Adams: The Chairman Dances; Christian Zeal and Activity; Tromba Lontana; Common Tones in Simple Time

John Adams (Composer), Edo de Waart (Conductor), San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: San Francisco Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Edo de Waart
• Composer: John Adams
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Elektra / Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000005IY2
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #72,230 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Classical Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 15-JUL-1994

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maximum Minimalism, March 25, 2006

By 

Erik North (San Gabriel, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Adams: The Chairman Dances; Christian Zeal and Activity; Tromba Lontana; Common Tones in Simple Time (Audio CD)

Along with Phillip Glass and Steve Reich, John Adams is one of the foremost composers of what is often called "minimalist music." To classical fans who have been weaned on everything from Handel and Bach through Beethoven, Wagner, Mahler, and Aaron Copland, the very notion of minimalist music, with its repetitious rhythms, might seem a turn-off.

When, however, you get a world-class orchestra like the San Francisco Symphony and a solid conductor in Edo De Waart (who was the orchestra's music director from 1974 to 1985), who premiered many of Adams' pieces and who know them perhaps better than any orchestra around, the results are fascinating, as can be gauged in this Nonesuch recording. It consists of "The Chairman Dances" (from the composer's 1985 opera "Nixon In China"); "Christian Zeal And Activity" (with an admittedly somewhat ponderous evangelical sidebar stuck in there); "Tromba Lontana"; "Short Ride In A Fast Machine" (almost certainly this composer's most popular single piece, and for good reason too); and "Common Tones In Simple Time." As is typical for Adams in particular, and minimalist music in general, the orchestration is varied and vibrant, occasionally using glockenspiel and synthesizers. If one has heard John Williams' eerie scores to Spielberg's films ALWAYS and A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, one can tell how influential the minimalist movement has been on other composers of our time.

For those who are just getting introduced to minimalism and who may be a bit uneasy with the form, this great recording is a perfect introduction to the form. For those who are already very much into it, this is essential.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Own, January 17, 2002

By 

"accroya" (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adams: The Chairman Dances; Christian Zeal and Activity; Tromba Lontana; Common Tones in Simple Time (Audio CD)

If you have heard of John Adams but didn't know which CD to buy, this is definitely the one to get. From the exuberant opening title track to the mesmerizing "Common Tones in Simple Time" there is not a second you will glance at your watch. Don't be fooled by the misleading "minimalist" label. This is solid orchestral music at its finest.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Promises kept, March 26, 2002

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adams: The Chairman Dances; Christian Zeal and Activity; Tromba Lontana; Common Tones in Simple Time (Audio CD)

Asked by a friend to recommend an intoduction to the music of John Adams, I recommended this rather short disc. Not only because it has such accessible works by this major talent, but also because it allows the listener unfamiliar with the minimalist terrain enough samples to stimulate further investigation. Recorded in 1987 the San Francisco Symphony under Edo de Waart sounds a bit thin, but that too is a reason to start here. Much of Adams' music is played by this orchestra and since Michael Tilson Thomas' rise to the helm there has been an extraordinary sea change. After hearing this recording, play the 1997 recording by the same orchestra (led by Adams) performing the "Harmonium" and "The Klinghoffer Choruses" and I think you'll note the difference, sonically and stylistically.. And while you're comparing you will have grown into the more major later works of Adams!