HALLELUJAH JUNCTION: COMPOSING AN AMERICAN LIFE - Rare Pristine Copy of The First Hardcover Edition/First Printing

Adams, John

ISBN 10: 0374281157 / ISBN 13: 9780374281151

Published by New York City, NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2008, 2008

Description:

1st Printing. 340 pages. Published in 2008. The author's breakthrough memoir. One of the most valuable books on contemporary music of our time. The First Hardcover Edition. Precedes and should not be confused with all other subsequent editions. Published in a small and limited first print run as a hardcover original only. Presents John Adams' "Hallelujah Junction: Composing An American Life". One of the finest memoirs by a serious composer since well, Berlioz's. "Combining the narrative power of opera, the atonal themes of 20th-century classical music, the spooky modulations of jazz, and the complex rhythms of the Beatles, Adams created a new music that could express the fractiousness of the political scene of the 1960's and 1970's. Adams deftly chronicles his life and times, providing along the way an incisive exploration of the creative process. Reveals the workings of a brilliant musical mind responsible for some of contemporary America's most inventive and original music" (Publishers Weekly). Actually, John Adams is much more than just a brilliant musical mind. By his own account, Adams found his voice by fusing The Old (European classical music) with The New (American jazz and popular music) in ways that were literally unheard-of before he came along. In the process, he has become possibly the greatest American composer of our time. An absolute "must-have" title for John Adams collectors. This title is a great book. This is one of few copies of the First Hardcover Edition/First Printing still available online and is in especially fine condition: Clean, crisp, and bright. Please note: Copies available online have serious flaws, are subsequent printings, or are remainder-marked. This is surely an accessible and lovely alternative. A rare copy thus. One of the greatest composers of our time. A fine copy. (SEE ALSO OTHER COPY OF THIS TITLE IN OUR CATALOG) ISBN 0374281157. Seller Inventory # 14944

About this title:

Synopsis:

John Adams is one of the most respected and loved of contemporary composers, and "he has won his eminence fair and square: he has aimed high, he has addressed life as it is lived now, and he has found a language that makes sense to a wide audience" (Alex Ross, The New Yorker). Now, in Hallelujah Junction, he incisively relates his life story, from his childhood to his early studies in classical composition amid the musical and social ferment of the 1960s, from his landmark minimalist innovations to his controversial "docu-operas." Adams offers a no-holds-barred portrait of the rich musical scene of 1970s California, and of his contemporaries and colleagues, including John Cage, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. He describes the process of writing, rehearsing, and performing his renowned works, as well as both the pleasures and the challenges of writing serious music in a country and a time largely preoccupied with pop culture.

Hallelujah Junction is a thoughtful and original memoir that will appeal to both longtime Adams fans and newcomers to contemporary music. Not since Leonard Bernstein's Findings has an eminent composer so candidly and accessibly explored his life and work. This searching self-portrait offers not only a glimpse into the work and world of one of our leading artists, but also an intimate look at one of the most exciting chapters in contemporary culture.

About the Author:

John Adams was born in Massachusetts in 1947. He is the composer of such acclaimed works as Harmonielehre, Nixon in China, Naive and Sentimental Music, El Niño, and On the Transmigration of Souls, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2003. He lives in Berkeley, California.

Bibliographic Details

Title: HALLELUJAH JUNCTION: COMPOSING AN AMERICAN ...
Publisher: New York City, NY: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2008
Publication Date: 2008
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: As New
Dust Jacket Condition: As New
Signed: no
Edition: 1st Edition.