date completed
2021
duration
60'
instrumentation
e.gtr, perc., ambisonic design
commission
SF Performances
premiere
October 2021 in San Francisco, CA
Lyra was made possible by the generous support from Meyer Sound, The Guggenheim Foundation, The Fleischhacker Foundation, and New Music USA
press
"“…breathtaking… stunning… rigorous, inventive, and aesthetically gorgeous”
48 Hills ↗
“Samuel Adams’ serenely spacious score — mostly gentle, slightly rumpled harmonies with the occasional electronic overlay — gets a gorgeous, understated rendition by the Living Earth Show, the duo comprising guitarist Travis Andrews and percussionist Andy Meyerson. (The piece is due for a recording in February.) It’s like a wry gloss on the more common setup of live dancers with taped accompaniment, and it all sets up a magnificent O. Henry ending that will certainly not be revealed here.”
SF Chronicle ↗
“…vibrant… with its rich narratives and striking choreography, Lyra had much to offer.”"
Dance Tabs ↗
★★★★½ "Adams uses contrasts of timbre, including but not restricted to that between acoustic and electronic sound, as a structural element, and the electronic element grows more important as the 19 sections proceed, reaching a high point in the final nine-minute "Surface Up."
Allmusic ↗