John Adams

Adams: My Father Knew Charles Ives; Harmonielehre review | Andrew Clements's classical album of the week

John Adams’s work, imagining a musical meeting of minds, sounds refined, though Harmonielehre is missing some majesty

Andrew Clements

21, Jan, 2021 @3:00 PM

From Vivaldi to Vaughan Williams: more musical voices who have changed our world

Over the past few months, our Know the Score series introduced 20 great composers. But what of the many we couldn’t write about? Martin Kettle suggests some other names whose music is well worth exploring

Martin Kettle

25, Nov, 2020 @1:36 PM

Nixon in China review – a gripping human drama

The seismic 1972 meeting of Mao Zedong and Richard Nixon, as depicted in John Adams’s inspired 1987 opera, still resonates in Scottish Opera’s potent new staging

Fiona Maddocks

22, Feb, 2020 @12:00 PM

Nixon in China review – slick update for tale of Tricky Dicky's schmoozing

Scottish Opera brings an inventive postmodern eye to its revival of John Adams’s retelling of Nixon’s 1972 state visit

Rowena Smith

19, Feb, 2020 @2:39 PM

Madonna, Motown and Mongolian metal: the music to listen out for in 2020

The queen of pop gets intimate, Taylor Swift feels the sunshine and Stormzy takes on the world … plus, classical celebrations begin for Beethoven’s 250th

Alexis Petridis and Andrew Clements

01, Jan, 2020 @11:00 AM

The best classical music works of the 21st century

Over the coming week, the Guardian will select the greatest culture since 2000, carefully compiled by critics and editors. We begin with a countdown of defining classical music compositions, from X-rated opera to high-tech string quartets

Andrew Clements, Fiona Maddocks. John Lewis, Kate Molleson, Tom Service, Erica Jeal and Tim Ashley

12, Sep, 2019 @4:20 PM

LSO/Rattle review – unexpected connections, irresistible immediacy

This chalk-and-cheese bill of modern titans Stravinsky, Birtwistle and Adams was brought to life with exceptional clarity and precision

Andrew Clements

02, May, 2019 @11:24 AM

NYO/Karabits review – inspired solos and sci-fi reveries

The National Youth Orchestra work hard and have fun with some frenetic percussion and inventive improv

Erica Jeal

06, Jan, 2019 @12:25 PM

John Adams: Violin Concerto review – full-blooded yet refined playing | Andrew Clements' classical album of the week

Leila Josefowicz’s passionate and engaged recording of Adams’ concerto illustrates how he has remade the form in his own, eclectic image

Andrew Clements

10, May, 2018 @2:00 PM

The John Adams Edition CD review – Berlin's lavish homage to an American great

This extensive Berlin Phil set is a treat, with some of Adams’s most substantial compositions given fine performances under the batons of the composer himself, Simon Rattle and Kirill Petrenko

Andrew Clements

29, Nov, 2017 @3:02 PM