Berliner Philharmoniker  BPHR 170141 (6 discs)

Stereo/Multichannel

Classical - Orchestral

Harmonielehre
John Adams (conductor)

Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Alan Gilbert (conductor)

City Noir
Gustavo Dudamel (conductor)

Lollapalooza
Alan Gilbert (conductor)

Scheherazade.2
John Adams (conductor)
Leila Josefowicz (violin)

The Wound-Dresser
Kirill Petrenko (conductor)
Georg Nigl (baritone)

The Gospel According to the Other Mary
Sir Simon Rattle (conductor)
Kelley O'Connor - Mary Magdalene (mezzo-soprano)
Tamara Mumford - Martha, her sister (contralto)
Peter Hoare - Lazarus, their brother (tenor)
Daniel Bubeck (countertenor)
Brian Cummings (countertenor)
Nathan Medley (countertenor)
Rundfunkchor Berlin
Daniel Reuss (chorus master)


John Adams is one of the USA’s most important musical voices. In his works, Minimalism is combined with imaginative orchestration and a jazz-inflected spirit to create a cosmos full of energy and colour. During the 2016/2017 season, John Adams accompanied the Berliner Philharmoniker as their Composer in Residence. The orchestra gave acclaimed concert performances of both well-known works and exciting new discoveries – and these are now available in an exclusive edition on CD and Blu-ray.

John Adams’s role in the course of his residency with the Philharmoniker was not only as a composer, but also as a conductor. For his debut at the helm of the orchestra, the programme included the Adams classic Harmonielehre, followed by his new “dramatic symphony” Scheherazade.2: a sumptuous balancing act between Romanticism and Modernism, performed here with violinist Leila Josefowicz as the soloist.

Simon Rattle, a friend and associate of John Adams of many years, is naturally included in the edition. He conducts the Passion oratorio The Gospel According to the Other Mary which, with multi-faceted, pulsating music, is devoted to the fascinating biblical figure of Mary Magdalene.

Other conductors also appear in this edition: Gustavo Dudamel with the atmospheric nocturnal scene City Noir, Alan Gilbert with the exhilarating miniatures Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Lollapalooza, and Kirill Petrenko who performs the poignant lament The Wound-Dresser with baritone Georg Nigl.

The many extra features of this lavishly produced hardcover edition also deserve a mention: all recordings are on CD and as videos on Blu-ray, plus there is a comprehensive booklet and a documentary film about John Adams’s time in Berlin. Another highlight is the artwork of the edition, created by the internationally renowned artist Wolfgang Tillmans.