An Analysis and Interpretation of John Adams’s Piano Work Phrygian Gates

• Main Author: 金郁涵
• Other Authors: 丁心茹
• Language: zh-TW
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/57635826225002746741

碩士 === 國立嘉義大學 === 音樂學系研究所 === 103 === Minimalism rose in America in the late 1960s; it’s a visual arts movement originated in New York which characterized by extreme simplicity of form. This new technique collected some character form descriptive style of Serialism, Aleatory Music and Electronic Music by composers of the new generation , such as Riley, Glass, Reich. The mainly conception is to “simplify”. Composers reduced music tempo, melody, harmony and orchestration by constantly repeating through motives, and bring the music back to its origin. John Coolidge Adams(1947~ ) is one of the representative composers of Minimalists in the US. He has written twenty-five orchestral works, twenty –five ensemble works, seven operas, five choral, four works written for the piano and five electronic music. He has composed a great varieties of compositions, and his best known works are his opera and his orchestra works. His most well-known work is his opera Nixon in China which composed in 1987, and has received favored reception. Adams’s Phrygian Gates is composed between 1977 to 1978; the work is based on a simple motive which not only repeats continuously, it played with repetition by short motives that keeps music in continuous circulation. This work is the first large- scale mature composition by Adams in the style of the Minimalism. This paper discusses the style of John Adams use of Minimalism technique in his piano work Phrygian Gates. It is the author’s wish to analyze this piece by focusing on his use in melody and harmony. The author hopes that this paper will help the performers paying closer attention to the composer’s creative ideals.