John Luther Adams' Qilyaun for four Bass Drums. Composed in 1998. Score and parts. 'Qilyaun' is the Iñupiaq word for the shaman’s drum. Translated literally it means 'device ofpower'. The drum is the shaman’s vehicle for spirit journeys. The shaman rides the sound of the drum to and from the spirit world. Qilyaun (1998) may be performed by four drummers each playing a bass drum or by…
John Luther Adams' Canticles Of The Sky for String Quartet. Composer's Note: In the Arctic sky the low angle of the sun and heavy ice crystals in the air often produce vivid halos arcs andsundogs (parhelia). Sometimes these phenomena create the illusion of multiple suns. 'Sky With Four Suns' is a musical evocation of such an apparition from sunrise to sunset. Similar visions also occur at night…
John Luther Adams' The Mathematics Of Resonant Bodies for solo Percussion and processed sounds. The Mathematics Of Resonant Bodies was commissioned by the Los Angeles CountyMuseum of Art WNYC (New York) and the Subtropics Festival (Miami) with funding from Meet the Composer. This work is dedicated to Steven Schick. Duration: 70 minutes.