John Adams: Doctor Atomic

John Adams: Doctor Atomic

Julia Bullock, BBC Singers, 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 Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra

5:10

"The end of June 1945"

BBC Singers, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

4:18

"First of all, let me say"

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

2:15

"We surround the plutonium core"

John Adams, BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra

1:42

"We are bedeviled by faulty detonators"

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

1:31

"Many of us are inclined to say"

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

2:26

"The nation's fate..."

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

2:16

"This is a petition"

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

2:42

"What if it's a dud?"

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

2:02

"The test must go on as scheduled"

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

3:20

"No, before the bomb is used"

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

4:07

"Am I in your light?"

Julia Bullock, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

4:31

"Long let me inhale, deeply..."

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

6:27

"The motive of it all was loneliness"

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

4:24

Electrical storm

BBC Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers, John Adams

2:17

"What the hell is wrong with the weather?"

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

2:34

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

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

4:06

"I'll sign the report, sir"

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

1:18

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

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

3:00

"I have been preoccupied with many matters"

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

2:32

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

John Adams, Aubrey Allicock, BBC Symphony Orchestra

4:05

"General, you are bearing up with remarkable fortitude"

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

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"

Jennifer Johnston, John Adams, BBC Symphony Orchestra

1:54

"It's midnight, Jack"

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

5:11

"I've dreamed the same dream"

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

2:48

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

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

3:35

"A delay in the Potsdam Ultimatum"

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

1:00

"Fermi is taking wagers"

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

2:16

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

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

3:36

"Edward, the test will be delayed an hour"

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

3:01

Panic

John Adams, BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra

2:52

"This program has been plagued from the start"

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

1:30

"To keep the weakness secret"

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

2:11

"I just finished reading The Magic Mountain"

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

2:15

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

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

1:53

"And love, which contains all human spirit"

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

3:00

"The only saviors are the ham sandwiches"

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

2:27

Chorus - "At the sight of this"

BBC Singers, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

4:41

"Lieutenant Bush, keep a weather eye on Oppenheimer"

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

1:32

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

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

2:42

"That's their signal!"

Gerald Finley, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

2:17

"The sky is clear to the east"

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

2:59

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

Julia Bullock, BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams

3:06

"Zero minus two minutes"

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

1:03

Countdown

BBC Symphony Orchestra, John Adams, BBC Singers

6:05

John Adams

Composer
Ryuichi Sakamoto

Composer
Julia Bullock

Vocals
BBC Singers

Chorus
BBC Symphony Orchestra

Orchestra

Friedemann Engelbrecht

Producer
Wolfgang Schiefermair

Editing Engineer
René Möller

Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Mastering Engineer, Editing Engineer