An interview with

What qualities are needed to perform Adams succesfully? Fantastic rhythm – and fantastic rhythmic flexibility. Even from the beginning of Naive and Sentimental Music, there’s a rhythm that’s steadily going on in the harps and guitar, and this wonderful endless melody in the flutes that weaves its way around everything. The harps and guitar can’t adjust to it the way they might if they were coming to the end of a phrase in a Haydn quartet or symphony. There’s an inevitability about the pulse. Naive and Sentimental Music is less often heard in concert than some other Adams works. Why? Years ago, when I said to John that I really wanted to do this piece, he said I should do Absolute Jest next. About six months later he called me and said, you know what, I just did Naive and Sentimental Music again for the first time in years, and you’re right – it’s actually a good piece! The whole work is magnificent. The title is brilliant but perhaps misleading: it makes it sound like an inward, miniature piece. ‘Naïve’ and ‘sentimental’ refer to the German meanings, not our meanings today.

How useful is it to be able to talk to Adams about his music? It’s wonderful. A dream come true. John is very warm and highly intelligent. Above all he’s generous. He has a lovely way of cajoling you into doing what he really intended. I remember a rehearsal of Harmonielehre in Toronto. After about five minutes I stopped and turned to John. He said, ‘It’s awfully fast.’ I said, ‘Ah well, that’s metronome markings for you!’ When the composer says give it space, it’s different from anyone else saying that.