Customer Reviews

I Was Looking At The Ceiling And Then I Saw The Sky

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This work falls between two stools - on the one hand the style is eclectic, encompassing gospel, rock, sprechstimme, opera, musical theatre. On the other it could have been written by no one but Adams. He takes a variety of musical styles and makes them his own. I was initially puzzled by it but many subsequent hearings have confirmed that here is a wonderful piece of musical theatre, finding a depth of emotion that is light years ahead of the vacuousness of modern musical theatre (no names....!) If it recalls anyone other than the composer himself then it would be Sondheim - there is something of the New York composer in the small musical cells, subjected to numerous repetitions; but Adams' melodic gift is greater. As the wonderful title of the piece indicates, this is a piece about trnscending the mundane and finding spirituality in the most unlikely situations. I have played it countless times and it never fails to move and excite.

When I first heard this piece, a huge smile filled my face. I picked it up expecting another Nixon in China or Klinghoffer (which I loved), but what I got was wonderfully fresh and original. I had never heard anything like it. Who would have thought that minimalism and musical theatre could work together? Each song was a surprise. I was so happy to hear John Adams have so much fun with his music (something certain other modern composers of vocal music need to do). A great experiment in American music and theatre. The performances are all fantastic. Congratulations to Mr. Adams for not listening to musical purists and for coming up with something daring, original and fun.

It took me several listens to gather the full effect of what Adams was trying to accomplish on this opera/musical. I'm not sure that this recording fully harnesses it all, but it is an excellent recording.

As most people know, the recording is based on the 1994 major earthquake in California, and the structure of the recording reflects this, as movements 2-14 are meant as either solos or duets to reflect points of view. These pieces are sandwiched by ensemble numbers (part 1 and 15) that show off some of Adams' minimalist leanings but quickly switch over to pop and jazz sensibilities.

At moments, it's difficult to follow the flow of the action, especially on those parts that have no dialogue to connect sections. I suppose that is a nit-pickey point, all in all, but it was a noticable flaw as i heard it.

With Adams conducting, the cd shows off a different side of Adams. No, he's no Lloyd-Webber or Sondheim (thankfully) but the performance IS an interesting melding of opera and musical. While this concept, in my opinion, pales in comparison to his other operatic works, the work is a confident one, and is well worth listening to.

When this was playing up in Berkeley, Paul Hertelendy of the San Jose Mercury News compared it to Bernstein's West Side Story -- i.e., a plainly commercial attempt in the genre of popular musical theatre. This it is. Adams lacks a kind of musical charisma to create memorable, singable popular tunes, so on that level it fails. A pop attempt like this is a little incongruous: as if the dapper and nattily dressed Adams himself were wearing baggy jeans and backward cap. It's trying to be something it can't be. But what Adams always does is, first, set the English language in an unexpected yet natural and effective way, and second, introduce a steady stream of subtleties that should entertain any fan of his music. There is some great stuff under the covers here, but it is neither succesfully pop-attuned (like West Side Story or Lloyd Webber) nor emotionally profound (like Adams' own Violin Concerto or Harmonium.)

For all that, I like to hear Adams stretch himself and pop-inflected music at the same time, and since I think he's the best setter of the English language since Britten, I enjoyed "Ceiling ... Sky" (4 stars is my strong pro-Adams prejudice) and have been waiting for the CD since seeing the original Berkeley production. For my money, the libretto is better than "Nixon" and "Klinghoffer". The only things I miss are the great graffiti murals hung at the back of the stage.

John Adams has created a bizarre masterpiece with this work. I started listening to Adams seven years ago, and from Shaker Loops to Common tones, to Nixon in China to Hodoo Zepyhr, to the violin concerto, and to Gnarly Buttons, the evolution of his musical ideas has been beautiful to listen to. This most recent work extends that evolution. I will not lie. The music, at times, seems...insipid. However, no other modern composer has the sheer audacity to come out with this sort of strange fusion between minimalism, show tunes, opera, jazz, and blues. This album is for anyone who loves Adams music thoroughly. The emotional roller-coaster of tones is here, the voices are magnificent, the story is interesting.

I love John Adams. I love what he did with Ives' songs, his Transmigration, violin concerto etc. I was wondering why I hadn't heard this piece before. I was so excited by the beginning orchestration that I actually said to my wife that history will prove Adams to be the voice of our generation. Unfortunately, I quickly changed my mind. The problems began with the triteness of the "chorus" part of the first track. The piece continued sinking; not being buoyed by the insipid libretto. Adams is a rhythmic genius. I don't consider him a great tonal-melodist. I bet there is only a small audience for this piece. People versed in his concert pieces will find this uninteresting and those that like modern Broadway will not enjoy the angular melodies......but what do I know.

How depressing that Nonesuch would waste money on recording this dud. The cast tries valiantly -- however the material just isn't there (and the PC 'libretto/lyrics' are laughable). Mr. Adams should go back to writing for opera. His attempt at music-theater shows that he just doesn't have a feel for 'Broadway.'

In true Hollywood fashion, this work musically would be "Evita Meets Stavinsky's "Rake's Progress"!", plus n'th degree LA-style Political Correctness for "good luck". If that doesn't sound convincing, it isn't. But you do have the criminal, yet heroic, young African-American male; the heroic illegal alien latina; the successful and yet confused Asian-American; and the brutal white cop who will apparently only be brutal until he accepts his homosexuality. It would be enough to make one puke, if I wasn't so saddened.

John Adams' works have always been interesting, and with "Ceiling/Sky", he once again offers a challenging and original score. Borrowing from classical styles as well as modern rock, jazz, doo-wop, and gospel, Adams' ambitious canvas impresses the listener with its wide musical scope. Even more intriguing is that, with this new work, Adams has written a piece that is much more musical theatre than it is modern opera. Admittedly, there are times when the libretto is dramatically faulty, and most of the white couple's music is rather drab; still, this does not mar the power of most of the score, nor the phenomenal performances. Enjoyable and satisfying, this is one of the best theatre recordings of the year.

The piece is clever, funny and moving. Audra McDonald and the cast are fantastic. But the sound of the recording is quite dull and the booklet doesn't add much. 4 stars - a reflection of the CD and materials, not John Adams' music. Still definitely worth the purchase.