DCCXLI. ADAMS, John: Phrygian Gates

DCCXLI. ADAMS, John (1947-       )

Phrygian Gates (1977-78)
Frank Dupree, piano
(22:51)

Adams's first opus (along with China Gates).

The work cycles between the Lydian and Phrygian modes -- starting on A, up a fifth to E; then B-Flat, up a fifth to F -- all the way up the scale by half-steps.

The following example shows how this works: The first scale shown -- A Major -- has half-steps between the third/fourth and seventh/eighth degrees.

The Lydian mode has half-steps between the fourth/fifth and seventh/eighth degrees. The Phrygian mode has half-steps between the first/second and fifth/sixth degrees:

 

Gradually, the time spent in Lydian shortens and shifts more to the Phrygian ...