What happens when the composer shows up to the first rehearsal of his brand-new piece? Would a living Beethoven sue for intellectual property? Are you the hit, or are you in the hole? For this episode, we collaborated with the 20-member chamber ensemble Alarm Will Sound and its conductor Alan Pierson – with whom we're partnering on the upcoming podcast album Splitting Adams (out April 21 on Cantaloupe Music) – to take a close look at the music of John Adams, specifically his two insanely difficult chamber symphonies. This episode offers unprecedented access to not only to the creative process, but the weird, woolly procedure of putting these massive pieces together.


Heard a piece of music you loved? Discover it here!


1:48—John Adams: Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
2:12—Arnold Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire, Mondestrunken | Listen | Buy 
2:29—Richard Strauss: Five Piano Pieces, op. 3: IV, allegro molto | Listen | Buy 
3:08—Ray Noble: The Midnight, The Stars and You | Listen | Buy 
3:13—Busby Berkeley: Hooray for Hollywood | Listen | Buy 
3:55—Louis Armstrong: You're Lucky to Me | Listen | Buy 
4:37—George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue | Listen | Buy 
5:20—John Adams: Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
5:58—John Adams: The Death of Klinghoffer | Buy 
7:30—Arnold Schoenberg: Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
8:53—John Adams: Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
19:10—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
20:46—Danny Elfman: Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, The Breakfast Machine | Listen | Buy 
21:10—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
22:19—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
24:25—Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, mvt. I | Listen | Buy 
24:51—Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, mvt. II | Listen | Buy 
25:00—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
26:01—Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, mvt. II | Listen | Buy 
26:28—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
31:33—John Adams: Fellow Traveler | Listen | Buy 
31:42—John Adams: Nixon in China | Listen | Buy 
31:56—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 
32:24—John Adams: Fellow Traveler | Listen | Buy 
32:33—John Adams: Son of Chamber Symphony | Listen | Buy 

What happens when the composer shows up to the first rehearsal of his brand-new piece? Would a living Beethoven sue for intellectual property? Are you the hit, or are you in the hole? For this episode, we collaborated with the 20-member chamber ensemble Alarm Will Sound and its conductor Alan Pierson – with whom we're partnering on the upcoming podcast album Splitting Adams (out April 21 on Cantaloupe Music) –  to take a close look at the music of John Adams, specifically his two insanely difficult chamber symphonies. This episode offers unprecedented access to not only to the creative process, but the weird, woolly procedure of putting these massive pieces together.


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About the podcast:


Meet the Composer is a Peabody Award-winning podcast that takes listeners into the minds and creative processes of the composers making some of the most innovative, compelling, and breathtakingly beautiful music today.


Follow Meet the Composer on Twitter: @MeettheComposer
Like Meet the Composer on Facebook: www.facebook.com/meetthecomposer


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Q2 Music is WQXR, New York's multi-platform home for dynamic modern music. Discover countless new artists via our 24/7 music stream – hand-crafted daily to reward your curiosity – and surprise your imagination with a world of exhilarating new music.


Produced by Q2 Music. www.q2music.org
Follow Q2 Music on Twitter: @Q2Music
Like Q2 Music on Facebook: www.facebook.com/q2music

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