Adams: Violin Concerto/Shaker Loops
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Composer: John AdamsConductor: John Adams
Conductor: Kent Nagano
Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
Orchestra: Orchestra of St. Luke's
Performer: Gidon Kremer
Edition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 1996-04-09
Music Label: Nonesuch
Soundtracks:
- Violin Concerto (1993): I Quarter Note = 78
- Violin Concerto (1993): II Chaconne: Body Through Which The Dream Flows
- Violin Concerto (1993): III Toccare
- Shaker Loops (1977-83): I Shaking And Trembling
- Shaker Loops (1977-83): II Hymning Slews
- Shaker Loops (1977-83): III Loops And Verses
- Shaker Loops (1977-83): IV A Final Shaking
Music reviews of Adams: Violin Concerto/Shaker Loops
Music Review: Neo-Romantic Minimalism? Neo-Minimal Romanticism? Neo-monotony?
Rating: 3 Stars
Another reviewer here implores reviewers to stop calling this music minimalism, which it strictly is not, but, as he points out, derives many elements from. Whatever you call it, it's very popular with concert-goers these days who fancy themselves above pop or crossover twaddle (The Police and the Royal Philharmonic perform...) but who run screaming at the sounds of Ligeti, Pederecki, Carter and the whole Second Viennese gang. So here we have purdy Big Tunes that present themselves in garb that doesn't say, "Hi, I'm from the period of Dead White Males who Oppressed all sorts of unfortunates but am now coming to you with hand out, asking for your support so I can keep on oppressing," and also doesn't say, "The world started ending between the wars, and painting, music, sculpture and writing is just an extension and a repetition of the basic message that we're all f****** and there's no existential point to it all and never was, so how the hell am I supposed to find a resolution to this cadence, let alone a frigging home key?!" As such, this music has somewhat succeeded in getting people back to "modern" music by not wearing tarnished threads while not being too difficult and impertinent. (Others might add "too egotistical" to that list but boy, we'd part company.)
Fair enough. But if only this music were more *interesting.* The third movement in this VC sounds like Prokofiev on opioids. The first movement, with its circular ethic, is interesting but eventually gets repetitive for my tastes--unlike the sublime and tremendous expansiveness of, say, Shostakovich's 10th Symphony first movement, this expansiveness sounds like walking in place (not enough development). There's lots of color, and some considerable dissonance in this work, but I don't feel at the end like I've been challenged or stretched, but only had my head patted. Perhaps that's because, owing possibly to its minimalist roots, things unfold slowly and they repeatpeatpeat. Variations are glacial. It's been compared to fractal drawings, which some people find fascinating; I don't. (A review I wrote of the Philip Glass Violin Concerto, which I think is one of the best [most succinct and appropriate] reviews I've ever written, and which Amazon promptly took down, was simply, "Boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring boring...")
There's gymnastics galore, and Kremer tackles them with aplomb, which I expect, given his superb chops and musical sense. (He really is a treasure, overshadowed, I think, by flashier--and sexier--fiddlers.) For performance alone this disc merits five stars, and the recorded sound is excellent. But when it's over, reflecting on the fact that I chose to listen to *this* violin concerto rather than Berg's or Schoenberg's or Moret's or Ligeti's.
Adams isn't pushing music. The instruments don't come up to the edge of their limitations in any way as far as I can tell (maybe I'm wrong), and structurally the piece isn't very interesting. Perhaps he didn't want to push the envelope, but I can't help but feel this style gets a lot more credit than it deserves for being "brave new music." It's almost modern music for people who hate modern music (but want to feel on the edge of the avant-garde).
As for the Shakker Loops, I have both this and the Edo de Waart/SF Symphony recording on Philips, and everything I've said above about the VC applies times five to that piece. But maybe someday I'll change my mind about this style--I'd really like to--and I'll be the first to post a retraction of that happens. :-)
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