Music
What happens when the composer shows up to the first rehearsal of his brand-new piece? Would a living Beethoven sue for intellectual property? Are you the hit, or are you in the hole? For this episode, we collaborated with the 20-member chamber ensemble Alarm Will Sound and its conductor Alan Pierson – with whom we're partnering on the upcoming podcast album Splitting Adams (out April 21 on Cantaloupe Music) – to take a close look at the music of John Adams, specifically his two insanely difficult chamber symphonies. This episode offers unprecedented access to not only to the creative process, but the weird, woolly procedure of putting these massive pieces together. Heard a piece of music you loved? Discover it here! 1:48—John Adams: Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 2:12—Arnold Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Mondestrunken | Listen | Buy 2:29—Richard Strauss: Five Piano Pieces, op. 3: IV, allegro molto | Listen | Buy 3:08—Ray Noble: The Midnight, The Stars and You | Listen | Buy 3:13—Busby Berkeley: Hooray for Hollywood | Listen | Buy 3:55—Louis Armstrong: You're Lucky to Me | Listen | Buy 4:37—George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue | Listen | Buy 5:20—John Adams: Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 5:58—John Adams: The Death of Klinghoffer | Buy 7:30—Arnold Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 8:53—John Adams: Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 19:10—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 20:46—Danny Elfman: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, The Breakfast Machine | Listen | Buy 21:10—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 22:19—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 24:25—Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, mvt. I | Listen | Buy 24:51—Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, mvt. II | Listen | Buy 25:00—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 26:01—Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, mvt. II | Listen | Buy 26:28—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 31:33—John Adams: Fellow Traveler | Listen | Buy 31:42—John Adams: Nixon in China | Listen | Buy 31:56—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 32:24—John Adams: Fellow Traveler | Listen | Buy 32:33—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy