I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

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I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/22/08 at 7:03pm

So today I was browsing itunes and I stumbled across this musical called "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and I Saw the Sky". It was composed by John Adams (who I've never heard of) and it is about 7 people whose lives intersect during an earthquake. I noticed that both Audra McDonald and Marin Mazzie were in it (I adore both of them). So I was wondering if someone could tell me more about it, and if it is worth getting. Thank you.

re: I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/22/08 at 7:12pm

John Adams does more classical/opera type pieces (he did Nixon in China as well). It's an interesting piece, definitely worth a listen, but it's not something I listen to very often...

Hi, Shirley Temple Pudding.

re: I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/22/08 at 7:12pm

It's lame and dramatically inert. But, John Adams is wonderful, obviously, so even his worst work is better than most. It's not really a musical... it sounds much more like art/contemporary opera music.

Jesus saves. I spend.

re: I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/22/08 at 8:21pm

The piece is anything but "lame," but KJisgroovy was right that it isn't a musical by any means. The music lacks anything resembling a melody, and the accompaniment is very bizarre in places. It isn't my favorite piece of Adams', but if you're in the mood for a more classical piece, I'd give it a listen. It's interesting to hear Audra sing a role written for a Latina at the very least.

"I am a camera with its shutter open, quite passive, recording, not thinking...someday all of this will have to be developed, carefully printed, fixed." - Christopher Isherwood

re: I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/23/08 at 9:49am

John Adams, whom you've never heard of, happens to have an opera (Dr. Atomic) playing just "up the street" at the Met. Adams is one of my favorite contemporary classical composers. Glad you discovered this little gem of a piece.

Also, just to confuse matters further...there's also an Alaskan composer named John Luther Adams, and of course, our nation's second President....

<---- You can see the crazy in her eyes. ;-)

re: I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/23/08 at 10:23am

It's a truly truly amazing and thought-provoking piece. One of the best pieces written for musical or opera stage in the last 20 years. Anyone who thinks it's 'dramatically inert' obviously isn't paying attention.

re: I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/23/08 at 10:32am

Or, you know, is expressing an opinion.

re: I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/23/08 at 10:33am

Adams is my favorite living composer, but I just can't really enjoy this particular piece. I don't find the music terribly interesting, nowhere near his best work.

I'm seeing DOCTOR ATOMIC next week, I can't wait.

If you're interested in Adams, I can highly highly recommend his opera A FLOWERING TREE, which just came out on CD and on itunes a few weeks ago. Some of Adams' most flat-out gorgeous music, and a really lovely story to boot.

"If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about the answers." Thomas Pynchon, GRAVITY'S RAINBOW "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Philip K. Dick My blog: http://www.roscoewrites.blogspot.com/

re: I Was Looking At The Ceiling and I Saw the Sky

Posted: 10/23/08 at 10:37am

Sure, an opinion, but not a very intelligent or informed one. Who is going to take anyone serious who uses the word "lame" like that? especially when referring to this kind of music. It's obvious that the person is not musical or intellectually sophisticated enough to understand, and consequently enjoy it.

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