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john adams: guide to strange places (2001) Excerpt from an interview: John Adams speaks with the program annotator of the VARA Matinee Series about Guide to Strange Places Q: To which 'strange places' are you guiding us? A: The title is taken from a book I found in an old Provence farmhouse several years ago. The name of the book is "Guide de la Provence mystérieuse." The guide is a very fanciful compendium of places which are classified according to what makes them "strange," for example: "lieux maudits et déserts" or "paysages insolites" or "bestiaires fantastiques," etc., etc. When I discovered the book, the imagery and the way in which these curiosities were classified reminded me of certain 'fantastic' pieces in the symphonic literature such as "Pictures at an Exhibition," "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," "Firebird," or "Symphonie Fantastique." These are all pieces that use the potential of the orchestra to paint pictures or evoke images by means of manipulation of timbre and rhythic energy. Guide to Strange Places is dedicated to Linda Golding, for the past ten years president of Boosey & Hawkes, and a committed friend and supporter of music.
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