Britten Sinfonia – JOHN ADAMS AT 70

Timo Andres & David Kaplan pianosJoana Carneiro conductor

John Adams Chamber SymphonyTimo Andres New work for two pianos and orchestra (world premiere)John Adams Grand Pianola Music

Every note of John Adams’ music is an exploration of the sounds that changed America. European romanticism, Looney Tunes, plus a shiny new work from thirty-something maverick composer Timo Andres: a concert that is simultaneously nostalgic and forward-looking, as Adams is himself.

So take nothing for granted. You might find youself relaxing into the lush world of Adams’ Grand Pianola Music – but the cartoon-inspired mayhem of Chamber Symphony? Blink and you miss it. It’s all part of the composer’s new world, a potent inspiration to young American voices like Timo Andres. Under the powerhouse direction of Joana Carneiro, this will glow like neon.Produced by the Barbican and Britten SinfoniaPart of The Sounds that Changed America, the Barbican’s year-long celebration of the music of Steve Reich, John Adams and Philip Glass.

Image: John Adams (c) Margaretta Mitchell