Berkeley composer John Adams's oratorio El Niño had its US premiere at Davies Symphony Hall ten years ago next month. The reviews were unanimously enthusiastic. El Niño, like Handel's Messiah, is a musical setting of the Nativity. Sellars and Adams compiled the texts from some more eclectic sources though, adding South American poetry and apocryphal gospels to the mix, and we'll let Adams himself tell the story. The man composes wicked music, and the man blogs.

Ten years later, we get a chance to check out if it's still as potent. Soprano Dawn Upshaw returns, she of the amazing voice and the genius grant. Original conductor Kent Nagano has given his baton to the composer himself. Adams will also conduct his Shaker's Loop on Sunday 12/12 in a chamber concert, and MTT will record Harmonielehre next week.

A blogging, conducting, composing machine, who has reached iconic status especially since his opera Dr Atomic exploded, we just had to interview him. And he kindly took our phone call on Wednesday evening, just before the last dress rehearsal. The show runs two more times, tonight and tomorrow.