Customer Reviews

John Adams: Chamber Symphony; Grand Pianola Music

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Not only is the piece amazing! (of course) but the performance is incredible! The London Sinfonietta plays with remarkable virtuosity and STYLE! As a musician having listened and seen the score, I know this piece is extremely difficult, and they play with wonderful competence and character. Aside from the fantastic playing, the piece is a real ear opener for fans of Adams. The majority of his music (or, that which is being recorded) are large orchestral works. Large orchestras, lots of soloists, etc. Wonderful stuff, if you haven't heard Harmonium yet, go listen. But the chamber symphony is like all the very best things condensed into a small ensemble and 20 or so minutes. The result is a perfect, high energy, high substance, fantastic piece. I bought it a month ago and it hasn't left my CD player since I put it in. If you're a fan, this piece is kind of like a John Adams primer.

I have to say first off that 'Grand Pianola Music' is a favorite piece of mine. I too, am a composer, and open to musical styles of all types. However, where another reviewer hears embarassingly trite, unoriginal and obvious music, I hear music of passion and joyousness, music that might embarass some because it is so unashamed of reveling in the glory of its own sound. Grand Pianola Music is like the big, brassy, colorful uncle who crashes the posh dinner party, horrifies the snob guests and captivates the more open-minded ones. Unfortunately, it seems that despite the talk of reaching out and eschewing the "Who cares if you listen?" mentality of the 20th century academic mainstream, contemporary classical music still retains the atmosphere of a posh upper-class dinner party; having fun is the most gauche faux pas imaginable.
Originality, complexity, structure, and artistic meaning, these are the concerns of too many contemporary composers and aesthetic critics. Beauty, truth, and emotional meaning are the concerns of most ordinary listeners. Which sounds better to you? In the end, it all depends on listening to the music and deciding if you like it or not; if it moves you in your gut. One reviewer found the piano's theme in the last movement of this piece 'obvious' or 'trite' I found it noble and almost Beethovenesque. Make up your own mind.

If you are a devotee of minimalist music, and, especially, if you are fond of the work of John Adams, this is a CD you will want to have. The mood and excitement which Adams creates in these compositions is even greater than in his shorter works, and, consequently, even more rewarding.

That's not a lie. I'm sixteen. I listen to all sorts of music, rock, classical, opera, hip hop. Just about anything. But when my dad (who is a college humanities prof.) played me the third movement of Grand Pianola Music, I was instantly impressed.

To this day, it is only on a par with Beethoven's 9th Movement IV and Pastoral Final Movement with the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

I strongly urge you to buy this album.

I stumbled on Grand Pianola music by pure chance, hearing this unlikely title over the radio. It took me 30 seconds to decide to leave it on. The overall effect of the twin pianists, the vocal trio and the rest of the ensamble is one of spiritual uplifting.

I play trumpet and needed to perform on the Adams Chamber Symphony. As I had never heard the work, I wanted a recording to help me study. This is a nice CD and the performance of the Chamber Symphony is excellent. I found the CD very helpful in my preparation.

Bryan A-W
Trumpet Professor
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ

one of the pianists ( I believe it's the second ) plays an A natural instead of an Ab at around 8:32 in the first movement of Grand Pianola Music so it really sticks out. I even checked the score to make sure Adams didn't write an A natural for some sick reason... he didn't! Has anyone noticed this or are my ears oddly acute today? I never noticed it before and I've had this recording for quite a long time! Overall, this album is wonderful and the London Sinfonietta does a fantastic job along with the soloists in Grand Pianola Music.

This is a fantastic album, showcasing two major areas of Adams' style as a composer. The Chamber Symphony reflects his more modernist, atonal, and energetic side, while Grand Pianola Music showcases his harmonic intensity and continuously evolving musicality (much more in the style of his Harmonielehrer than the Chamber Symphony). As such, this album is an excellent showcase of Adams' enormous talent and dexterity as a composer.

...the joke of Adams' *Chamber Symphony* - which is that you can be just as naive-listener-unfriendly as Schoenberg, not only without eschewing tonality, but without even ever changing key!

Five stars for the performance and recording.

But don't kid yourself. Once you "get" the joke, there's really no reason to keep listening. For better or worse, John Adams is no Arnold Schoenberg.

Seller states it was mailed 10/22. He was unable to replace it but issued a timely refund. Recommend use of "traceable" shipping mode in future. Assigned one star as it is demanded. Recommend a "Not applicable" choice for this kind of situation.

JWH