Century Rolls/Lollapalooza/Slo [CD]

~ John Adams (Composer), Christoph von Dohnanyi (Conductor), Kent Nagano (Conductor), Cleveland Orchestra (Orchestra), Emanuel Ax (Performer)

4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Performer: Emanuel Ax
Orchestra: Cleveland Orchestra
Conductor: Christoph von Dohnanyi, Kent Nagano
Composer: John Adams
Audio CD (Feb 20 2003)
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 1
Format: CD
Label: Nonesuch
Run Time: 49 minutes
ASIN: B00004YR65

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #48,974 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Popular in these categories:

#17 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( A ) > Adams, John
#40 in	Music > Classical > Featured Performers, A-Z > ( C ) > Cleveland Orchestra
#59 in	Music > Dance & DJ > Techno > Minimal Techno

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1. Concerto for Piano "Century Rolls": First Movement

2. Concerto for Piano "Century Rolls": Manny's Gym

3. Concerto for Piano "Century Rolls": Hail Bop

4. Lollapalooza

5. Slonimsky's Earbox

On this CD:

Century Rolls, for piano & orchestra
Composed by John Adams
Performed by Cleveland Orchestra
with Emanuel Ax
Conducted by Christoph von Dohnanyi
Lollapalooza, for orchestra
Composed by John Adams
Conducted by Kent Nagano
Slonimsky's Earbox, for orchestra
Composed by John Adams
Conducted by Kent Nagano

Product Description

From Amazon.co.uk

Century Rolls, like so many of John Adams' works, looks both ways from the musical present: the approach of a new century (it was written in 1997), and the distant recorded past evoked by piano rolls, especially their streamlining effect on great interpreters of the past. "First Movement" takes the process at face value, in the most overtly minimalist stretch of music Adams has written in years, now with a rhythmic and harmonic subtlety that keep you wondering just what's coming next. A long, tranquil coda leads into "Manny's Gym", a Satie-esque play on melody made for Emmanuel Ax, who commissioned the work. "Hail Bop" makes positive use of Adams' mis-hearing the name of the comet, giving zest to the rhythmic intricacies that power the concerto to its exhilarating close. Ax had clearly played the work in prior to recording, his mastery complemented by the Clevelanders' formidable precision. Lollapalooza and Slonimsky's Earbox, previously released in Nonesuch's 10-disc retrospective, The John Adams Earbox, are welcome couplings, the latter sharing with the concerto an engrossing attention to detail that will more than repay repeated listenings. --Richard Whitehouse

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Customer Reviews

6 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

4.5 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Century Rolls is dazzling!, Jun 29 2004

By A Customer

I was making a nearly blind guess when I bought this CD; I had made my decision based solely on the audio exerpts from Amazon.
But it was well worth the risk.

The CD contains an engaging 50 or so minutes of John Adams' finest, apart from Short Ride in a Fast Machine, my favourite of his. I am in to contemporary classical and I am glad I have this CD. The fluid and smooth tinkerings of Manny's Gym, the envigorating jazz powering Lollapalooza and the surprising jabs strewn throughout Hail Bop is just some of the great stuff on this CD you'll find. So if you are unsure about buying this recording, you will probably really enjoy it, especially if you are familiar with John Adams or other contemporary music.

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Talented Mr. Adams, Nov 22 2003

By A Customer

Up front I'll admit to being predisposed to enjoy John Adams' work. I have been hooked on his compositions from the first time that I heard one. I eagerly await new ones and snatch up recordings of them as soon as they appear. I have yet to be disappointed. To the contrary, each new work is more
remarkable than its predecessors. His piano concerto, "Century Rolls," featured on this disk, is proof that the talented Mr. Adams continually outdoes himself. Words can adequately describe neither how wonderfully engaging and addictive this concerto is, nor how one theme, even one note, seems to flow ineluctably from another. Like Mikey's cereal, just try it, you'll like it.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Between minimalism and contemporary..., Jul 12 2002

By A Customer

... about genre I think. Meaning this is not minimalism only and it is not so called contemporary classic either... it is more both of best worlds and it is a stimulating disc in that sense.

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Most recent customer reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars ugly Glass-like populism
This music lacks soul. It is shallow. It assaults the senses with annoying repetitive motifs. It brings to mind Martha Bayles' excellent book "A Hole In Our Soul. Read more

Published on April 12 2002 by R. Hutchinson

5.0 out of 5 stars Revolutionary! Maybe the start of a new era?
Wow, what can I say?! This release has totally floored me on several occasions and its power remains. Read more

Published on Jul 17 2001 by Damien Bjorn Ruud

5.0 out of 5 stars Adam's Piano Concerto Century Rolls FINALLY on disc
Let me say that any fan of modern piano concertos or of John Adams MUST have this disc. You owe it to yourself to hear the piano concerto entitled Century Rolls. Read more

Published on Jan 12 2001 by Edward Wladas