The Chairman Dances Explained

The Chairman Dances is a 1985 composition by John Adams,[1] subtitled Foxtrot for Orchestra and lasting about 13 minutes. A commission from the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, it has several dance-like tunes and has been described by Adams as an "outtake" from Act III of the opera he was working on at the time, Nixon in China.[2] The word "Dances" in the title is a verb, not a noun. In the opera, the music depicts Madame Mao gate-crashing a presidential banquet, hanging paper lanterns, and performing a seductive dance; Chairman Mao descends from his portrait, and the two dance a foxtrot, back in time together. The piece ends with the sound of a gramophone winding down.

The Chairman Dances was used in the Civilization IV and I Am Love soundtracks.

Instrumentation

The work is scored for a large orchestra.[3]

Woodwinds
  • 2 flutes, both doubling piccolo
  • 2 oboes
  • 2 clarinets in B, second doubling bass clarinet
  • 2 bassoons
    Brass
  • 4 horns in F
  • 2 trumpets in B
  • 2 tenor trombones
  • tuba
    Percussion
  • glockenspiel
  • vibraphone
  • xylophone
  • crotales
  • sandpaper blocks
  • wood blocks, high and medium
  • crash cymbal
  • hi-hat
  • suspended cymbal
  • sizzle cymbal, suspended
  • claves
  • bell tree
  • triangle
  • tambourine
  • castanets
  • snare drum
  • pedal bass drum
  • timpani
    Keyboards
  • piano
    Strings
  • harp
  • string section

    External links

    Notes and References

    1. Web site: Adams, John. September 17, 2015. Grove Music Online. Oxford University Press. Cahill. Sarah.
    2. Web site: Adams. John. "The Chairman Dances". Earbox. 23 September 2003 . 5 April 2016.
    3. Web site: Adams . John . John Adams (composer) . 1985 . The Chairman Dances: Foxtrot for Orchestra . . April 24, 2016.

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