Harmonious explores three generations of American minimalists. Philip Glass (1937) assembled his Third String Quartet from music he composed for Paul Schrader’s
Nico Muhly
film about the Japanese writer Yukio Mishima. John Adams (1947) combined the pulsing techniques of minimalism with the richness of the symphony orchestra, as heard in The Chairman Dances and Short Ride in a Fast Machine. Nico Muhly (1981) worked for Glass for eight years. His violin concerto Shrink (2019), written for Pekka Kuusisto, brings together minimalism and Muhly’s background in choral music.
Playlist
Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 3, Mishima, for two violins, viola and cello. Kronos Quartet:
I – 1957 – Award Montage
II – November 25 – Ichigaya
III – 1934 – Grandmother and Kimitake
IV – 1962 – Body Building
V – Blood Oath
VI – Mishima / Closing
John Adams: The Chairman Dances. San Francisco Symphony Orchestra; Edo de Waart (conductor).
John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine. Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra; Marin Alsop (conductor).
Nico Muhly: Violin Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra, Shrink. Norwegian Chamber Orchestra; Pekka Kuusisto (violin and conductor):
I – Ninths
II – Sixths
III – Turns
