China Gates

One of John Adams’ first mature works, China Gates for solo piano, is the product of a rainy winter on the northern California coast. As the composer hunkered down in a small cottage, the steady patter of water hitting the roof inspired a gentle stream of rippling notes that comprise its main melody. The piece was completed in 1977 for the then 17-year-old pianist Sarah Cahill, who like Adams, is based in the San Francisco bay area. Adams says that China Gates is structured as an almost perfect palindrome, and harmonically it oscillates between two modal regions. The mood is hushed and requires a pianist attuned to the shades of light and darkness that unfold over five minutes. Adams later composed a companion work, Phrygian Gates, which features similar gestures but on a grander scale. China Gates remains a relatively popular encore piece and a gentle milestone from Adams’ minimalist period.