John Adams Photo: Creative Commons 3.0
Celebrating his 70th birthday in 2017, the composer John Adams is still one of today's most highly regarded composers.
This Bruckner-inspired work is in three monumental movements.
- 1 Naïve and Sentimental Music
- 2 Mother of Man
- 3 Chain to the Rhythm
The composer says: 'The rhythmic and harmonic DNA present in the first bars culminates in its final moments, with the resonant energy and full acoustical power of 100-plus instruments. The aim here was to make the orchestra sound not only massive (as it does in Bruckner) but also fleet and capable of high velocities, a kind of "vehicle of transcendent potential".
Recorded 5 May 2017, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert.
Producer: David McCaw
Engineer: Graham Kennedy
