Earbox

  • 79453

Track Listing

News & Reviews

  •
    John Adams to Receive 2019 Erasmus Prize

    Congratulations to John Adams, the winner of the 2019 Erasmus Prize from the Praemium Erasmianum Foundation. The prize is awarded annually to a person or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to the field of humanities, social sciences, or the arts. It will be presented in November 2019 by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and includes €150,000 in prize money. Adams "receives the prize because he has created a new musical idiom by fusing elements from jazz, pop, and classical music," says the Foundation.

    Read more
  •
    Carnegie Hall 2019–20 Season to Include Brad Mehldau, Kronos Quartet, Jeremy Denk, Timo Andres, Ry Cooder, John Adams

    Carnegie Hall has announced its 2019–20 concert season, and featured among the performers taking the esteemed hall's stages are Brad Mehldau, Kronos Quartet, Jeremy Denk, Timo Andres, and Ry Cooder, as well as the New York premiere of a new work by John Adams.

    Read more
View All

Buy Now

  • About This Album

    On October 19, 1999, Nonesuch Records released The John Adams Earbox, a 10-CD box set retrospective, representing nearly all of John Adams’s recorded output for the label. The set includes all of the composer’s major works with which Adams has redefined contemporary classical music over the previous two decades. All recordings on The John Adams Earbox were supervised by the composer, and many were conducted or performed by Adams as well. All but four works on the Earbox were originally released on Nonesuch as first recordings.

    The John Adams Earbox includes examples from every phase of Adams’s career, from his earliest orchestral pieces such as Grand Pianola Music (1982), Harmonielehre (1985), and Harmonium (1980), to the widely hailed operas Nixon in China (1985-86) and The Death of Klinghoffer (1990-91), to works of this decade including Chamber Symphony (1992), Violin Concerto (1993), John’s Book of Alleged Dances (written for Kronos Quartet in 1994), Gnarly Buttons (1995) and the 1995 stagework I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw The Sky.

    The Earbox features the world premiere recording of Slonimsky’s Earbox (1996), a virtuosic piece for orchestra, in a performance by The Hallé Orchestra with Kent Nagano conducting. Also included are the first Nonesuch recordings of Lollapalooza (1995), an orchestral piece written as a 40th birthday present for Simon Rattle, and Harmonium, in a performance by the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, conducted by Adams.

    A comprehensive illustrated booklet (nearly 200 pages) accompanies the box set with liner notes by John Adams, Renaud Machart (chief music critic of Le Monde), and Nonesuch Records President Robert Hurwitz.

    Credits

    MUSICIANS
    Disc One—1-3: San Francisco Symphony, John Adams, conductor; San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Vance George, director. 4-7: Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor.

    Disc Two—1: San Francisco Symphony, Edo de Waart, conductor. 2-4: London Sinfonietta, John Adams, conductor; John Alley, Shelagh Sutherland, pianos; Nicole Tibbels, Judith Rees, sopranos; Teresa Shaw, mezzo-soprano. 5: Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor.

    Disc Three—Music by John Adams. Libretto by Alice Goodman. Cast in order of appearance: Sanford Sylvan (Chou En-lai); James Maddalena (Richard Nixon); Thomas Hammons (Henry Kissinger); Carolann Page (Pat Nixon); Mari Opatz, Stephanie Friedman, Marion Dry (Three Contraltos, Secretaries to Mao); Trudy Ellen Craney (Chiang Ch’ing [Madame Mao Tse-tung]); John Duykers (Mao Tse-tung). Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Edo de Waart, conductor.

    Disc Four—1: Sanford Sylvan, baritone; Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor; Naoko Tanaka, violin; Chris Gekker, trumpet. 2: San Francisco Symphony, Edo de Waart, conductor. 3-7: Dawn Upshaw, soprano; Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor. 8: Paul Crossley, piano; Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor.

    Disc Five—Music by John Adams. Libretto by Alice Goodman. Cast in order of appearance: James Maddalena (The Captain); Janice Felty (Swiss Godmother, Austrian Woman, British Dancing Girl); Thomas Hammons (The First Officer, “Rambo”); Thomas Young (Molqi); Eugene Perry (Mamoud); Sanford Sylvan (Leon Klinghoffer); Stephanie Friedman (Omar); Sheila Nadler (Marilyn Klinghoffer). Orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon, Kent Nagano, conductor. The London Opera Chorus, Richard Cooke, director.

