The John Adams Almanac
Adelaide Town Hall
In his 80th-birthday year, the Australian Chamber Orchestra celebrates John Adams with a special program curated by Adams and Richard Tognetti – two artists and musical friends who share an instinct for risk and pushing music forward into the unknown.
'Shaker Loops' announced John Adams to the world. It reaches for something primal and urgent – oscillating strings, trembling bows, the ecstatic repetition of a religious sect who shook and danced their way to transcendence. 'Shaker Loops' marked the arrival of a major voice and feels as groundbreaking today as it did 50 years ago.
The centrepiece of the program is the world premiere of 'Gioia', Adams's only new work in his anniversary year, written especially for Tognetti and ACO Principal Violin Satu Vänskä. Two solo violins set against the full ACO, in the tradition of the concerto grosso: music that circulates freely, with soloists and orchestra in charged, fluid dialogue. A gift from a composer at the height of his powers to musicians he deeply admires.
Joining the ACO is pianist and composer Timo Andres – a regular collaborator of Adams and a vital force in American music. Andres will perform a new work commissioned by the ACO alongside his arrangement of 'Flow' by Ingram Marshall.
This is music as living tradition, brought to life by Richard Tognetti and the ACO.
