Shaker Loops is a 1978 composition by American composerJohn Adams, originally written for string septet. The original "modular" score, published by Associated Music Publisher, has since been withdrawn and replaced by a 1983 string orchestra version. This version was first performed in April of that year at Alice Tully Hall, New York, by the American Composers Orchestra, conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. The string orchestra version can be played either by a septet of soloists or by a string orchestra of any size, where the violins are divided into 3 parts throughout.
The work is in four movements.
Shaking and Trembling
Hymning Slews
Loops and Verses
A Final Shaking
History
Shaker Loops began as a piece called Wavemaker in which Adams tried to emulate the ripple effect of bodies of water in his music. The piece was a commercial failure, but Adams kept the idea of repeating loops of oscillations on string instruments. He retitled the piece Shaker Loops, both because of the "shaking" of the strings as they oscillate between notes and the idea Adams had of Shakers dancing to repetitive, energetic music.[1]
^Cook, Karen M. (2014). "Music, History, and Progress in Sid Meier's Civilization IV". In Donnelly, K. J.; Gibbons, William; Lerner, Neil (eds.). Music in Video Games: Studying Play. New York: Routledge. ISBN978-1-315-88269-7.
