Recommend me more like John Adams..


Hi all

I just bought John Adams "The Dharma at Big Sur". It's an incredibly beautiful, indian-influenced piece featuring an electric violin. Somehow I just connect to it and find myself transported. Do check it out if you get a chance.

I'd like to find more music like this. I already enjoy Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians, Gorecki's 3rd Symphony, and Arvo Part's Fratres, which are in some sense similar to the Adams work. Could anyone recommend more music similar to this? I like all kinds of music and love to discover and explore new stuff.

I have been put off by some avant garde music that just seems to me to be chaotic. I enjoy listening to music that is serene but not to the point of soporific.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions
cheers
Mick
128x128mickey_sg
Hi everyone

Thanks for your responses. I'm definitely going to busy tracking all this stuff down!

Please keep the suggestions coming,
Thanks and kind regards
Mick
Mickey sg: You are talking about some of my very favorite music; tonal and non-serialist 20th century avant garde and minimalist works. I am so happy to suggest these things, and many more if you email me. Keep in mind that it is hard to select a short list, so I am trying to limit it to a few 'essentials'.

1. Morton Feldman "Coptic Light" (Michael Tilson Thomas version) and the CRI masters release of "Music of Morton Feldman" (with the composer conducting and on piano)
2. Toru Takemitsu solo piano (Rodger Woodward version, but NOT the re-issue which has the best pieces missing)
3. Luigi Nono "Das atmende klarsin" (col legno 31871)
4. Jon Gibson "Two solo pieces" (exquisite)
5. Terry Riley "Descending Moonshine Dervishes"
6. John Adams "Shaker Loops" (string quartet version, not over-blown orchestral version)

Email me for more. I live for this stuff
If you really want to go out there in minimalism, try Alvin Lucier and Phil Niblock. They are pure tonal minimalists (as opposed to Reich and Glass who are rhythmic minimalists). Also Folke Rabe and some James Tenney might fall in that catagory. You can get all of this on CD, but it is really hard to get on LP.

By the way, I detest Philip Glass, but I love Steve Reich. His "Octet" is one of my all-time favorites.

Maybe also try the more accessible and less annoying John Cage pieces, like the early solo piano stuff. There is a comp called "In a landsacpe" (Stephen Drury performing) which I am fairly confident you would like (based on what you have written).
Mick, I suggest you open up a Pandora.com account and set up a "John Adams" station. This is the best way I've found to find music that "sounds like" other artists that I like.