COMPOSER: John Adams, (1947- ) American composer, currently living in Berkley, CA.
GENRE: orchestral
TIME PERIOD: Minimalsim
PERFORMANCE: Saturday, January 8th, 2010 at the Utah Symphony, conducted by Tierry Fischer.
Minimalism is characterized by repetition and ostinato, where a motif repeats over and over. For this piece, Adams states that his "ideal is to make the orchestra resonate and sound beautiful, to make it purr." I think purring is a great description for the sound that is created using minimalistic technique.
Adams' music first captured my attention as a young teen when I was seeking the right music to use to choreograph a modern dance to. Shaker Loops caught the attention of my dancing heart, and made me want to move in a spontaneous way. Minimalism can include periodic improvisational sections, as Shaker Loops does, and I immediately began dancing. The ostinato creates a rushing feeling that inspires movement. I am excited to hear a work of his performed live, this will be my first.
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