KPFA-FM Music Dept. ➔ Morning Concert: John Adams, 1986, 2 of 2

Analog Audio

Event Type

Interview and Music

Origin

KPFA

Identifier

MC.1986.02.20.B

Program Series

Morning Concert

Program Length

119 min

Part

2 of 2

Dates

1986-02-20 | broadcast
| 1986-02-20 | created

Description

Composer John Adams, who was working on his opera, “Nixon in China”, at the time of this 1986 recording, talks with Charles Amirkhanian about the state of contemporary classical music. Interspersed with this free-ranging conversation are examples of Adams’ music, illustrating the topics discussed. The two also talk about Adams' composition, “Harmonielehre”, which was commissioned and recorded by the San Francisco Symphony under Edo de Waart, and had just received a nomination for a Grammy, in the contemporary music category.

Genres

New music
Minimalism

Musical Selections

The Chairman Dances: foxtrot for orchestra (1985) -- China Gates (1977)

Performers

Margaret Leng Tan, piano (China Gates)

Subjects

New music
Orchestral music
Foxtrots
Minimal music
China -- Politics and culture

Related places

Berkeley (Calif.) (was recorded at)
Berkeley (Calif.) (was broadcast at)

Related Entities

Amirkhanian, Charles
Adams, John, 1947-
Tan, Margaret Leng