was without a doubt one of the most significant concerts I have been to in my (relatively short compared to many of you) concert-going life. JLA's music is music of space, and the best sound system with a studio copy recording cannot still even come close to the power of this music when seen and experienced live.

Trust me, I definitely will see a JLA work in concert as soon as I hear an announcement that one of his works is being performed near me. You're right in saying that a good stereo setup doesn't even begin to touch what his music must sound like live. I'd love to hear even some of his chamber works like Red Arc / Blue Veil or the two-piano version of Dark Wave. This certainly would be awesome.

[lescamil]

I've also seen the two piano version of Dark Waves in concert. It's also quite an experience, being able to hear the washes of sound of the piano flurries combine with the electronics. Unfortunately, the concert I attended put that as the first piece on the program, and I was unfortunately late, so I got there midway.

[Mirror Image]

I've also seen the two piano version of Dark Waves in concert. It's also quite an experience, being able to hear the washes of sound of the piano flurries combine with the electronics. Unfortunately, the concert I attended put that as the first piece on the program, and I was unfortunately late, so I got there midway.

Very nice. Well at least you got to see some of it. In other news, I received Become Ocean today in the mail -



All I have to say right now is OH MY GOODNESS!!! I believe I have found my musical soulmate. I love JLA's whole philosophy about music and how nature has affected his music. Become Ocean is an incredible work that completely envelopes you into this vast plethora of sounds and moods. This truly is a work of pure brilliance. I don't like to tote around the word brilliant, but I think it aptly applies here and to many works I've heard by JLA. Still, I have so much to hear.

[Mirror Image]

Nate, you've got to hear Become Ocean. That's all I'll say here.

[Mirror Image]

Really enjoying In The White Silence at the moment. Hauntingly beautiful.

[lescamil]

I heard the premiere of Become Ocean, along with the companion Become River. I also heard his new work Sila: The Breath of the World recently, which is an extension of this compositional train of thought. I really love this monolithic sort of JLA, with its huge washes of sound and gradual build ups. It's music to lose yourself in, and music that begs to be performed often with what it demands (spatialized instrumental placement, audience members weaving through the instrumental forces, etc).

[7/4]

I didn't know there is a Become River!

[EigenUser]

I didn't know there is a Become River!

*waits for Become Puddle*

Nate, you've got to hear Become Ocean. That's all I'll say here.

I certainly will! I think I heard In the White Silence a while ago. I also remember hearing In a Treeless Place, Only Snow a couple of years ago.

[Mirror Image]

I heard the premiere of Become Ocean, along with the companion Become River. I also heard his new work Sila: The Breath of the World recently, which is an extension of this compositional train of thought. I really love this monolithic sort of JLA, with its huge washes of sound and gradual build ups. It's music to lose yourself in, and music that begs to be performed often with what it demands (spatialized instrumental placement, audience members weaving through the instrumental forces, etc).

Yes, I can only imagine what JLA sounds like live. Must be such enriching musical experience.

[Mirror Image]

I certainly will! I think I heard In the White Silence a while ago. I also remember hearing In a Treeless Place, Only Snow a couple of years ago.

In the White Silence is a great piece. I haven't heard In a Treeless Place, Only Snow. What kind of work is this? What's the instrumentation?

Edit: Never mind I looked up on JLA's website and this work, In a Treeless Place, Only Snow, was written for celesta, harp (or piano), two vibraphones, string quartet. Sounds like a nice work already. I LOVE the vibraphone.

[AdamFromWashington]

Yes! So much talking! Everyone should know about John Luther Adams' music.

It's completely sublime. Like a hike in the mountains, or a swim in the Puget Sound. He seems to distill natural essence down to a perfectly simple yet profound musical expression. Does that sound silly? Hmm... Well, it sounds like mountains to me, his music. Strauss is great, but too messy! Bruckner's closer, but too grand, almost too human for it. But John Luther Adams achieves that freezing cold mountain feel with no fuss whatsoever. It's nearly inhuman, but... Does anyone know what I mean? By all counts it almost shouldn't succeed. The way Adams talks, you'd expect a "new age" sound, but nope, he avoids that completely (at least in my opinion).

Probably my favorite work is Inuksuit, which is the piece that introduced me to his work. I also love The Far Country of Sleep, which opens with what I would call a Zarathustra's Prelude for the Arctic Circle. I actually have that piece on a signed CD, though sadly it's signed to someone else, since I bought it used off Amazon. Makes up for the cruelly short run-time, at least.

[Mirror Image]

Yes! So much talking! Everyone should know about John Luther Adams' music.

It's completely sublime. Like a hike in the mountains, or a swim in the Puget Sound. He seems to distill natural essence down to a perfectly simple yet profound musical expression. Does that sound silly? Hmm... Well, it sounds like mountains to me, his music. Strauss is great, but too messy! Bruckner's closer, but too grand, almost too human for it. But John Luther Adams achieves that freezing cold mountain feel with no fuss whatsoever. It's nearly inhuman, but... Does anyone know what I mean? By all counts it almost shouldn't succeed. The way Adams talks, you'd expect a "new age" sound, but nope, he avoids that completely (at least in my opinion).

Probably my favorite work is Inuksuit, which is the piece that introduced me to his work. I also love The Far Country of Sleep, which opens with what I would call a Zarathustra's Prelude for the Arctic Circle. I actually have that piece on a signed CD, though sadly it's signed to someone else, since I bought it used off Amazon. Makes up for the cruelly short run-time, at least.

None of your post sounded silly. I understand where you're coming from. One thing I walk away from when listening to JLA is that 'time stood still' type of quality to the music. Yes, we probably could associate so much of his music with nature and quite understandably so considering his advocacy of environmental causes and trying to invoke the natural world in some way, but, at the end of the day, his sound palette is so vast and so far-reaching that I would hate to limit it to just nature. I do believe, however, that there is a human element in his music as so much of it is so touching that you would think he's communicating his soul directly to the listener. It doesn't really bother me if people want to label his music 'Minimalism' or whatever category people should try to pigeonhole him with. His music is so unique and belongs to it's own idiom that the only label I feel comfortable with is 'JLA music'. He is an idiom unto himself.

[AdamFromWashington]

None of your post sounded silly. I understand where you're coming from. One thing I walk away from when listening to JLA is that 'time stood still' type of quality to the music. Yes, we probably could associate so much of his music with nature and quite understandably so considering his advocacy of environmental causes and trying to invoke the natural world in some way, but, at the end of the day, his sound palette is so vast and so far-reaching that I would hate to limit it to just nature. I do believe, however, that there is a human element in his music as so much of it is so touching that you would think he's communicating his soul directly to the listener. It doesn't really bother me if people want to label his music 'Minimalism' or whatever category people should try to pigeonhole him with. His music is so unique and belongs to it's own idiom that the only label I feel comfortable with is 'JLA music'. He is an idiom unto himself.

Indeed he is.

And you're right, inhuman wasn't quite the right word... Eh, it's a day before Thanksgiving, and I'm a bit tired, so what can you do? When I said "sublime," I was closer to the mark, and I mean "sublime" with all its philosophical connotations, that is, something beautiful, but crushing, and consuming--"inhuman." Of course, what's necessary for this is precisely the human element, because sublimation would be impossible without a sublimated party (hooray for semantics!). So, in a way, his music is "inhuman," but a better way to describe it would be this: it taps into the human experience of indifferent nature. A human expression of the inhuman, if you will. JLA talks a lot about biblical-scale floods, and melting ice caps, and volcanoes, and earthquakes. All equally beautiful and terrifying. I feel he expresses those feelings better than most anyone. But, like you, I would also hate to stuff his music into some sort of "nature" box, no matter how tempting it is with his birdsong inclusions, earthquake interpretations, and mountainous album covers. He's definitely more than that. A meditative quality inhabits his music, and a strange sort of sadness. Like you said, again, "an idiom unto himself."

[Mirror Image]

Indeed he is.

And you're right, inhuman wasn't quite the right word... Eh, it's a day before Thanksgiving, and I'm a bit tired, so what can you do? When I said "sublime," I was closer to the mark, and I mean "sublime" with all its philosophical connotations, that is, something beautiful, but crushing, and consuming--"inhuman." Of course, what's necessary for this is precisely the human element, because sublimation would be impossible without a sublimated party (hooray for semantics!). So, in a way, his music is "inhuman," but a better way to describe it would be this: it taps into the human experience of indifferent nature. A human expression of the inhuman, if you will. JLA talks a lot about biblical-scale floods, and melting ice caps, and volcanoes, and earthquakes. All equally beautiful and terrifying. I feel he expresses those feelings better than most anyone. But, like you, I would also hate to stuff his music into some sort of "nature" box, no matter how tempting it is with his birdsong inclusions, earthquake interpretations, and mountainous album covers. He's definitely more than that. A meditative quality inhabits his music, and a strange sort of sadness. Like you said, again, "an idiom unto himself."

Good post and, of course, I agree with every word.

[lescamil]

I didn't know there is a Become River!

It's a companion piece to Become Ocean that was written for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.

https://content.thespco.org/music/compositions/become-river-john-luther-adams/

[Mirror Image]

I await a recording of Become River. Really would like to hear how the genesis of this work flowed right into Become Ocean. JLA explains both works here, thanks to lescamil's link:

https://www.youtube.com/v/2HxNKbr5TOg

[7/4]

It's beautiful.