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The piece fluctuates between 2/2 and 3/2 time giving it a strong beat throughout the piece, which ties in with its essential foundation themes. The violins then join in with this and are the last to be layered into this busy texture. Subsequent to this the piano, vibraphone and glockenspiel join with this off-beat note which gives a sporadic feel to the piece, as this off-beat interjection theme is layered on top of the relentless major second theme. Still layering up the instruments, Adams introduces the oboes and harp with an off-beat suspended note on A. This part really gives strength into the foundation of this piece and it offers a new tone. Next, the basses and cellos enter with a steady crotchet beat on a low B, which then changes between that note and a low F#. The upper woodwind then join in with a repeating descending quaver pattern, which is layered in by instruments to slowly create the pulsating texture. The piece begins with the bassoons and violas, both very woody in tone, playing the major second quaver theme.
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Adams’ style in this piece really presents a mix of minimalist and romantic writing, which certainly keeps you on your toes. The Chairman Dances, subtitled ‘Foxtrot for Orchestra’ takes the listener on a musical journey which consists of a recurring foxtrot theme based around a major second motif which is first heard in the bassoons at the start of the piece. They are back in Yenan, dancing to the gramophone…” He steps down from his portrait on the wall, and they begin to foxtrot together. She signals the orchestra to play and begins dancing by herself. After a few minutes, she brings out a box of paper lanterns and hangs them around the hall, then strips down to a cheongsam, skin-tight from neck to ankle and slit up the hip. She is first seen standing where she is most in the way of the waiters. Madame Mao, has gatecrashed the Presidential Banquet. Peter Sellars (director of the opera) says this about the scenario: With that in mind, The Chairman Dances has its own scenario that goes with it, making it a programmatic piece of music (basically it depicts a scene and tells a story). Written in 1985, the piece is essentially a by-product of his very famous opera Nixon in China which depicts American President Richard Nixon’s historic visit to China in 1972. The Chairman Dances by American composer John Adams is a mesmerising display of programmatic mastery in the post-minimalist movement.