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Listening Report- John Luther Adams’ “Become Ocean”

 

I have to admit that I have listened to this composition by Adams twice, once in class and once at home, looking through my window during a beautiful sunset, which is by the way very rare here in Germany.

Before starting to express my personal impressions on this piece, I would like to underline how beautifully and carefully it is built: I won’t talk about all the technical details of the composition, because I am not an expert of course, but it is really clear that each and every person of the orchestra has a specific role in creating one of the most difficult existing sounds, that is the sound of a natural element. Not only is the sound of the waves reproduced but also the emotions conventionally associated with them: the more violent the waves the louder and faster the sounds become, the calmer the ocean the slower and more relaxing the melody becomes. I personally think that the simpler the result seems the more the creative process behind is really complex and this is one of the cases.

What I felt while listening to this song is Heimweh: I really love nature, in particular the sea, since I come from Naples in Italy, so I was born near the water and I feel it is part of who I am. Listening to this composition made me feel like I am at home, on the beach, lost in my thoughts with the sun on my face and the wind on my skin. I felt like I was going with the waves, which made me the freest girl in the world.

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