American Standard (John Adams)
Encyclopedia
American Standard is an early ensemble
work by noted American
composer John Adams. It consists of three movements: a march, a hymn, and a jazz standard. The piece has only been recorded once for commercial release, by Adams himself, but the middle movement, "Christian Zeal and Activity
", has achieved individual notability.
The work is named for American Standard Brand
appliances although Adams says that the title also reflects that the constituent movements are "indigenous musical forms" of the United States.
The commercial release was produced by Brian Eno
and released on Eno's Obscure Records
label in 1975. The recording was of a 23 March 1973 performance at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
by the New Music Ensemble of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
of which Adams was director and was released together with two works by Christopher Hobbs
and one by Gavin Bryars
on an album called Ensemble Pieces.
The work is aleatoric
and Adams did not specify the instruments on which the works should be performed, did not write bar lines for the music, and noted that a conductor was not necessary to perform the work.
The first movement of the work is "John Philip Sousa". Adams himself notes that it is "obviously a march, but...stripped down to a plodding pulse, with no melody or harmony" and that it sounds "like the retreat from battle of a badly wounded army (not my original intention, but curiously evocative all the same)". All of the players play a B♭
chord repeated about 60 times with an addition of what he calls "corny march rhythms". Adams felt that the piece was technically difficult to perform.
The middle movement, "Christian Zeal and Activity
", which includes slow tonal chords and a recorded sample of a preacher speaking, has achieved notability independent of American Standard as a whole and is usually the only part of the work recorded or performed.
The final movement is titled "Sentimentals" and is an "arrangement or reworking" of Duke Ellington
's jazz standard "Sophisticated Lady
" that separates melody from harmony.
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
work by noted American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
composer John Adams. It consists of three movements: a march, a hymn, and a jazz standard. The piece has only been recorded once for commercial release, by Adams himself, but the middle movement, "Christian Zeal and Activity
Christian Zeal and Activity
"Christian Zeal and Activity" is the middle movement of American composer John Adams' 3-part ensemble work American Standard. The piece has achieved individual notability and is often performed and recorded without the other movements....
", has achieved individual notability.
The work is named for American Standard Brand
American Standard Brands
American Standard Brands is a closely held manufacturer of plumbing fixtures, sold under the American Standard, Crane, Fiat, Sanymetal, Showerite and Eljer brand names, based in Piscataway Township, New Jersey, United States. It is principally owned by Sun Capital Partners with Bain Capital...
appliances although Adams says that the title also reflects that the constituent movements are "indigenous musical forms" of the United States.
The commercial release was produced by Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
and released on Eno's Obscure Records
Obscure Records
Obscure Records was a U.K. record label which existed from 1975 to 1978. It was created and run by Brian Eno, who also produced the albums . Ten albums were issued in the series...
label in 1975. The recording was of a 23 March 1973 performance at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art
The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art is a modern art museum located in San Francisco, California. A nonprofit organization, SFMOMA holds an internationally recognized collection of modern and contemporary art and was the first museum on the West Coast devoted solely to 20th century art...
by the New Music Ensemble of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, formerly the California Conservatory of Music, founded in 1917, is a music school, with an enrollment of about 400 students. It was launched by Ada Clement and Lillian Hodgehead in the remodeled home of Lillian's parents on Sacramento Street. It was called the...
of which Adams was director and was released together with two works by Christopher Hobbs
Christopher Hobbs
Christopher Hobbs is an English experimental composer, best known as a pioneer of British Systems music.-Life and career:...
and one by Gavin Bryars
Gavin Bryars
Richard Gavin Bryars is an English composer and double bassist. He has been active in, or has produced works in, a variety of styles of music, including jazz, free improvisation, minimalism, historicism, experimental music, avant-garde and neoclassicism.-Early life and career:Born in Goole, East...
on an album called Ensemble Pieces.
The work is aleatoric
Aleatoric music
Aleatoric music is music in which some element of the composition is left to chance, and/or some primary element of a composed work's realization is left to the determination of its performer...
and Adams did not specify the instruments on which the works should be performed, did not write bar lines for the music, and noted that a conductor was not necessary to perform the work.
The first movement of the work is "John Philip Sousa". Adams himself notes that it is "obviously a march, but...stripped down to a plodding pulse, with no melody or harmony" and that it sounds "like the retreat from battle of a badly wounded army (not my original intention, but curiously evocative all the same)". All of the players play a B♭
chord repeated about 60 times with an addition of what he calls "corny march rhythms". Adams felt that the piece was technically difficult to perform.The middle movement, "Christian Zeal and Activity
Christian Zeal and Activity
"Christian Zeal and Activity" is the middle movement of American composer John Adams' 3-part ensemble work American Standard. The piece has achieved individual notability and is often performed and recorded without the other movements....
", which includes slow tonal chords and a recorded sample of a preacher speaking, has achieved notability independent of American Standard as a whole and is usually the only part of the work recorded or performed.
The final movement is titled "Sentimentals" and is an "arrangement or reworking" of Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was an American composer, pianist, and big band leader. Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions...
's jazz standard "Sophisticated Lady
Sophisticated Lady
"Sophisticated Lady" is a jazz standard, composed as an instrumental in 1932 by Duke Ellington and Irving Mills, to which words were added by Mitchell Parish. The words met with approval from Ellington, who described them as "wonderful—but not entirely fitted to my original conception".That...
" that separates melody from harmony.
External links
- John Adams on KPFA's Ode To Gravity Series. Audio interview and musical recordings from 18 April 1973. Includes a recording of American Standard at 00:00 of OTGJohnAdamsR2 and Adams discussing the work at 47:47 of OTGJohnAdamsR1
- Recording of "Christian Zeal and Activity" by the Wordless Music Orchestra at NPR.org