John Adams, often hailed as America’s greatest living composer, engages in a wide-ranging conversation with Tyler Cowen, touching upon topics from his latest opera, Antony and Cleopatra, to his perspectives on the contemporary music landscape. While Adams is primarily known for his operas and orchestral works, the discussion subtly hints at the cinematic qualities of his compositions and his views on film music, making the connection to the theme of a “John Adams Movie” intriguing. This exploration delves into Adams’s world, examining the potential for his works to translate to film and his broader artistic philosophy.
Opera, Shakespeare, and the Cinematic Scope of Adams’s Vision
Adams’s recent opera, Antony and Cleopatra, immediately brings to mind grand cinematic epics. He acknowledges the sprawling nature of Shakespeare’s play, with its numerous characters and scenes, noting the challenge of “wrestling it to the ground” for an operatic adaptation. His focus on the “interpersonal relationships” amidst the “maelstrom” of world politics echoes the dramatic core of many successful historical movies.
The conversation touches upon the rapid action and limited soliloquies in Antony and Cleopatra, contrasting it with Verdi’s Shakespearean operas. Adams highlights his opera’s “quicksilver” interaction between characters, drawing a parallel to “Preston Sturges 1930s fast-moving, fast-evolving dramas.” This cinematic pacing, aiming for a “musical drama” rather than traditional operatic set pieces, suggests a natural affinity between Adams’s operatic style and filmic storytelling.
John Adams, a leading contemporary composer, whose works possess a dramatic and cinematic quality.
When discussing the portrayal of Cleopatra, Adams references classical actresses and Janet Suzman’s performance, indicating a visual and dramatic consideration in his operatic conception, akin to casting for a movie role. His emphasis on Antony and Cleopatra as “older people” with complex pasts further adds depth and character-driven narrative, elements crucial for both opera and film. This focus on character psychology and dramatic tension within a historical backdrop is a hallmark of compelling cinematic narratives.
Influences and Musical Drama: Debussy, Britten, and Popular Music
Adams cites Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande as a key influence for Antony and Cleopatra, praising Debussy’s radical approach of “musicalizing the text” and keeping the story “whole.” This emphasis on textual fidelity and dramatic flow resonates with the adaptation process from literature to film, where capturing the essence of the source material is paramount.
Interestingly, Adams expresses a preference for “great popular music” like Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell, and Bob Dylan over traditional English classical vocal settings, even Britten. He admires how pop artists treat the English language, finding classical settings “a little bit pretentious and a little bit stiff.” This inclination towards naturalistic musical speech aligns with the goal of cinematic realism and emotional authenticity in vocal performances, whether in operas or movie musicals.
A scene from “Nixon in China,” an opera by John Adams known for its historical themes and dramatic narrative, which could translate well to film.
His upbringing immersed in Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, and musical theater further solidified his “DNA as a theatrical composer.” This foundation in musical storytelling, honed through both classical and popular forms, positions Adams as a composer whose works inherently possess a dramatic and narrative drive, qualities highly valued in film scores and movie adaptations.
“On the Transmigration of Souls”: A Memorial in Sound and Space
Discussing On the Transmigration of Souls, Adams describes it as a “memory space” where “texts and words and phrases could float…in musical space.” This concept of creating a sonic environment to evoke specific emotions and memories is profoundly cinematic. The piece, composed as a memorial for the victims of 9/11, utilizes fragments of texts and names to build an immersive and emotionally resonant experience.
This approach to composition, focusing on creating an atmosphere and evoking emotional responses through sound, mirrors the function of film scores. Just as a film composer crafts music to enhance the emotional impact of scenes, Adams, in On the Transmigration of Souls, constructs a musical space for collective remembrance and reflection. The “memory space” concept could even be visualized and translated into a filmic representation of grief and commemoration.
John Adams and the Question of Film Composing
Despite the cinematic nature of his operas and his understanding of dramatic musicality, Adams expresses reservations about film composing. He notes the demanding and often frustrating nature of the work, citing the need for rapid turnaround and the potential for directors to alter scenes and musical placements. He values his autonomy and focused work on commissioned pieces and conducting, suggesting a potential conflict between the collaborative and often compromised nature of film scoring and his artistic process.
However, he acknowledges the satisfying experience of directors like Luca Guadagnino using his existing music in films. This highlights the inherent cinematic quality of Adams’s compositions, capable of enhancing and complementing visual narratives even without being specifically tailored to film. His music’s evocative power and dramatic scope naturally lend themselves to cinematic contexts.
Performance of “Doctor Atomic,” another of John Adams’s historically themed operas, exploring intense human drama, suitable for cinematic adaptation.
Adams’s critique of contemporary film scores as often lacking “inspiration” and being “sentimental” and “tacky” reveals his high artistic standards. He appreciates European film scores, particularly from France and Italy, suggesting a preference for scores that are more nuanced, innovative, and less conventional. This discerning taste underscores his commitment to artistic integrity and his potential vision for a more sophisticated and meaningful integration of music in film.
Is a “John Adams Movie” on the Horizon?
While there isn’t a “John Adams movie” in the traditional sense of a biopic, the conversation reveals numerous avenues for exploring this theme:
- Opera Adaptations to Film: Nixon in China, Doctor Atomic, and Antony and Cleopatra, with their historical themes, dramatic narratives, and Adams’s cinematic musical style, hold significant potential for film adaptations. Nixon in China already has a Blu-ray release, indicating existing interest in filming his operas. A cinematic rendition could reach a wider audience and further amplify the dramatic impact of these works.
- Documentaries on John Adams and Contemporary Music: A documentary exploring Adams’s life, creative process, and perspectives on contemporary music could be highly compelling. His articulate insights, his journey through musical styles, and his significant contributions to contemporary classical music would make him a fascinating subject for a biographical or artistic documentary.
- Films Featuring Adams’s Music: The use of Adams’s music in Luca Guadagnino’s films demonstrates the effectiveness of incorporating his existing compositions into cinematic narratives. Future films could explore using his works to enhance specific scenes or create a particular atmosphere, leveraging the inherent drama and emotional depth of his music.
Although John Adams may not be actively pursuing film composing, his operas and orchestral works possess a strong cinematic quality. The dramatic scope, narrative drive, and emotional depth inherent in his music, combined with his insightful perspectives on music and drama, suggest a natural, if yet fully realized, connection between the world of John Adams and the world of film. As audiences increasingly seek meaningful and innovative artistic experiences, the potential for a “John Adams movie,” in its various forms, remains a compelling prospect.
