John Adams: Doctor Atomic

John Adams: Doctor Atomic

BBC Singers, Julia Bullock, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gerald Finley

2006

John Adams’ 2005 opera explores the personal and moral issues surrounding the invention of the atomic bomb. Captured live in concert, it has colossal power and conviction. At its centre is Gerald Finley’s commanding performance as Robert Oppenheimer, a scientist wracked by doubts. Having sung it at the premiere and many times since, he produces a magnificently characterised creation. Julia Bullock, Brindley Sherratt, Samuel Sakker and Andrew Staples are all superb in supporting roles and Adams himself draws virtuoso playing from a truly galvanised BBC Symphony Orchestra. A major recording of a modern operatic classic.

Overture

John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers

5:10

"The end of June 1945"

BBC Singers, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

4:18

"First of all, let me say"

Brindley Sherratt, Gerald Finley, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

2:15

"We surround the plutonium core"

BBC Singers, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

1:42

"We are bedeviled by faulty detonators"

Gerald Finley, John Adams, Brindley Sherratt, BBC Symphony Orchestra

1:31

"Many of us are inclined to say"

John Adams, Brindley Sherratt, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gerald Finley

2:26

"The nation's fate..."

John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Staples, Gerald Finley

2:16

"This is a petition"

Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Brindley Sherratt, Andrew Staples, John Adams

2:42

"What if it's a dud?"

Andrew Staples, Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Brindley Sherratt, John Adams

2:02

"The test must go on as scheduled"

Brindley Sherratt, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams, Gerald Finley, BBC Singers

3:20

"No, before the bomb is used"

Brindley Sherratt, BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams, Gerald Finley, Andrew Staples

4:07

"Am I in your light?"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Julia Bullock, John Adams

4:31

"Long let me inhale, deeply..."

Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Julia Bullock, John Adams

6:27

"The motive of it all was loneliness"

Julia Bullock, Gerald Finley, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

4:24

Electrical storm

BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

2:17

"What the hell is wrong with the weather?"

John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Aubrey Allicock, Marcus Farnsworth, Gerald Finley

2:34

"Five hundred U.S. Superfortresses are raining bombs"

John Adams, Aubrey Allicock, Marcus Farnsworth, Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra

4:06

"I'll sign the report, sir"

John Adams, Aubrey Allicock, Marcus Farnsworth, Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra

1:18

"With respect, sir, anyone with two good eyes"

John Adams, Samuel Sakker, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gerald Finley, Aubrey Allicock

3:00

"I have been preoccupied with many matters"

Aubrey Allicock, John Adams, Samuel Sakker, Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra

2:32

"Get them out of here. From now on, I'm making my own weather predictions"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Aubrey Allicock, John Adams

4:05

"General, you are bearing up with remarkable fortitude"

Gerald Finley, Aubrey Allicock, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

3:18

"Batter my heart"

Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

7:34

"Easter Eve, 1945"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Julia Bullock, John Adams

11:59

Interlude - Rain over the Sangre de Cristo

BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

2:57

"In the north the cloud-flower blossoms"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams, Jennifer Johnston

1:54

"It's midnight, Jack"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Staples, John Adams, Marcus Farnsworth

5:11

"I've dreamed the same dream"

Andrew Staples, Jennifer Johnston, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

2:48

"To the farthest west, the sea and the striped country"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Julia Bullock, John Adams, Jennifer Johnston

3:35

"A delay in the Potsdam Ultimatum"

John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Aubrey Allicock, Jennifer Johnston

1:00

"Fermi is taking wagers"

Gerald Finley, Aubrey Allicock, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Brindley Sherratt

2:16

"I've spent a great deal of time indulging in controlled fantasies"

Brindley Sherratt, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams, Gerald Finley

3:36

"Edward, the test will be delayed an hour"

John Adams, Marcus Farnsworth, Gerald Finley, Aubrey Allicock, Jennifer Johnston, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Brindley Sherratt

3:01

Panic

BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

2:52

"This program has been plagued from the start"

John Adams, Gerald Finley, Aubrey Allicock, BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra

1:30

"To keep the weakness secret"

BBC Singers, John Adams, Jennifer Johnston, Gerald Finley, Julia Bullock, BBC Symphony Orchestra

2:11

"I just finished reading The Magic Mountain"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams, Gerald Finley, BBC Singers, Andrew Staples

2:15

"The winter dawned, but the dead did not come back"

BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jennifer Johnston, John Adams

1:53

"And love, which contains all human spirit"

BBC Singers, Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams, Julia Bullock

3:00

"The only saviors are the ham sandwiches"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Brindley Sherratt, John Adams, Gerald Finley, Aubrey Allicock

2:27

Chorus - "At the sight of this"

BBC Singers, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

4:41

"Lieutenant Bush, keep a weather eye on Oppenheimer"

Aubrey Allicock, Brindley Sherratt, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

1:32

"To what benevolent demon do I owe the joy of being thus surrounded"

Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers, John Adams

2:42

"That's their signal!"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Gerald Finley, John Adams

2:17

"The sky is clear to the east"

Jennifer Johnston, Marcus Farnsworth, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

2:59

"In the midnight, in the flame-brilliant midnight"

BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams, Julia Bullock

3:06

"Zero minus two minutes"

John Adams, Gerald Finley, BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra

1:03

Countdown

John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers

6:05

John Adams

Composer
Ryuichi Sakamoto

Composer
BBC Singers

Chorus
Julia Bullock

Vocals
BBC Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra

Friedemann Engelbrecht

Producer
Wolfgang Schiefermair

Editing Engineer
René Möller

Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer, Editing Engineer