Adams' Short Ride... led by Jeffrey Means

[NonInflatable]

A brilliant but ferociously difficult piece,  handled superbly well by Jeffrey Means.

[sandgaijin]

Well done, sir. How long did you have to study this for? I think it would probably be better to get your nose out of the score and more in tune with your ensemble. However, your tempo is impeccably strong and unwavering, gesture of syncopation is fantastic, and the big attitude matches the big sound. Great work!

[marimbachou1]

way to go, Jeff!!!

[marimbachou1]

way to go, Jeff!!!

[tommyk77]

1:26 is definitely my favourite beat you do :-)

Super clarity

[saotomi5102]

@tommyk77 Oh my god, yes.....it was seemless!

[jnam1]

Outstanding.  As a student of conducting myself, I really appreciate your clarity and professionalism. Congratulations!

[bleemblargo]

Excellent. You are definitely a student of Peltz.

[gartenbeet]

The Stuttgart Philharmonic will perform this awesome piece on January 1, 2011 at the Liederhalle Stuttgart (Germany). Conductor: Mario Venzago. We all are looking forward to it. @jmeans: Thanx for your video!

[noirvalentin]

Well done!

[iluvperkushun]

I definitely agree with everyone who says this conductor is great. I was thinking that BEFORE I read any of these postings so that proves my admiration is genuine and not influenced by what the other postings say. He conducts BEAUTIFULLY and with such confidence. The way he is able to throw out cues off the beat is really difficult and he did a great job of handling it. Awesome!

[clarinet88]

simply outstanding conducting.

[Vanguarde12]

"You know how it is when someone asks you to ride in a terrific sports car, and then you wish you hadn't?"

[petejellis]

Some of the clearest conducting I've ever seen - perfect for this piece.

[cccustommusic]

Awesome piece, hard as heck. Good job conducting it. Not as easy as you might think with a wood block continually cranking through it. :)

[jerrytomball]

The various audience responses to this piece always seems weak. There's so much energy here that you'd expect thunderous roars and applause. Anyway, I especially liked this video because we get to hear what this fanfare sounds like from behind the orchestra.

[CharlotteinWeimar]

Smashing piece

[randomisnotgood]

What a nice conductor. He cues everybody

[stemonick]

Good Job!!!!

[carambola08]

Just enticing.

[isamec]

Interesting piece of american modern classic. But even John Adams cannot replace John Williams. I would really say that Don Davis got some inspiration from "short ride in a fast machine" for his matrix soundtrack. Especially 1:45 sounds really similiar...

[0711tl]

We played this piece in the symphony that im in and it is very difficult to keep those rhythms while there are so many contrasting parts

[newsoftheworld123]

wonderful piece, great interpretation!

[gnnmusic]

What a fantastic conductor. This piece is hard to conduct and cue he is doing an incredible job. It aims for better precision in the work which John Adams is really renowned in accurate scoring. Well done.

[kentukydoctor]

The Conductor is one of the best I have ever seen. Wonderful song by the way

[tommyk77]

Wow, what a fantastic conductor. He cues everyone. Brilliant!

[bagelfanatic]

It's too bad this is filmed where it was filmed... I'm sure the sound from the front was good.

[AbanicoVIBES]

the conductor here is perfect ---wow

[gab1279]

Okay, so I still like the wind version of this better! Maybe I'm biased because that was my first encounter with the piece, but I just think it works better in the Odom transcription. Wish I'd *once* end up in an ensemble playing it - my college did it 2 yrs before I got there, dang.

Great conducting and performance here!!

[jimbo1066]

Not sure the mics were with the brass but the video camera was right next to french horn player by the sound of it!

[barakvesh]

Yeah, but on the wrong side.

[EmilyJamEm]

Played this in NCWO...amazing =)

trumpet bit at the end is my favourite bit

[Dec24th]

I love this piece of music. I come back to this video just to see it being conducted!

[TheIzzoGuy]

This piece is in 3/2 mostly and switches to 4/2, 5/2, 2/4, 4/4, 5/4, 7/4, and the middle section is in 6/4.

[xiisrylkiix]

imagine bringing this piece to a high school and trying to make it sound this good

[CrazySnareJerrick93]

too bad were alredy trying to do it.

[Futurecoach16]

This song is awesome, and is hard as none other to march to.

[tabbieurshawty]

marching to this,i belive is like marching to jazz,where the off beats gets confusing.

[McDutchy]

Watch the drum major. Problem solved.

[llamadrama26]

AMEN

[kawerty]

anyone knows what grade is this score?

[bestflutistshan]

This is a 20th century composition, which would lead most to believe that it is difficult. Judging by your level of grammar, this composition is over your head.

[tabbieurshawty]

nah not really,he has his stand to ask for the grade,you won't know the level of difficulty if it has gone further or stayed the same from the last 30 years to now.

[evensteve284]

bestflutistshan: Cool it please. How do you know if this person even speaks English as a first language? And even if it is his/her first language it's still an intelligent question. Thank you.

[Teladian]

Kawerty you are looking at a grade 5 or 6 at least and most likely a 6+

[cheekychiko]

I am hoping to do this piece with my wind ensemble too!!! I found the transcription but i could not find detail of the instrumentation... Can you send me the line up please??

Many thank

[TheIzzoGuy]

I love this piece. John Adams is such a sick composer, and a very good minimalist composer. This recording is actually quite good.

[maestrogandhi]

bravo! what an exciting rendition... very effective gestures, i'm impressed at how background and unobtrusive you managed to make your pattern in a clockwork piece like this. and great contrasts - the 6/4 was almost dancelike! i would have liked a little more slowdown in the last section but fantastic overall.

[KaitsuRalia]

Nice job and wonderful conducting. My High School Wind Ensemble is doing this piece. Hopefully we'll sound as good as this group eventually.

[LuxAurumque]

I am in love with this piece of art...

[tallrob11]

i would give anything to be back at NEC and play in Wind Ensemble again!!!!!!! My life is retail now....damn tendenitis!!!

[thatpiccologirl]

VERY nice :-) This is such a hard piece but you all make it look and sound so easy!

[august8pm]

Oh, and the conducting *is* simply terrific. Not having performed the piece, I'm grateful to see the time signatures so clearly.

[august8pm]

So it *does* start out in 3. I'd hate to be the one on wood block.

[Sticks1967]

I'd love to be the one on wood block. He's the most important one in the orchestra. Excellent direction Jeffrey.

[august8pm]

You are braver than I am. I'll stick with the piccolo part.

[MarimbaFire2007]

Holy crap? I've seen the score. I don't think I can follow that, and I'm a percusisonist. For the most part, the srings/brass/percussion parts make sense, but then I see then winds and just start crying.

[kawerty]

marimbafire,your right,but to the winds,its just their norm i guess.. The wood block's just hard,and some times,i thought this is 4/4 . . word.

[GunzTheDuel]

anypiece is fun with 61 time signature changes and polyrythmic beats

[TimeSignatureManiaq]

Awesome. Short Ride always sounds cooler when it echoes like that. Also I really like the conducting.

[jmeans]

Thank you for the comment. It was a lot of fun to do the piece.