Adam's Inuit Voyage

For a musician who recently finished a composition about "the journeys, both physical and spiritual, of an Inuit shaman," Professor of Composition John Luther Adams is remarkably well-grounded. His performance at Warner Concert Hall on Saturday is entitled "Ilimaq," a piece written for solo percussion, with spatial resonance in mind.

"Ilimaq" is about one shaman's voyage under the Arctic ice. Performers use only their voices and their drums as means of communication. Adams is excited to perform at Warner because of the concert hall's unique harmonic structure and resonance. "We use explosive noise from percussion instruments fed through a series of digital delays and feedback loops to excite those resonances," he said.

Scott Deal will be the percussionist, accompanied by Nathaniel Reichman, who is designing the sound. Both artists have been involved intricately in Adams' creative process. Reichman has been working with Adams for the past year and a half; Deal was brought aboard after working with Adams on a chamber opera Adams composed.

Though all three musicians have more than enough talent to guide the composition, Adams acknowledged that writing the piece involves following one's instincts. "The music's in charge and I'm just following the music," he said. "I hope the music is becoming itself. I'm just along for the ride."

Indeed, it might be a bumpy ride. Adams recognizes that this new work is the most experimental of his career. But he is confident that "Ilimaq" will live up to the same standard as his past successes. "I hope the music...speaks directly enough that anyone can be touched by it," he said. "It has been said that the best new music today is easier to understand than Mozart because it speaks directly to people listening here and now."

For a composer like Adams, drafting compositions is more of a "lifelong discipline which has deep-seated spiritual dimensions." Musicians dedicate themselves because, according to Adams, "music is so much bigger than we are. We're doing the best we can to serve it."

Composition stands as an immensely personal act. "I'm just trying to be true to it, but I believe that if I'm true to music, and if I stay out of its way, maybe it'll have the ring of truth." By remaining true to the creative voice, Adams hopes that his music will touch those who might not have been inspired otherwise.

Like any self-sacrificing artist, though, Adams understands that "what I want music to be really doesn't matter much."

Adams will continue to ride his experimental music train, with or without his conscious input. His plans include performing at a premiere of "The Light that Fills the World" and "Time Undisturbed" at the Cleveland Museum of Art on Nov. 5.

The composer will premier in Japan using traditional Japanese musical instruments. In addition, Adams will perform "Earth and Great Weather" this fall with the Paul Drescher Ensemble, based in San Francisco. This, a piece of electronic chamber music, reflects the artist's new vision, which stands as a move away from traditional instruments.

After a long tour of Europe in the fall, he will take a break in the winter. Adams said, "I'm going to burrow up in my studio in Alaska and get back to composing." He definitely deserves an extended break. For a musician who prides himself on exploring new musical ground, Alaska will be a welcome study in relaxation.