John's Book of Alleged Dances

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John's Book of Alleged Dances (1994) is a composition by John Adams for string quartet and recorded prepared piano. Commissioned and premiered by the Kronos Quartet, the first performance took place November 19, 1994, at the , Escondido, California.[1]

John Adams has said that the dances are alleged because, "the steps for them had yet to be invented."[1][2] The composition is approximately 35 minutes in length and is composed of ten humorously titled "dances" that may be played in any order.[3] The movement titles are as follows:

  • "Judah to Ocean"
  • "Toot Nipple"
  • "Dogjam"
  • "Pavane: She's So Fine"
  • "Rag the Bone"
  • "Habanera"
  • "Stubble Crotchet"
  • "Hammer & Chisel"
  • "Alligator Escalator"
  • "Ständchen: The Little Serenade"

"Judah to Ocean" is a reference to the San Francisco Muni N Judah light rail line. Selections from John's Book of Alleged Dances have been set by a number of choreographers, including Paul Taylor.[1]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "John's Book of Alleged Dances", Earbox.com.
  2. ^ Stevenson, Joseph. John's Book of Alleged Dances at AllMusic. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  3. ^ "John Adams - John's Book of Alleged Dances". www.boosey.com. Retrieved 2019-10-02.

External links[]

Retrieved from ""