    Disc Six—1-3: San Francisco Symphony, Edo de Waart, conductor; Glenn Fischtal, Laurie McGaw, trumpets (1-2). 4-5: The Hallé Orchestra, Kent Nagano, conductor.

    Disc Seven—1-3: San Francisco Symphony, Edo de Waart, conductor. 4-6: Gidon Kremer, violin; London Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano, conductor.

    Disc Eight—1-3, 7-9: London Sinfonietta, John Adams, conductor; Michael Collins, clarinet (7-9). 4-6: Performed by John Adams.

    Disc Nine—Music by John Adams. Libretto by June Jordan. Cast in order of appearance: Audra McDonald (Consuelo); Michael McElroy (Dewain); Welly Yang (Rick); Angela Teek (Leila); Darius de Haas (David); Marin Mazzie (Tiffany); Richard Muenz (Mike). Grant Gershon, vocal director. Seppo Kantonen, Marja Mutru, Markku Tabell, keyboards; Janne Murto, saxophone; Kari Tenkanen, clarinet, bass clarinet; Hannu Rantanen, electric bass, double bass; Jari Nieminen, guitar; Jari-Pekka Karvonen, drums. John Adams, conductor.

    Disc Ten—1, 13: The Hallé Orchestra, Kent Nagano, conductor. 2-12: Kronos Quartet: David Harrington, violin; John Sherba, violin; Hank Dutt, viola; Joan Jeanrenaud, cello.

    PRODUCTION CREDITS
    Earbox
    This compilation mastered by Robert C. Ludwig, Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, ME

    Design by Bethany Johns Design
    Box cover concept by John Heiden, SMOG Design
    Cover photo by William Clift, Point Reyes, CA, 1997

    Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

More From

nonesuch's picture
Submitted by nonesuch
on May 29, 2008 - 7:14pm
Artist Name: 
John Adams
genre: 
New Music
Release Date: 
Tuesday, October 19, 1999 (All day)
DescriptionExcerpt: 

This 10-CD box set retrospective represents John Adams’s first 20-years' recorded output for Nonesuch, comprising composer-supervised recordings—many conducted or performed by Adams—from every phase of his career; features the world premiere recording of Slonimsky’s Earbox and the first Nonesuch recordings of Lollapalooza and Harmonium.

Description: 

On October 19, 1999, Nonesuch Records released The John Adams Earbox, a 10-CD box set retrospective, representing nearly all of John Adams’s recorded output for the label. The set includes all of the composer’s major works with which Adams has redefined contemporary classical music over the previous two decades. All recordings on The John Adams Earbox were supervised by the composer, and many were conducted or performed by Adams as well. All but four works on the Earbox were originally released on Nonesuch as first recordings.

The John Adams Earbox includes examples from every phase of Adams’s career, from his earliest orchestral pieces such as Grand Pianola Music (1982), Harmonielehre (1985), and Harmonium (1980), to the widely hailed operas Nixon in China (1985-86) and The Death of Klinghoffer (1990-91), to works of this decade including Chamber Symphony (1992), Violin Concerto (1993), John’s Book of Alleged Dances (written for Kronos Quartet in 1994), Gnarly Buttons (1995) and the 1995 stagework I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw The Sky.

The Earbox features the world premiere recording of Slonimsky’s Earbox (1996), a virtuosic piece for orchestra, in a performance by The Hallé Orchestra with Kent Nagano conducting. Also included are the first Nonesuch recordings of Lollapalooza (1995), an orchestral piece written as a 40th birthday present for Simon Rattle, and Harmonium, in a performance by the San Francisco Symphony and Chorus, conducted by Adams.

A comprehensive illustrated booklet (nearly 200 pages) accompanies the box set with liner notes by John Adams, Renaud Machart (chief music critic of Le Monde), and Nonesuch Records President Robert Hurwitz.

