Grand Pianola Music
Encyclopedia
Grand Pianola Music is a minimalist composition by American
composer
John Adams
. It was written in 1982 and premiered at New York's
Avery Fisher Hall
.
The work is in three movements:
It is a typical minimalist work in that it is distinctly tonal, has a slow harmonic rhythm and stays in harmonically stable areas, and has a steady regular rhythmic pulse. As with many compositions in this genre, it is creative through its formal architecture, dramatically changing in mood and texture throughout its 30 minute length, especially in the first and third parts which both rise to a succession of highly dramatic crescendoes.
The ensemble is a mixture of double woodwind, double brass with one tuba, 3 percussionists, 3 wordless female singers, and 2 pianos.
The work's inspiration was a mixture of two elements. At the time of its composition, the composer was beginning to pay more attention to the subject matter of his subconscious, such as dreams. In one dream, he describes driving along Interstate 5, when he was approached from behind by two black limousines. As the vehicles drew up beside him, they transformed into two incredibly long Steinway
pianos, giving off volleys of E-flat and B-flat major arpeggios. It reminded him of walking down the hallways of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
, where he used to hear students practicing the piano, creating a "sonic blur of twenty or more pianos playing Chopin, Beethoven's Emperor Concerto, Hanon, Rachmaninov and much more." An example of this is clearly audible during Part I of the work, when the two pianos enter as soloists for the first time. Several of his other works, including his large-scale orchestral work, Harmonielehre
were inspired by similar visions.
The piece is at times very delicate but makes full use of the dynamic capabilities of its large ensemble in the fast movements. The woodwinds remain quiet for most of the time, gently repeating the rhythmic pulses while the two pianos play waves of arpeggios. The three female voices (described in the notes to the full score of the work as 'the sirens') sing wordless harmony, at some times singing very long slow triads over the chugging ensemble, at other times imitating the short fast notes of the winds and brass.
The piece has enjoyed a successful performance history, being one of his most popular works from that period. It has also been recorded by several different artists, two of them in the presence of the composer.
Grand Pianola Music appears in the Modern Era soundtrack of the computer game Civilization IV
, along with several other pieces by Adams.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
John Adams
John Coolidge Adams
John Coolidge Adams is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer with strong roots in minimalism. His best-known works include Short Ride in a Fast Machine , On the Transmigration of Souls , a choral piece commemorating the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks , and Shaker...
. It was written in 1982 and premiered at New York's
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
.
The work is in three movements:
- Part 1A (fast)
- Part 1B (slow)
- 'On The Dominant Divide' (fast)
It is a typical minimalist work in that it is distinctly tonal, has a slow harmonic rhythm and stays in harmonically stable areas, and has a steady regular rhythmic pulse. As with many compositions in this genre, it is creative through its formal architecture, dramatically changing in mood and texture throughout its 30 minute length, especially in the first and third parts which both rise to a succession of highly dramatic crescendoes.
The ensemble is a mixture of double woodwind, double brass with one tuba, 3 percussionists, 3 wordless female singers, and 2 pianos.
The work's inspiration was a mixture of two elements. At the time of its composition, the composer was beginning to pay more attention to the subject matter of his subconscious, such as dreams. In one dream, he describes driving along Interstate 5, when he was approached from behind by two black limousines. As the vehicles drew up beside him, they transformed into two incredibly long Steinway
Steinway & Sons
Steinway & Sons, also known as Steinway , is an American and German manufacturer of handmade pianos, founded 1853 in Manhattan in New York City by German immigrant Heinrich Engelhard Steinweg...
pianos, giving off volleys of E-flat and B-flat major arpeggios. It reminded him of walking down the hallways of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, formerly the California Conservatory of Music, founded in 1917, is a music school, with an enrollment of about 400 students. It was launched by Ada Clement and Lillian Hodgehead in the remodeled home of Lillian's parents on Sacramento Street. It was called the...
, where he used to hear students practicing the piano, creating a "sonic blur of twenty or more pianos playing Chopin, Beethoven's Emperor Concerto, Hanon, Rachmaninov and much more." An example of this is clearly audible during Part I of the work, when the two pianos enter as soloists for the first time. Several of his other works, including his large-scale orchestral work, Harmonielehre
Harmonielehre (John Adams)
Harmonielehre is a 1985 composition by American composer John Adams. The composition's title, German for "study of harmony," also the title of a book by Arnold Schoenberg, hints at the work's combination of Schoenberg's harmonic principles with those of minimalism.Adams has stated that the piece...
were inspired by similar visions.
The piece is at times very delicate but makes full use of the dynamic capabilities of its large ensemble in the fast movements. The woodwinds remain quiet for most of the time, gently repeating the rhythmic pulses while the two pianos play waves of arpeggios. The three female voices (described in the notes to the full score of the work as 'the sirens') sing wordless harmony, at some times singing very long slow triads over the chugging ensemble, at other times imitating the short fast notes of the winds and brass.
Critical Reception & History
Grand Pianola Music was actually booed by a significant proportion of the audience at its premiere. According to the composer,"True, it was a very shaky performance, and the piece came at the end of a long series of concerts, many of which featured serialist works from the Columbia Princeton school....Grand Pianola Music must have seemed like a smirking truant with a dirty face, in need of a severe spanking". Despite the reaction, Adams maintains that the piece was not intended to 'thumb its nose' at the rest of the 'high art' pieces being performed at the event. The composer admits to be alarmed by the severity of its reception. Retrospectively, Adams finds that he is "impressed by its boldness".The piece has enjoyed a successful performance history, being one of his most popular works from that period. It has also been recorded by several different artists, two of them in the presence of the composer.
Grand Pianola Music appears in the Modern Era soundtrack of the computer game Civilization IV
Civilization IV
Sid Meier's Civilization IV is a turn-based strategy, 4X computer game released in 2005 and developed by lead designer Soren Johnson under the direction of Sid Meier and Meier's studio Firaxis Games. It is the fourth installment of the Civilization series...
, along with several other pieces by Adams.