John Luther Adams, Become Ocean (2013)

John Luther Adams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning composition, Become Ocean, is categorised as classical, but upon listening, it struck me as ‘un-classical’. The critic Alex Ross has compared it to Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, a composition that caused a near-riot during its premiere. I’m not sure if Become Ocean is as unnerving as Spring, but it does have a disorienting effect on the listener.

Luther Adams seems to be inspired by other water-themed works, especially Claude Debussy’s La Mer. The horns are sustained, punctuated with a gentle harp melody. There is a dissonance here; Luther Adams is trying to convey the turbulent nature of the oceanic waters through music. Unlike La Mer, Become Ocean has a foreboding, apocalyptic feel, with its endless buildup. Indeed, this is Luther Adams’ message, as he explained in a note placed in the score: “As the polar ice melts and sea level rises, we humans find ourselves facing the prospect that once again we may quite literally become ocean.”

Luther Adams’ message aside, when I was listening to the piece, the imagery I had in mind was the evolution of the Earth rather than the end of it. The piece is quite unpredictable in its structure; it feels as if Luther Adams is trying to document the formation of oceans over billions of years. The sustained horns suddenly break into strings halfway into the piece, which signifies the emergence of life and nature.

Become Ocean is not a soothing piece that can be played in the background. Luther Adams expects the listener to be uneasy. What’s quite interesting is that when listening to the piece, it made me think about what could happen in the future. What will happen to us when the impact of climate change is fully felt? This, of course, is Luther Adams’ ultimate intention. He wants us to think and consider the inevitability of a global catastrophe. This is what makes his music so powerful. Become Ocean is not enjoyable music, nor is it meant to be. But it is undoubtedly one of the most impactful pieces I have ever heard. It does what great art is supposed to do - to make us think.