In his programme notes, Liam says:
"Together with the companion piece China Gates, John Adams regards Phrygian Gates as his 'opus 1' and first exploration into minimalism. According to Adams, the 1970s was a time of 'enormous ideological conflict in new music' and minimalism as a style seemed to be a way forward for Adams. However, his work does not fall into tedious monotony but uses principles of the style such as tonality and large structures to influence his approach. The term 'gates' is a term borrowed from electronics and refers to the moments when the harmony in the music shifts abruptly and without warning. These shifts occur throughout the work that cycles through all the keys à la Well-Tempered Clavier, but in the circle of fifths rather than chromatically."
"I believe that the performances on this tour represent the first public performance of the work in New Zealand. Some may regard Phrygian Gates as a contemporary work; now that it is over forty years old it is time to consider this work as historical rather than part of modern music culture."
