Interesting you should mention John Adams, Brian, as Yvette and I saw his Dharma at Big Sur last night,performed by the TSO....and I really liked it, (Yvette didnt).
It was sort of a violin concerto, but the soloist performed on an electric violin , which reminded me a bit of Hugh Marsh's work for Bruce Cockburn back in the eighties, Im sure you all just cringed but deal with it. (Its too bad that the only John Adams cd I have I lent you Brian , you you $#@!, and you have the gall to bloody well $%#$%^&&%^!!!, ) Im ok now.... I too loved the Berg opera, and found it far more accessable then I was expecting, I dont think it would scare any of you off....