(b. 1947)
John Adams was born and raised in New England in 1947. He learned the clarinet from his father and played in marching bands and community orchestras during his formative years. He began composing at age ten and heard his first orchestral pieces performed while still a teenager. The intellectual and artistic traditions of New England, including his studies at Harvard University and attendance at Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts, helped shape him as an artist and thinker. After earning two degrees from Harvard, he moved to Northern California in 1971 and has since lived in the San Francisco Bay area.

John Adams Composition Timpani and Percussion Requirements

Absolute Jest

Timpani + 2 percussion + celeste
1) tuned cowbells Bb3-E5, xylophone 2) orchestral bass drum, tubular bells, glockenspiel, vibraphone
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A Flowering Tree (Opera)

Timpani + 4 percussion (player 3 & 4 doubling recorder) + celeste 

1) Glockenspiel, woodblock, claves, pedal bass drum, snare drum, suspended cymbal x 2, roto toms x 2, tom tom, shaker, temple blocks, x 3, cowbell, bongos, maracas, orchestral bass drum, 2 Japanese temple bowls, China cymbal, triangle x 2, slapstick 2) tubular bells, triangle, tambourine, woodblock, suspended cymbal, medium rainmaker, orchestral bass drum, castanets, bongos, snare drum 3) maracas, tambourine, low rainmaker, triangle (high), tubular wind chimes (low), recorder 4) shaker, low rainmaker, recorder

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Century Rolls

Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 Prem 32/30/28/25
3 percussion + 1 celeste
Vibraphone, tubular bells, glockenspiel, marimba, xylophone, bongos, wood block, celeste
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Chairman Dances

Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 Prem 32/30/28/25
4 percussion
Wood block set, castanets, hi-hat, 2 suspended cymbals, kit bass drum, sizzle cymbal, snare drum, triangle, tambourine on stand, claves, mark tree, sandpaper blocks x 3, orchestral bass drum
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Chamber Symphony

No timpani + 1 percussion
Small drum kit, cowbell, wood block, bongos, 2 roto toms, tambourine, timbales, claves, congas
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City Noir

Timpani + 5 percussion + kit player + celeste
1) vibraphone, bongos 2) tuned gongs (shared with player 4) suspended cymbal, glockenspiel, marimba, large tam tam, vibraphone, tubular bells, orchestral bass drum, snare drum, castanets, claves, cowbell, temple blocks 3) tubular bells, glockenspiel, tambourine, medium tam tam, timbales, suspended cymbal, 2 octaves crotales, xylophone 4) orchestral bass drum, tuned gongs (shared with player 2), snare drum, 2 suspended cymbals, 2 octaves crotales, castanets, triangle, glockenspiel 5) tam tam x 2, orchestral bass drum, suspended cymbal, triangle, temple blocks, snare drum, tambourine, bongos, conga

Kit player – Hi-hat, ride cymbal, snare drum, 3 low toms, cowbell, timbales, suspended cymbal

Tuned gongs C2, D, D#, E, F#, G, A, A#, B, C, D, E, F, F#, G, G#, A#, B, C, D
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Common Tones in Simple Time

No Timpani + 2 percussion
2 marimbas, low octave crotales, glockenspiel, 2 vibraphones, 2 x bass bows, D2 Thai gong
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Dr Atomic (Opera)

Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 Prem 32/30/28/25
4 percussion + 1 celeste
Shared tuned gongs C2, C#, D, E, G, A, B, C3, C#, D, D# E, F, G, B, celeste
1) thunder sheet, glockenpsiel, triangle, tuned gong, 2 octaves crotales, suspended cymbal, medium tam tam, orchestral bass drum, 2 roto toms, Chinese cymbal, snare drum, tuned gongs, 2) tubualr bells' large tam tam, Chinese cymbal, 2 octaves crotales, orchestral bass drum, triangle, 3) tuned gongs, low gong, suspended cymbal, thunder sheet, medium tam tam, triangle, tam tam, high suspended cymbal, xylophone, 2 octaves crotales, tubular bells. low suspended cymbal, antique cymbal, high triangle, med tam tam, small tam tam, medium gong, alarm bell, orchestral bass drum, 4) large Chinese cymbal, suspended cymbal, tam tam, tuned gongs, orchestral bass drum, 2 high triangles
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El Dorado

Timpani
(player to also play) Claves, sandpaper blocks, tambourine
4 percussion
1) Marimba, claves, cowbell, xylophone, snare drum, 2) cabassa, 2 tom toms, kit bass drum, xylophone, claves, bongos, 3 temple bells, vibraphone, bass bow 3) hi-hat, snare drum, kit bass drum, 2 pairs timbales, metal pipe x 2, tenor drum, 5 tom-toms, 4) claves, guiro, maracas, tambourine, sandpaper blocks, wood block, orchestral bass drum
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El Nino

No Timpani + 3 percussion + 1 celeste
1) Glockenspiel, triangle, gong, tuned cowbells, guiro, maracas, 2) 2 octaves crotales, tuned cowbells, gong, high cowbell, 3 triangles, temple bell, 3) gong, tubular bells, celeste
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Eros Piano

No Timpani + 1 percussion
Vibraphone, maracas, 2 octaves crotales
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Grand Pianola Music

No Timpani + 3 percussion
1) marimba, vibraphone, bass bow, 2 octaves crotales, wood block, suspended cymbal, maracas 2) vibraphone, bass bow, 2 octaves crotales, xylophone, kit bass drum, glockenspiel, triangle 3) large orchestral bass drum, tambourine, kit bass drum, suspended cymbal x 2
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Guide to Strange Places

