Gnarly Buttons
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Gnarly Buttons is a composition for solo clarinet and chamber ensemble by the American composer John Coolidge Adams. It was commissioned by the London Sinfonietta and by Present Music in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and was first performed at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on October 19, 1996 with the London Sinfonietta and Michael Collins as solo clarinetist. The premiere was conducted by the composer.
Gnarly Buttons is composed of three movements titled:
- I. The Perilous Shore
- II. Hoedown (Mad Cow)
- III. Put Your Loving Arms Around Me
Although Adams has often been labeled as a minimalist composer, Gnarly Buttons is clearly influenced by a more vernacular style of music.[1] The work is scored for thirteen musicians besides the solo clarinet, including a banjo player (who doubles on mandolin and guitar), several double reeds, a trombone, piano, two sampling keyboards (loaded with samples that include accordion, clarinet, and cow), and solo strings. Adams has said that “The three movements are each based on a 'forgery' or imagined musical model.” He has also stated that Gnarly Buttons was influenced in part by his father’s passing due to Alzheimer's disease.
Adams has provided a short explanation for the title,[1] but it is likely that he chose the title more because he liked its sound than for any specific meaning. Titles of other pieces by Adams also reflect this trend, notably his string sextet Shaker Loops and the orchestral piece Fearful Symmetries.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b John Adams: Gnarly Buttons. Retrieved on January 20, 2007.
[edit] Further reading
- May, Thomas. The John Adams Reader (ISBN 1-57467-132-4)
[edit] External links
- John Adams official site (earbox.com)
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