John Adams: Harmonielehre (1984)

[annath3awesome]

<3 John Adams

[oktopus8]

This sounds so similar to the accompaniment for 'Batter my Heart' from Dr. Atomic.... which is the same kind of beautiful.

[EricTheOracle]

Wall Street waits for the jobs reports. I believe we'll continue to fall off of a cliff. I await the 75% off sales next year in March and what I believe will be unemployment of 10% or higher at the end of July.

[JonnyCashmore]

@EricTheOracle ..and this comment is relevant on a John Adams song.....????????

[sajrocks]

Love when the french horns start trumpeting at 1:13!

[rickmortensen2]

I don't see any connection to Schoenberg's harmonic principles in this piece. It just sounds like "Short Ride in a Fast Machine" and "Chairman Dances." I've always liked it though.

[rspringler]

@rickmortensen2  I thought the same thing, until I became familiar with "Gurrelieder," that huge overblown thing that Schoenberg wrote early on. A lot of the woozy slow sections especially in Mvt. I sound very similar. In general I think the title is a bit of a nose-thumbing gesture though...

[paulybarr]

@rickmortensen2 it's the second movement, called ' Anfortas' Wound' that belongs to the early 20th C world of early Schonberg

[BoomboxWizardLTD]

this is minimalism right?

[kbaronshaffer]

LOVE this piece!

[karkelkhan]

This piece makes me think about the dynamic society we live in.

[xylophire]

I wish my instruments would glow like that.

[wayo002]

A very interesting work by Adams. This part of it is entitled "Meister Eckhardt and Quackie". It's the 3rd part of Harmonielehre . Interesting music which rebels against the very tenets of minimalism. That's why Adams has been called the "Minimalist who's bored with minimalism"

[i742]

Civilization 4!

[LeoSupimpa]

@i742 what that means? please

[Buddypalbro]

@LeoSupimpa Civ 4 is a RTS sort of game, this music was probably used in it. Not sure.

[ryouba]

Ah, good ol' Minimalism.

[txikilin]

Does anyone if this composer gets the inspiration in the oceans because it's what I tend to feel, at least for this piece of music.

[bratwurstle]

Yes, John Adams talks about living on the California coast often!

[0PhantomPhan0]

Justino111, I think unless any of us have earned a Pulitzer Prize, we should all refrain from making overly harsh judgments...

[DaLu105]

I love this! one of my favorite parts is the chord change at

1: 01.

[carambola08]

Dear Justino , Por qué no te calas?

[Justino111]

as shallow as it can get!!!!

[saladshootavvv]

I don't spam videos of modernist composers with unwarranted criticisms of pretension. Get off your high horse and learn to listen and enjoy diversity in music.

[Justino111]

i listen to A LOT of different music. But since people ARE STILL commenting on what I wrote, I repeat: yes, this is very SHALLOW music. Very good for Hollywood, though. Maybe the next Harry Potter film??Or what about Matrix IV?? Right after an incredible fight with a thousand agents pursuing Mr. Anderson...wow, this is so deep!!!

[saladshootavvv]

Wow, what a silly and unproductive response. I've been reading some other comments you wrote on other videos and you just seem like a ridiculous person. If something goes against the school of thought that you subscribe to then to you it's wrong, which is not a valid criticism.

There can be sophistication in simplicity, and yes, a lot of "minimalist" music is shallow, but I feel that this isn't. On the same page, complexity doesn't necessarily give music depth. Do you agree or disagree?

[Justino111]

silly response? gosh, I thought it fit this music so well!

so, if we were comparing this music with films (film directors in general), would you want me to mention Fellini? Herzog? Kubrick? That would be rather contradictory.

It's OK if the piece is shallow, just don't pretend it's more than that.

But I do agree with you about complexity. Complexity does not necessarily give music depth. I agree, that's a valid point.

[saladshootavvv]

I didn't mean to say "wrong", I meant "shallow".

