Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?

Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? is a piano concerto by the American composer John Adams. Its title is taken from a saying attributed to Martin Luther.[2] The work was premiered on March 7, 2019 by Yuja Wang and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel.[3] A recording, made by Wang, Dudamel, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in November 2019, was released digitally by Deutsche Grammophon on April 17, 2020.[4][5]

Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?
by John Adams
Period	Contemporary
Composed	2018
Duration	c. 28 minutes[1]
Scoring	Orchestra
Premiere
Date	March 7, 2019 (2019-03-07)
Location	Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
Conductor	Gustavo Dudamel
Performers	Los Angeles Philharmonic, Yuja Wang

Composition

Movements

The piece is in three movements, played without pauses between them:[6]

1. Gritty, funky, but in Strict Tempo; Twitchy, Bot-like
2. Much Slower; Gently, Relaxed
3. Piú Mosso: Obsession / Swing

Instrumentation

The piece is scored for the following orchestra:[6]

Woodwinds Piccolo 2 Flutes (1st doubling Piccolo 2) 2 Oboes English Horn 2 Clarinets in B♭ and A (2nd doubling Basset horn) Bass Clarinet 2 Bassoons Contrabassoon (doubling Bassoon 3)

Brass 4 Horns in F 2 Trumpets in C 2 Trombones (2nd doubling Bass Trombone) Percussion (1 player) Almglocken Bass Drum Snare Drum

Pianos Solo Piano Honky-tonk Piano Strings Violin I Violin II Violas Cellos Double Basses Bass Guitar

References

1. "John Adams - Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?". www.boosey.com. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
2. "John Adams Must The Devil Have All The Good Tunes". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
3. Adams, John (2018-07-26). "Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?". Earbox - John Adams. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
4. Desk, BWW News. "LA Phil and Gustavo Dudamel Release World Premiere Recording of John Adams "Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?"". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
5. "John Adams: Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes?". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
6. "Boosey & Hawkes Composers, Classical Music and Jazz Repertoire". www.boosey.com. Retrieved 2020-08-13.