On The Transmigration Of Souls (2004)

"Much has been written about On the Transmigration of Souls, the first major response from the concert music sphere to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and still one of a very few works of art of any kind to have engaged itself on a large scale with that earthshaking event. The general consensus has been that John Adams did an excellent job with a very tough commission. Adams has deployed the basic techniques of his musical language in such a way as to throw his hearers into the maelstrom of emotions that many people experienced in the days following September 11 -- an impressive accomplishment, and one that was even more remarkable in 2002. On the Transmigration of Souls is written for a combination of taped sounds and live performers. The orchestra, as often happens with Adams, is something of a big bystander, moving the singers from one state of mind to another with a few outbursts but otherwise staying in the background." (James Manheim, Allmusic; voor complete tekst: volg link)