Same old same old
1
By golaud
Somebody please stop me from buying any more John Adams music on iTunes. Every time, without fail, I listen to the little excerpt and think, "Hey, that's not bad. Maybe the whole thing is even better." Then I buy it and realize I've been taken again as I suffer through an hour of excruciatingly bad music. And when I say bad, I mean sincerely, heartfelt, profoundly bad. The electronic violin in the not-at-all-pretentiously-titled "The Dharma at Big Sur" will actually give you a migraine.
I'm sorry. I want to like John Adams' music, I really do. He's supposed to be our greatest living composer, and he sure as heck beats whoever passes for "great" in the UK these days. And some of Adams' work is not so bad -- his Short Ride in a Fast Machine is megafun, and his Common Tones in Simple Time is almost beautiful in places. But no more for me. Never again. I mean it this time.
John Adams
4
By fin de siècle
It is true, as other reviewers have pointed out, that Adams is a peculiar person. That being said, these two compositions are among my favorite of Adams' output. I enjoy this late Adams, when he steps outside the traditional harmony and architecture of his earlier minimalism. My Father Knew Charles Ives is certianly a good example of this; it is no where near as boring as Shaker Loops, or Grand Pianola Music. And as one previous reviewer cleverly pointed out, the Dharma at Big Sur is titled as such because the electric violin imitates the carnatic music of southern India. If you are like me, and find yourself somewhat bored with the overly-simple harmonic plan and incessant rhythm of some other John Adams, then I recommend you try these two compositions; you just might enjoy them.
Exeptional !!!!
5
By El Fernand
This is a contemporary classic at the level of Mozart, Beethoven or any Great Master
Fabulous! Stunning! Mesmerizing!
5
By Bram Dakota
To echo a previous reviewer, these pieces give me chills! On first hearing, they are merely huge, thrilling and exuberant. But on multiple hearings, they gradually reveal their depth, both of structure and passion.
If you like Indian ragas -- as I learned to love them through Ravi Shankar'smusic in the 1970's -- you will understand Dharma at Big Sur more readily. It's an amazing hybrid of European and Indian musical traditions.
I've never really liked Charles Ives' music -- it was always hard for me to hear the "music" in it. But I can hear both Ives and music in "My Father Knew Charles Ives." Again, a brilliant modern rendition of Ives' ideas in his "Fourth of July" piece, but much more listenable.
I heartily recommend these pieces. I find them immensely joyous and uplifting.
The rating isn't for the music.
1
By Boolez
I almost enjoyed the album until I read the liner notes and remembered why I stopped listening to Adams. He's one pompus jerk. The liner notes, which itunes fails to include, is one pean about how John Adams is such a wonderful composer. At one point he lements at how many hours it took him to realize microtones on his Casio only to wonder in anger why some orchestra couldn't hear it on the spot. Then he babbles about why he can't be as cool as the beats...which he's not. The Dharma was supposed to be his ode to the beats but I'd be impressed if he wrote the whole thing in one shot and let it stand warts and all. That's the sort of thing the beats would do because, heck, they WERE cool AND had talent. The introduction of a six string electro-violin goes on to insure that Tracy
Silverman will be the only one to play this thing for years to come.
My Father Knew Charles Ives was a lie. Adams father, as we come to know, never knew him. This is more Adams spewing about how much Adams is special, which is sad. The piece is supposed to be Ives influenced although it doesn't have any micro-tones (which would have been approperate in this piece although Ives didn't need the help of a Casio to hear the tones). It does sound like it was more influenced by Takemitus than Ives although mr-hight-and-mighty would dissagree, because he's way cooler than all of us put together in case you didn't know.
All of this is sad because I realy did enjoy the album. If Mr Adams would just get out of the way once in a while and just let the music speak for itself, I'd listen to more of his stuff.
Charles Ives Dharma
5
By AllanDiBiase
The Dharma piece on this recording is an another Adams "cross-over" (classical and popular styles) piece. Some will like it for what it is. Some will not like it for what it isn't. I think it's great that Adams continues to work this angle even if it is not my particular favorite.
More important to me is the three movement Ives piece. This major piece continues Adam's fascination with and exploration of Charles Ives music. Ives surely is the most original American composer ever and it's good to see Adam's being creative in this way in such an extended form.
Dharma: astonishing.
5
By Sean Robertson
I saw The Dharma at Big Sur performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and would have to describe it as easily the most astonishing and mesmerizing peice of classical music I've ever heard. It gave me chills at least a half adozen times. Adam's style in Dharma is very unique, blending asian instruments and sounds with classical intruments and hints of jazz. The result is extremely expressive and moving.
