The Dharma at Big Sur
The Dharma at Big Sur is a composition for solo electric violin and orchestra by the American composer John Adams. The piece calls for some instruments to use just intonation, a tuning system in which intervals sound pure, rather than equal temperament, the common Western tuning system in which all intervals except the octave are slightly impure. The piece was composed in 2003 for the opening of Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and was conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. The electric violin solo was written for violinist Tracy Silverman.
The piece is divided into two movements, titled A New Day and Sri Moonshine, which are intended as homages to Lou Harrison and Terry Riley, respectively. It is scored for 2 bass clarinets, 4 horns, 4 trumpets, 2 trombones, contrabass trombone, tuba, timpani, 4 percussionists, piano, 2 harps, 2 keyboard samplers, strings, and solo electric violin. The two harps are tuned in just intonation in B and E, respectively. The piano and the samplers are tuned in B just intonation.
Adams described the process of composing the piece:
The 2003 premiere of The Dharma at Big Sur received a strongly positive review from the Los Angeles Times, in which Mark Swed wrote:
Nonesuch Records recorded The Dharma at Big Sur performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, with Adams conducting, and featuring Tracy Silverman on electric violin. The recording took place on August 23, 2004, at Abbey Road Studios in London and April 8, 2006, at Skywalker Ranch in San Francisco and was released by Nonesuch, paired with Adams's My Father Knew Charles Ives, in September 2006.
On May 19, 2013, Pieter Wispelwey premiered the cello version of the work at the Canberra International Music Festival.
