Composer

:

John Luther Adams

Genre

:

Choral

Compose Date

:

2017

First Performance

:

March 29, 2018

Average_duration

:

40:23

'Become Desert' is a contemporary classical music composition by American composer John Luther Adams. It was composed in 2018 and premiered on April 5, 2019, by the Seattle Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Ludovic Morlot. The piece is a sequel to Adams' previous work 'Become Ocean', which won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2014. 'Become Desert' is a single movement work that lasts approximately 40 minutes. The piece is scored for a large orchestra, including percussion, strings, brass, and woodwinds, as well as a choir. The music is inspired by the natural landscape of the desert, and Adams has described it as a "sonic geography" of the desert. The piece begins with a quiet, shimmering texture that gradually builds in intensity. The orchestra and choir create a sense of vastness and space, evoking the vast expanse of the desert. The music is characterized by long, sustained tones and slowly shifting harmonies, creating a sense of timelessness and stillness. As the piece progresses, the music becomes more complex and dynamic, with intricate rhythms and dense textures. The choir sings wordless vocalizations, adding to the sense of mystery and otherworldliness. The music reaches a climax with a powerful crescendo, before gradually fading away into silence. Overall, 'Become Desert' is a deeply immersive and meditative work that invites the listener to contemplate the beauty and majesty of the natural world. Adams' use of orchestration and harmony creates a sense of awe and wonder, while the piece's structure and pacing create a sense of journey and transformation.

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