John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine”: An Ecstatic Fanfare

What better way to ring in the new year than with a fanfare?

Composed in 1986, John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine is a fanfare for an age of streamlined sports cars and space travel. It is an ecstatic musical joyride which, in the words of the composer, evokes a combination of “excitement and thrill, just on the edge of anxiety or terror.”

The inspiration came from Adams’ memory of a harrowing late night ride in a friend’s Italian sports car, which the composer instantly regretted. The work opens with the “resolute and inflexible pulse” of the woodblock, which continues as an unrelenting rhythmic task master until the final bar. Adams describes it as a “rhythmic gauntlet through which the orchestra has to pass…It’s only at the end of the piece when the woodblock finally stops that the orchestra suddenly feels free, as if it’s the third stage of a rocket that’s finally broken loose of Earth’s gravity.” Adams has observed that incessant pulsation is a prominent characteristic of American music.

Brass flourishes resemble the tattoo rhythms of a bugle call. The interpretive marking is delirando. Just as the music seems in danger of spinning irrevocably out of control, it arrives at a soaring climax, with a majestic dialogue among trumpets, horns, and trombones. The piece ends with another revving of the motor, and a final, exhilarating bang.

John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine is one of the few late 20th century works to become part of the standard orchestral repertoire. The work is so iconic that it has inspired alternate arrangements. One takes the form of a virtuosic romp for solo piano, four hands. A rendition by Fuse, an electroacoustic chamber ensemble dedicated to new music, moves into even more adventurous territory. Let’s hear this familiar work in new ways through these two alternate versions. (Feel free to share your thoughts regarding these performances in the comment thread below). Then, we will hear the piece as it was written, for full orchestra.

Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine (Arranged for Piano, Four Hands)

This performance features twin sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton:

Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine (adapted by Fuse)

This performance was recorded in 2022 for the television program, Podium Klassiek:

Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine (Edo de Waart, San Francisco Symphony)

The world premiere recording from 1987 has not been surpassed in terms of energy and exuberance:

Recordings

• Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine (arrangement for piano, four hands), Christina Naughton, Michelle Naughton streaming links
• Fuse Ensemble
• Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine, Edo de Waart, San Francisco Symphony Amazon

Featured Image: an art deco 1920s Renault automobile poster, Rene de Bas