Customer Reviews

An American composer's life - By: Actinia, 08 Jan 2009
I have always enjoyed John Adam's chamber & orchestral music, though I have never been a fan of vocal music (his or anyone else's). Thus I was keen to read what he had to say about himself. From the first page, I was absorbed. It really did bring out 'an American life' asin the title. He begins with his parents, giving much detail about his family life & that of his parents. This contrasts with the paucity of information he gives on his own family life. Happily for him, he was (fairly) easily able to get to university & get his batchelor's & master's degrees, largely as a result of his ability to earn money as a performer & jobbing musician.

Of course, John Adams recounts the genesis of many of his well-known pieces, especially his operas, with some penetrating insights into the American musical & political contexts. He also includes a number of discourses on the wider musical scenein America, although these sometimes do seem to be interpolations into the narrative.

I did have a few criticisms; there were a few things that I would have liked to have known, but this information was sparse or missing. What sort of money does one get from being a composer? At one point he does say that he gave up his 'day job' to concentrate full-time on composing, & it is clear that he must have made enough to buy a rather nice house. I don't want to see his accounts, but an indication of commission money or royalties would give perspective to a composer's life.

The other aspect he seems to be shy of is his family life. We know he marries his first wife when young, & this lasts around four years, but that is about it. We are introduced to Deborah as his new love interest, then we learn she is pregnant, only later does he refer to her as his wife. From the book I get the impression that they are indeed a devoted couple, so this seems odd.

I read John Adams immediately after reading a book on the history of imported English words. The contrastin style was amazing. John Adams writes lucid prose, whereas the English 'expert' does not!

Despite these caveats, this is a thoroughly enjoyable book. I would commend it to anyone interestedin twentieth- & twenty-first-century music & its genesis.

John Rostron