John Adams

Shaker Loops

Although in its own way an example of 'continuous' music, Shaker Loops differs from most other works of its kind because it sees so much change within a relatively short amount of time. Also it avoids the formal and temporal purity of much 'minimal' music by not adhering to a single unbending tempo throughout, allowing for a freer movement from one level of energy to another.

The 'loops' are melodic material assigned to the seven instruments, each of adifferent length and which, when heard together, result in a constantly shifting play amongst the parts. The four sections, although they meld together evenly, are really quite distinct, each being characterised by a particular style of string playing. The outside movements are devoted to 'shaking' - fast, tightly rhythmicised, motion of the bow across the strings. The 'slews' of Part 2 are slow, languid glissandi heard floating within an almost motionless pool of stationary sound, whereas Part 3 is essentially melodic, with cellos playing long, lyrical lines (also loops) against a background of muted violins.