John Luther Adams – Become Ocean

 “If we don’t do something, if we don’t correct the direction we seem to be moving in on this planet, and as glaciers and other blocks of ice melt, we will all Become Ocean.”

This is what the conductor said about the title of this piece at the beginning. I think this is a powerful message, which – sadly – is true. And I think this piece really gives you time to think about that. Not only because it is long, but also because it has a recurring, almost hypnotizing pattern.

Even though it sounds similar most of the times, the sounds and the music are ever changing. This piece never stands still, it is like a moving mass, just like the ocean. You can really hear the rising and falling of the waves. Sometimes it sounds playful, soothing, and calming. Other times, when the music swells, it sounds like the waves are swelling as well, and it sounds foreboding and dangerous. Like the waves are becoming too big. But then they ebb off again, as does the music.

More than once the music got so quiet and the waves so small, that I thought the piece was over. Only to hear the music swell again shortly after. In the quieter parts, I could see the tiny waves before my inner eye, playing with the sand and seashells on the ocean shore. I really enjoyed this piece, and sometimes it even gave me goosebumps.

I imagine it must be even better seeing this performance live. Not just hearing it, but also feeling it, the vibrations of the big waves, the ebbing off afterwards. And seeing the lights that are constantly changing slightly. It was hard to see the light changes over time, as the video always switched between different camera angles. But I imagine that this added aspect really brings it all together. But even without that, I find this piece quite beautiful, and the message behind it is very strong.