ProductionCredits: 

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Earbox
This compilation mastered by Robert C. Ludwig, Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, ME

Design by Bethany Johns Design
Box cover concept by John Heiden, SMOG Design
Cover photo by William Clift, Point Reyes, CA, 1997

Executive Producer: Robert Hurwitz

Cover Art: 
Nonesuch Selection Number: 

79453

Number of Discs in Set: 
10discs
ns_album_artistid: 
2
ns_album_id: 
2
ns_album_releasedate: 
Friday, October 1, 1999 - 04:00
ns_genre_1: 
0
ns_genre_2: 
0
Album Status: 
Available
UPC/Price: 
Label: 
SINGLE FORMAT (OLD)
UPC: 
075597945324
Price: 
0.00
Label: 
MP3
UPC: 
075597945362
Price: 
99.00
MusicianDetails: 

MUSICIANS
Disc One—1-3: San Francisco Symphony, John Adams, conductor; San Francisco Symphony Chorus, Vance George, director. 4-7: Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor.

Disc Two—1: San Francisco Symphony, Edo de Waart, conductor. 2-4: London Sinfonietta, John Adams, conductor; John Alley, Shelagh Sutherland, pianos; Nicole Tibbels, Judith Rees, sopranos; Teresa Shaw, mezzo-soprano. 5: Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor.

Disc Three—Music by John Adams. Libretto by Alice Goodman. Cast in order of appearance: Sanford Sylvan (Chou En-lai); James Maddalena (Richard Nixon); Thomas Hammons (Henry Kissinger); Carolann Page (Pat Nixon); Mari Opatz, Stephanie Friedman, Marion Dry (Three Contraltos, Secretaries to Mao); Trudy Ellen Craney (Chiang Ch’ing [Madame Mao Tse-tung]); John Duykers (Mao Tse-tung). Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Edo de Waart, conductor.

Disc Four—1: Sanford Sylvan, baritone; Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor; Naoko Tanaka, violin; Chris Gekker, trumpet. 2: San Francisco Symphony, Edo de Waart, conductor. 3-7: Dawn Upshaw, soprano; Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor. 8: Paul Crossley, piano; Orchestra of St. Luke’s, John Adams, conductor.

Disc Five—Music by John Adams. Libretto by Alice Goodman. Cast in order of appearance: James Maddalena (The Captain); Janice Felty (Swiss Godmother, Austrian Woman, British Dancing Girl); Thomas Hammons (The First Officer, “Rambo”); Thomas Young (Molqi); Eugene Perry (Mamoud); Sanford Sylvan (Leon Klinghoffer); Stephanie Friedman (Omar); Sheila Nadler (Marilyn Klinghoffer). Orchestra of the Opéra de Lyon, Kent Nagano, conductor. The London Opera Chorus, Richard Cooke, director.

Disc Six—1-3: San Francisco Symphony, Edo de Waart, conductor; Glenn Fischtal, Laurie McGaw, trumpets (1-2). 4-5: The Hallé Orchestra, Kent Nagano, conductor.

Disc Seven—1-3: San Francisco Symphony, Edo de Waart, conductor. 4-6: Gidon Kremer, violin; London Symphony Orchestra, Kent Nagano, conductor.

Disc Eight—1-3, 7-9: London Sinfonietta, John Adams, conductor; Michael Collins, clarinet (7-9). 4-6: Performed by John Adams.

Disc Nine—Music by John Adams. Libretto by June Jordan. Cast in order of appearance: Audra McDonald (Consuelo); Michael McElroy (Dewain); Welly Yang (Rick); Angela Teek (Leila); Darius de Haas (David); Marin Mazzie (Tiffany); Richard Muenz (Mike). Grant Gershon, vocal director. Seppo Kantonen, Marja Mutru, Markku Tabell, keyboards; Janne Murto, saxophone; Kari Tenkanen, clarinet, bass clarinet; Hannu Rantanen, electric bass, double bass; Jari Nieminen, guitar; Jari-Pekka Karvonen, drums. John Adams, conductor.

Disc Ten—1, 13: The Hallé Orchestra, Kent Nagano, conductor. 2-12: Kronos Quartet: David Harrington, violin; John Sherba, violin; Hank Dutt, viola; Joan Jeanrenaud, cello.

[{"parent":{"title":"Get on the list !","body":" Get exclusive information about NONESUCH tour dates, video premieres and special announcements ","field_newsletter_id":"14075483","field_label_list_id":"6389157","field_display_rates":"-1","field_preview_mode":"false","field_lbox_height":"","field_lbox_width":"","field_toaster_timeout":"16000","field_toaster_position":"From Bottom","field_turnkey_height":"800"}}]

Performs On