John Adams found his individual compositional language, incorporating traditional harmony and emotional appeal through minimal music, after attending a Steve Reich concert in 1974.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded in Potton Hall, Suffolk, on January 7th and 8th, 2006, with Michael Ponder as the producer and engineer.
Compositional Technique
In John Adams's early minimalist piano works like China Gates and Phrygian Gates, the term 'gate' refers to a sudden change of tonal mode, borrowed from electronics where a switch changes polarity.
Performer Biography
Ralph van Raat, the pianist on this album, has won numerous awards including the First Prize of the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition in 1999 and the Philip Morris Arts Award in 2003.
Composer Biography
John Adams grew up in a musical family where his father was a jazz sax player and his mother a jazz singer, exposing him to diverse styles early on.
Composer's Artistic Vision
John Adams, the composer, is described as 'a minimalist bored with minimalism' due to his diverse compositional output.
