For more than four centuries Western music had thrived on harmonic development, and here is was – gone!
"Often the sounds are sampled from existing stops with strong basic tones but little harmonic development," he said.
"I don't think electronic notes, which characteristically have a lot of foundation and little harmonic development, make the right sort of sound," Mr. Mander said.
He describes the harmonic development of the aria as a series of eight-bar sections that become the basis for Bach's organization of the entire work, with breaks in the dramatic flow coming after every eighth piece played.
The score moved ahead by addition and subtraction of the group's sections and voices, with little harmonic development; it revealed the sonic character of the full orchestra for only a few moments.
The personable and passionate Voxare players — Emily Ondracek and Galina Zhdanova, violinists; Erik Peterson, violist; and Adrian Daurov, cellist — took turns introducing the works played on Friday, some of which certainly had Minimalist hallmarks: rhythmic ostinatos, repetition and slow harmonic development.
When it was new, this work was like a lightning bolt for fans of Minimalism who had seen the biggest stars of the movement (Philip Glass, Terry Riley and Steve Reich) retain the notion that repetition and gradual harmonic development were the essential hallmarks of this nascent style.
Mr. Adams offered all the repetitive energy that propelled Philip Glass's and Steve Reich's most popular scores, but his quicker harmonic development, sudden dynamic changes and other startling touches pointed toward the next step — emotional and dramatic — that this style needed to take.
By their harmonic development, the natural structures will eventually allocate force without lateral boundaries, setting the cosmic vector free.
