Like the other minimalists of his day, John Adams used to fool around with short, repetitive phrases and structures. But he soon discovered the joy of big orchestras and forms.
His "Son of Chamber Symphony" isn't exactly big, but it's awesome in its speed and dexterity. Like a relay race staged on a roller coaster, the melodic batons are passed deftly between instruments as they swoop and tumble past each other. At Turner Hall Saturday night, Present Music's had a bit of trouble keeping things firmly on the tracks, but Adams "Son," the "big number" on the program, was great fun nonetheless, with the ghost of Karl Stalling, the great musical mind behind decades of Warner Brothers cartoons, hovering over the proceedings with tapping toes and a toothy grin.
Read more about the Present Music concert at Milwaukee Magazine's Culture Club.
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