''John's Book of Alleged Dances'' (1994) is a composition by
John Adams
John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...
for
string quartet and recorded
prepared piano
A prepared piano is a piano that has had its sounds temporarily altered by placing bolts, screws, mutes, rubber erasers, and/or other objects on or between the strings. Its invention is usually traced to John Cage's dance music for ''Works for p ...
. Commissioned and premiered by the
Kronos Quartet
The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for almost 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classic ...
, the first performance took place November 19, 1994, at the
California Center for the Arts,
Escondido,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
[John's Book of Alleged Dances]
, ''Earbox.com''.
John Adams has said that the dances are alleged because, "the steps for them had yet to be invented."
The composition is approximately 35 minutes in length and is composed of ten humorously titled "dances" that may be played in any order.
The movement titles are as follows:
*"Judah to Ocean"
*"Toot Nipple"
*"Dogjam"
*"Pavane: She's So Fine"
*"Rag the Bone"
*"Habanera"
*"Stubble Crotchet"
*"Hammer & Chisel"
*"Alligator Escalator"
*"Ständchen: The Little Serenade"
"Judah to Ocean" is a reference to the San Francisco Muni
N Judah
The N Judah is a hybrid light rail/streetcar line of the Muni Metro system in San Francisco, California. The line is named after Judah Street that it runs along for much of its length, named after railroad engineer Theodore Judah. It links downt ...
light rail line. Selections from ''John's Book of Alleged Dances'' have been set by a number of choreographers, including
Paul Taylor.
See also
*''
Postcards
A postcard or post card is a piece of thick paper or thin cardboard, typically rectangular, intended for writing and mailing without an envelope. Non-rectangular shapes may also be used but are rare. There are novelty exceptions, such as wood ...
''
References
External links
*
John Adams: Official Web Site'
*
Kronos Quartet'
fficial website
{{Authority control
Compositions by John Adams (composer)
1994 compositions
Compositions for string quartet
Music commissioned by the Kronos Quartet