John Adams — Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?

★★★★★

   John Adams, one of the best composers of today’s America, started his creative career in the end of the decade of sixties. Time of avantgarde ideas and great achievements of post-war music was about to an end. From the beginning of his composing he took esthetic positions of post-minimalistic style dealing with Darmstadt school ideas. As 31 years old composer in 1978 he wrote Shaker Loops for string septet in modular version, where conductor decided when musicians should move from one module to another. Five years later orchestrated this work and number of repetitions has been specified in the score. 

   His early works like Shaker Loops, Grand Pianola Music (1982) and many fragments of his first opera Nixon in China (1987) became a great success and pave his road to the fame of master of contemporary minimalism although most of his works cannot be recognized as minimal music. In the middle of second decade of his creative work he was already far from minimal ideas and in symphonic score Harmonielehre from 1985 he moved back to the expressionist means and loose tonality. Nevertheless in 1990’s he was listed in one row with masters of 1960’s generation Terry Rilley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass. Some elements of this style he was working also in next decades, i.e. using steady pulse as characteristic feature of his style, but the last decade of 20th century and two decades of new Millenium was the time of his greatest creative achievements.

John Adams —  Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? (2020)

   Concert compositions occupy a special place in John Adams’ oeuvres. Starting from Violin Concerto (1993) to Scheherazade 2 – symphony for violin and orchestra (2014) he presented an unusual melodic lightness and lyricism contrasted with dramatic tensions. In compositions for piano and orchestra these qualities were augmented with motoric intensity and expressive radiant harmonics interacting with variety of rhythmic patterns. In third piano concerto called Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? Was commissioned by Los Angelese Philharmonic and premiered March 7, 2019 in Walt Disney Concert Hall by Yuja Wang and Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. In November 2019 artists recorded this work for Deutsche Grammophon and in April 17, 2020 album was released.
   New piano concerto uses the same steady pulse we know as a hallmark of composers style. This is the starting point for the process of developing and expanding patterns as figurative units for motoric and intensive piano action. This virtuoso concerto continues the line of great concertos by Bartok and Prokofiev. It consists of three movements: I Gritty, funky, but in Strict Tempo; Twitchy, Bot-like, II Much Slower; Gently, Relaxed III Piú Mosso: Obsession / Swing. Firm and energetic, perfect and virtuoso music suita the diabolic name which has its root in saying of Martin Luter.
   The program of this LP comprises concerto Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? and as an encore China Gates (1977) for piano solo, early composition based on principles developed in minimalistic period. Perfect performance of orchestra conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and brilliant virtuoso piano by Yuja Wang gave this visionary music good premiere. For composition and for performance complete five stars.