Also you answered half of my question, but do you think that simplicity can be sophisticated, elegant, and contain depth? If you agree, then why is this particular piece shallow? is it the form? Orchestration? Tonal language?

And come on...your response was silly because first you associate it with silly films, which this music would be TOTALLY inappropriate for. Also film music can give depth within the film (Herrmann, Bernstein, Morricone).

[moesbrotha]

I saw the Chicago Symphony Orchestra play this two years ago and I have to say it was the most powerful piece of ingenious writing I'd ever heard.

[Justino111]

go out more often.

[jerrytomball]

Such a wonderful example of the potential of American composition. If only there were more like him. This piece was written back in the mid 80's, but I think we are starting to see more and more composers return to tonality. The best part is that individuals like Adams are able to take the many years of experimentation and make something fresh and appealing to the average listener. Check out the music of Lowell Liebermann for another example of great American classical music.

[Justino111]

what? holy cow, "but I think we are starting to see more and more composers return to tonality"....

Is this a good thing???

And seriously, this piece is pathetic. It doesn't get more shallow than this. It's an american tragedy, that's what it is.

[jerrytomball]

Justin, you are welcome to your opinion about Adams' music. But, are you seriously asking me if it is a good thing for us to return to tonality? Yes, something orderly would be nice. It would be pleasant change if the average listener could enjoy contemporary classical music once again. Sorry to disappoint you, but it's not just for graduate students of composition who have their heads stuck up the rears as they turn music into mathematics.

[Justino111]

i couldn't care less about what graduate students do. I hate pseudo-intellectualism in music.

When you say "something orderly would be nice", do you know the music of other contemporary composers. Maybe whatever you consider "dissonant" will be consider without any order, is it the case? Also, you say "if the average listener could...once again". When did the "average" listener enjoy contemporary classical music? Just asking...

[logenisti]

Unless I'm mistaken, he's been completely sober for the last 20 years.

[Ronanparis]

I had the luck to hear it live in Lille (France) performed by the Lieuwen Symphony Orchestra.One of the best musical experience in my life! Terrific! Great!

[Justino111]

gosh, it's sounds like a huge waste of time.

[EchoCannon89]

this guy is great it's too bad no one's heard of him

[galakatz]

Uhhhh. . . look him up on the Internet. His middle name's Coolidge, if that helps you.

[EchoCannon89]

I've heard of him obviously; why would I be commenting on this page otherwise? God you are stupid lol!

[gab1279]

I wish there were a video of a full performance of this! Still my absolute favorite John Adams piece - I collect recordings of it, and also have the score. It is incredible. The 1st mvmt is my fav.

[polyrhythm07]

This was Don Davis' inspiration for his score to the Matrix trilogy.

[imsleepyanddead]

the marimbas at the beginning remind me of an assembly line, so much energy going to playing.

[imsleepyanddead]

arches national park, i think it's in utah?

[Friendulum]

Kitsch.

[Castenelli]

Ben Van Dijk as bass trombonist. Netherland is one of the best orchestra for that type of music!!

[ckeledjian]

I saw Harmonielehre live with the New World Symphony here in Miami, in their small concert hall. It was AMAZING, so powerfull, so much energy. An old man next to me got so excited I got worried he would have a heart attack. This is what contemporary music should be, fully orchestral, not only chamber. This piece changed my apathetic perception of contemporary

[bratwurstle]

@ckeledjian Was John Adams conducting the concert himself in Miami?

[9aus]

@ckeledjian

its okay to die. everybody does.

[JeeRant]

This is AMAZING. I love John Adams, thank you so much for posting!

[MacktheNice]

I get goosebumps ever time I hear this music. I saw it performed live by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and it just blew everyone away.

Is this part of a documentary on John Adams, and if so is there a DVD available?

[HinZ3]

It's from the Hail Bopp documentary I think

[viningsbee]

Thanks for posting this!

By the way, does anyone know where those rock formations are that are shown at 3:15 in the video?