Get Submerged in John Luther Adams’ Music

John Luther Adams won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2014 and was also named on many critics “Best of” list for his “Become Ocean” with the Seattle Symphony. He continued to receive praise for his work “Sila: The Breath of The World” that is performed outdoors without any barrier between musicians and the audience and, in which, performers play apart in groups without a conductor.

So, if you’re looking to widen your musical interests, check out Adams’ work.

You can buy, stream or download “Become Ocean” now and you don’t have to be a music expert to get the distinct feeling of being submerged in water.  On a deeper level, the piece is about climate change and Adams made an apocalyptic reference in his program notes:

“Life on this earth first emerged in the sea. As the polar ice melts and sea level rises, we humans find ourselves facing the prospect that once again, we might quite literally ‘become ocean.’”

In describing his work, Northern Public Radio noted: “‘Become Ocean’ ushers you in and swallows you up. It’s gorgeous, darkly beautiful and ultimately unsettling.”

How is that for praise?

If you would like to hear more of Adams’ work try listening to the more upbeat “Songbirdsong.”

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