John Adams: Guide to Strange Places (2001), conducted by Adams himself
Live recording of the world premiere performance of John Adams’ marvellous orchestral piece ‘Guide to Strange Places’, which took place in Amsterdam in 2001 with the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by the composer himself. It’s a wonderfully energetic, colorful and vibrant piece that shows Adams at his orchestral best.
Adams said about this piece: ”On a certain level, Guide reminds me a bit of Fearful Symmetries, in that it’s strongly governed by a pulse, and is largely energetic; the colors are somewhat garish…you might even say “Fauvist”. I had in mind certain composers like Berlioz, Mussorgsky, or even a piece like The Sorcerer’s Apprentice – pieces that are very colorful and somewhat fantastique…. Among my own family of pieces, Guide to Strange Places belongs in the class with Fearful Symmetries, Slonimsky’s Earbox, or maybe Lollapalooza.”
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