Timpani + 4 percussion
1) marimba, glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, snare drum, cowbell, 2) marimba, tubular bells, tuned cowbells, triangle, 2 octaves crotales, 3) glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, low roto-tom, high triangle, 2 octaves crotales, tubular bells, claves, tuned cowbells, 4) tubular bells, orchestral bass drum, 4 roto-toms, suspended cymbal, 3 triangle, wood block, tuned cowbells
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Harmonielehre

Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23/20 Prem 32/30/28/25/22.5
5 percussion + 1 celeste
2 marimbas, xylophone, 4 octave vibraphone, orchestral bass drum, tam tam, glockenspiel, 2 suspended cymbals, bell tree, 2 triangles, tubular bells and low A, 2oct crotales, bass bow, sizzle cymbal, celeste
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Harmonium

Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23/20 Prem 32/30/28/25/22.5
4 percussion + 1 celeste
Sizzle cymbal, 2 octaves crotales, orchestral bass drum, marimba, xylophone, glockenspiel, suspended cymbal, anvil, clash cymbals, tambourine, tubular bells, cowbells, 2 tam tam, celeste
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Lollapalooza

Timpani + 4 percussion
Xylophone, 3 roto toms, suspended cymbal, small tam tam, 2 snare drums, kit bass drum, maracas, tambourine, claves, wood block, bongos, floor tom, orchestral bass drum, vibraphone
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My Father Knew Charles Ives

Timpani + 4 percussion + 1 celeste
1) 2 temple bowls, 2 octaves crotales, glockenspiel, cowbell, xylophone, 2 temple bowls, marimba, 2) xylophone, 2 octave crotales, snare drum, suspeded cymbal, 2 tom-toms, vibraphone, tuned cowbells, 3 triangles, marimba, 3) tubular bells, clash cymbals, suspended cymbals, 3 triangles, 4) 3 triangles, 2 orchestral bass drums, tuned gongs, tam-tam, tuned cowbells, suspended cymbal, vibraphone, 2 octaves crotales, celeste
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Naive and Sentimental Music

Timpani + 5 percussion + 1 celeste
1) vibraphone, tuned cowbells, xylophone, 2 triangles, suspended cymbals, 2 small gongs, small high pitched bell, glockenspiel, 2) marimba, shaker, xylophone, 2 octaves crotales, tuned cowbells, vibraphone, glockenspiel, 3) xylophone, glockenspiel, orchestral bass drum, small high pitched bell, vibraphone, bass bow, suspended cymbal, 4) tubular bells, high anvil, tam-tam, small high pitched bell, 5 Japanese temple bowls, 5) 5 low gongs, tubular bells, large sleighbells, 3 large triangles, small triangle, tam-tam, suspended cymbal, sizzle cymbal, celeste
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Nixon in China

No timpani + 1 percussion
Orchestral bass drum, kit bass drum, wood block, suspended cymbal, snare drum, sandpaper blocks, tambourine, hi-hat, tenor drum, sizzle cymbal, glockenspiel, triangle, sleigh bells
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On the Transmigration of Souls

Timpani + 4 percussion + 1 celeste
1) glockenspiel, 2) 2 octaves crotales, high triangle, 3) tubular bells, 2 high triangles, 4) 2 high triangles, suspended cymbal, brake drum, celeste
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Scheherazade.2

No Timpani + 3 percussion + 1 celeste (5 oct)
Suspended cymbal, tam tam, orchestral bass drum, large orchestral bass drum, vibraphone, tuned gongs, whip, xylophone
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Short Ride in a Fast Machine

Timpani
Int'l 32/29/26/23 Prem 32/30/28/25
4 percussion
2 octaves crotales, sizzle cymbal, suspended cymbal, orchestral bass drum, kit bass drum, wood block set, snare drum, tam tam, triangle, glockenspiel, xylophone, 2 tambourines
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Slonimsky's Earbox

Timpani + 3 percussion + celeste
2 octaves crotales, marimba, glockenspiel, xylophone, 2 suspended cymbals, wood block, claves, snare drum, hi-hat, temple blocks, shaker, castanets, tambourine, tam-tam, triangle, vibraphone
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The Death of Klinghoffer

Timpani + 1 percussion 
3 octave Malletkat 
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The Dharma at Big Sur Gospel According to the Other Mary

Timpani + 4 percussion
1) vibraphone, glockenspiel, marimba, tubular bells 2) tuned cowbells, xylophone 3) 4 temple bowls, glockenspiel, tubular bells, tuned cowbells, triangle 4) tuned gongs D#2, E, B, C#3, D#, E, F, F#, G#, A#, 2 terracotta flower pots (internal greater than a major 2^nd), 2 octaves crotales
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The Gospel According to the Other Mary

No Timpani + 3 percussion
Snare drum, pedal bass drum, orchestral bass drum, timbales, deep tom tom, tuned gongs, tubular bells, almglocken, glockenspiel, 3 tam tams (L/MS)
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Tromba Lontana

No Timpani + 3 percussion 
Glockenspiel, 2 octave crotales, suspended cymbal, vibraphone
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Violin Concerto

No timpani + 2 percussion
1) marimba, tubular bells, bongos, congas, orchestral bass drum, suspended cymbal, tambourine, 2) bongos, guiro, timpani, vibraphone, bass bow, tubular bells, claves, high cowbell, orchestral bass drum
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