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Hallelujah Junction: Composing An American Life (2008)

by John Adams(Favorite Author)

3.94 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0374281157 (ISBN13: 9780374281151)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

review 1: I guess anyone who writes a memoir/autobiography will speak highly of themselves, but as someone who was somewhat familiar with John Adams's music, it was a great read in understanding the things that motivate him as a composer, as well as the things which have shaped him as a person. He does get a little defensive at times, especially when talking about some of his more controversial works or works for which he received a lot of criticism, and sometimes takes it too far. Nonetheless, it was a revealing read into the mind of one of America's most prominent contemporary composers. If you're critical of John Adams's music, you may at least appreciate the section where he discusses the creative process, and some parts are entertaining at the least (such as his evasion of the ... moreVietnam draft and having drinks with John Cage in Soviet Russia).
review 2: Absolutely loved this book. While it's interesting as a composer-bio for fans, what's even more interesting is its value as a documentation of compositional process - not in a detailed sense, but the way he doesn't just say "I wrote this and it was performed" but analyses how the work came about, his experience of it in rehearsal and performance and his view of strengths and weakenesses with hindsight, is fantastic. Also useful is his descriptions of collaborations with other artists - librettists in particular. Well worth reading, I think, even if you're not a huge fan of his music. less

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