The other day I attended a concert of John Adams conducting his own music. It was a really special occasion and I could feel the joy and energy being projected from both the audience and the musicians on stage. He performed I Still dance, Absolute Jest, and Harmonielehre. Absolute Jest featured an assured and energetic performance by the Esmé Quartet. I also enjoyed Adams’ program notes, which felt intimate and personal and also conveyed a real sense of his love of music and the process of composing. In the notes he also explains his ambivalence towards Arnold Schoenberg, which I found enlightening.