Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life
by John Adams
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Book Summary Information
Author: John AdamsEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-09-30
ISBN: 0374281157
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Book Reviews of Hallelujah Junction: Composing an American Life
Book Review: An American composer's life
Summary: 4 Stars
I have always enjoyed John Adam's chamber and orchestral music, though I have never been a fan of vocal music (his or anyone else's). Thus I was keen to read what he had to say about himself. From the first page, I was absorbed. It really did bring out 'an American life' as in the title. He begins with his parents, giving much detail about his family life and that of his parents. This contrasts with the paucity of information he gives on his own family life. Happily for him, he was (fairly) easily able to get to university and get his batchelor's and master's degrees, largely as a result of his ability to earn money as a performer and jobbing musician.
Of course, John Adams recounts the genesis of many of his well-known pieces, especially his operas, with some penetrating insights into the American musical and political contexts. He also includes a number of discourses on the wider musical scene in America, although these sometimes do seem to be interpolations into the narrative.
I did have a few criticisms; there were a few things that I would have liked to have known, but this information was sparse or missing. What sort of money does one get from being a composer? At one point he does say that he gave up his 'day job' to concentrate full-time on composing, and it is clear that he must have made enough to buy a rather nice house. I don't want to see his accounts, but an indication of commission money or royalties would give perspective to a composer's life.
The other aspect he seems to be shy of is his family life. We know he marries his first wife when young, and this lasts around four years, but that is about it. We are introduced to Deborah as his new love interest, then we learn she is pregnant, only later does he refer to her as his wife. From the book I get the impression that they are indeed a devoted couple, so this seems odd.
I read John Adams immediately after reading a book on the history of imported English words. The contrast in style was amazing. John Adams writes lucid prose, whereas the English 'expert' does not!
Despite these caveats, this is a thoroughly enjoyable book. I would commend it to anyone interested in twentieth- and twenty-first-century music and its genesis.
John Rostron
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