Short Ride in a Fast Machine

Short Ride in a Fast Machine, orchestral fanfare by American composer John Adams that evokes the excitement-cum-terror of a late-night thrill ride in a sports car. The piece was composed in 1986 as an opener for a summer festival given by the Pittsburgh Symphony. Since that time, it has become one of Adams’s most frequently performed compositions.

Short Ride in a Fast Machine was one of Adams’s early triumphs. It is a masterpiece of minimalism, a compositional approach that entails the twining of compact, repetitive rhythms and melodic motifs into an intricate web of musical texture. For example, the flute motif with which the piece opens is not that of the woodblock that joins moments later, nor is it related to that of the brass instruments that follows. Together, however, the three patterns create an atmosphere of energy and excitement, with an infectious musical drive that propels the listener into the heart of the composition. Moreover, Adams’s use of the orchestra yields more colour than is generally encountered in minimalist works.