John Luther Adams
(b. 1953)

Become River
Composed 2010

Become River is a contemporary classical composition that stands as a part of John Luther Adams’ larger "Become" trilogy, which also includes Become Ocean and Become Desert. These works reflect Adams' deep engagement with nature, specifically his concern for the environment and climate change, as well as his interest in the vast, open spaces and elemental forces of nature. 

Adams, whose work often draws inspiration from his many years living in Alaska, creates music that immerses listeners in a sensory and conceptual experience of the natural world. Become River was commissioned by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and premiered in 2013. Like its companions in the trilogy, Become River explores thematic elements of nature's processes and cycles. 

The composition is a flowing, evolving soundscape that suggests the journey of a river from its sources in the high mountains, through valleys and plains, to its confluence with the ocean. The music is characterized by its slowly evolving textures and harmonies, creating an immersive auditory experience that encourages listeners to contemplate their relationship with the natural environment. The work is structured to create a sense of movement and transformation, mirroring the course of a river's flow. Adams employs a spatial and temporal approach to composition, where the instruments are orchestrated in a way that their sounds seem to move and change across the performance space, echoing the way a river traverses and shapes the landscape. 
 
Become River is notable for its minimalist aesthetic, with Adams utilizing sparse, yet evocative musical materials to build a piece that is both expansive and intimate. The composition invites listeners to reflect on the passage of time, the beauty of the natural world, and the interconnectedness of all things. In this way, Become River not only serves as a piece of music but also as an environmental statement, urging awareness and action in the face of global climate challenges. Through Become River and its companion pieces, John Luther Adams continues to solidify his reputation as a composer deeply inspired by and concerned with the natural world.

The composer says the following about the work:

Steven Schick and I were having dinner together.

I was just beginning work on a large-scale piece for the Seattle Symphony.

So when Steve asked me if I might be interested in composing a new piece for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, I must have hesitated. Deftly, Steve asked me to tell him a little about the Seattle piece.

I went on at length about the music I'd begun to imagine, finally concluding:
"It's called Become Ocean. The title comes from a poem that John Cage wrote in honor of Lou Harrison." Cage observes that the breadth and variety of Harrison's music make it "resemble a river in delta." He concludes that:

LiStening to it
we becOme
oceaN.

"So you're already composing a symphonic ocean," Steve said.
"Maybe for a smaller orchestra you could go ahead and compose that river in delta."

Steve had me, and I knew it. Within a week I'd begun work on Become River.
From a single high descending line, this music gradually expands into a delta of melodic streams flowing toward the depths.

I now imagine this river and its related ocean as part of a larger series of pieces encompassing desert, mountain, tundra and perhaps other landscapes and waterscapes.

~John Luther Adams

Instrumentation – two flutes and two piccolos, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, two trombones, timpani, percussion, and strings

Duration – 16 minutes

~ Kenneth Bean
Georg and Joyce Albers-Schonberg Assistant Conductor
Princeton Symphony Orchestra