The John Adams Edition

It says much for the Berliner Philharmoniker’s enlightened programming that it can present a feast of performances of John Adams’ music, recorded in a single season (2016–17) under a host of top conductors. *Harmonielehre* and the violin concerto *Scheherazade.2*—with Leila Josefowicz as the magnificent soloist—are conducted by the composer. Alan Gilbert gives us a thrilling *Short Ride in a Fast Machine*, Gustavo Dudamel conducts the atmospheric *City Noir*, and Simon Rattle takes on *The Gospel According to the Other Mary* superbly. Meanwhile, Rattle’s successor as the orchestra’s chief conductor and artistic director, Kirill Petrenko, gives us the intensely moving *The Wound-Dresser* with Georg Nigl as the powerful soloist. Glorious, idiomatic playing throughout.