John Luther Adams “songbirdsongs” (1974-1980)

Who knew you could feel immersed in nature at a Brooklyn club. John Luther Adams along with the five percussionists and six piccolo players of Le Train Bleu accomplished this with special thanks to Ransom Wilson, flutist (and piccoloist), who formed the ensemble in 2011. The musicians were on the front stage and spread around the three sides of the balcony; this arrangement encompassing the audience in sound. Many mention Adams’ affinity with minimalism but I don’t quite see/hear it that way. His music, this composition included, fills all the spaces (even Morningside Park with “Inuksuit”) with glory, not a word I used lightly. The piccolos, of course, created the bird songs and the percussion, including the marimba, glockenspiel, xylophone, gongs, tom toms, triangle, bass and kettle drums, added timbre and texture which resonated all around us. There were nine movements which flowed together, each accompanied by different visuals on the screen at the back of the stage and on two banners above the seating area. All were, of course, beautiful nature scenes, except one, the penultimate movement, the only disturbing movement, which began with a loud bass drum behind us, with kettle drums and clappers on stage, birds wildly chirping. The visuals portrayed a man chopping down trees: nature disrupted and destroyed. The final movement brought gentleness back to the fore with a violin in the center of the room and along with the other musicians created a shimmering winter scenario with bowed cymbals, kalimba, large and small chimes; nature’s seasons completed.

NYTimes review: http://nyti.ms/sWZWmo