Track Listing

1. Chamber Symphony: Movement 1
2. Chamber Symphony: Movement 2
3. Chamber Symphony: Movement 3
4. Grand Pianola Music
5. Grand Pianola Music
6. Grand Pianola Music

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81727 in Music
• Brand: Adams
• Released on: 1994-10-25
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Customer Reviews

One of the best performances of any Adams pieces.
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.

Defense of Grand Pianola
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.

Exciting Adams
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.