Everyone loves to beat up on Los Angeles as a soulless metropolis with little in the way of cultural legacy. But America’s second-largest city has a rich history, and the architectural pedigree to go with it. You just have to look for it. A new book examines L.A. through the prism of its classic houses, even those which have been gone for years and left nearly no trace. “We don’t just tear down our treasures. We toss out all written records about them as well.”
Tag: 10.04.07
Why Adams Left Minimalism Behind
John Adams may be best known as an agent of minimalism, but he didn’t become America’s most successful living composer by remaining static as the world changes around him. “Adams moved years ago far beyond the basic chords, reiterative melodies and pulsating beat of that musical language.” Why the change in harmonic thinking? Put simply, he “began to feel that the minimalism was like cubism, limited in its potential. My needs are enormous. I need expressiveness, shock, surprise, high energy.”