Phillip Glass
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- KVRAF
- 37497 posts since 14 Sep, 2002 from In teh net
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- KVRAF
- 3508 posts since 27 Dec, 2002 from North East England
Violin Concerto.
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- KVRAF
- 5703 posts since 8 Dec, 2004 from The Twin Cities
Don't forget Terry Riley, esp. the "Salome Dances for Peace".TennesseeVic wrote:If you've only just discovered him, please immediately upgrade to Steve Reich.
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- KVRAF
- 3723 posts since 17 Apr, 2002 from Scotland
I loved the Koyaanisqatsi (can't be bothered checking spelling 
) and North Star is pretty good, too.
If you like that kind of stuff, can I recommend that you seek out "The Essential Michael Nyman Band" as a good intor to another excellent composer
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=music
) and North Star is pretty good, too.If you like that kind of stuff, can I recommend that you seek out "The Essential Michael Nyman Band" as a good intor to another excellent composer
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=music
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- KVRAF
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
IMHO, everything he did up to Einstein On The Beach was amazing. His early works with the smaller ensemble, where they used Farfisa organs a lot, are harder to get your head around because they're so seemingly repetitive, but once you do they have a wonderful gritty urban quality that so defines the time in which they were written. And back then the discipline of the ensemble was totally amazing.
The most unusual work Glass ever, and my personal favorite, is North Star. This was a soundtrack to a documentary about a sculptor, and has some of the most strikingly eclectic gems Glass ever created. The fact that he was limited to small musical statements forced him to create on a scale he's never done since: the brevity of the pieces distills their essence into such a pure form. And these works seem his most experimental, and successfully so.
However, as far as pure compositional concerns go, Glass's masterwork has to beMusic in 12 Parts. I think it was done just prior to Einstein, and it fits nicely between his earlier more art-world stuff and his later theatrical works. It also has some damn pretty stuff in it, much more like Steve Reich--and you MUST check Reich out. He's by far the greater talent and innovator of the two. (Reich has continued to shine work after work, whereas Glass has been stuck in a friggin' rut for 30 years!)
Of his works after Einstein, I think Akhnaten really shines, though you have to be prepared for pure operatic voices. And there were a few others that really work. His soundtrack to the astoundingly good film Koyaanisqatsi is probably his best work in his "mature" style. That is, in the style that he's be stuck ever since. Also, his soundtrack to the film Mishima is pretty good as well. But there only so much of his do-do-do-do/do-do-de-dum-de-dum stuff that one can take.
Other les known works that are worth checking out are his Dances (released in several different combinations but they're all good).
I've seen him in concert in a variety of performances: solo piano, small ensemble, large ensemble, full orchestra, and I've seen Einstein at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (a must see if you ever get the chance!) But one thing I've noticed is that the performance quality has gone way down over the years. Back in the early '80s I saw him with his classic ensemble including Jon Gibson, Michael Riesman (OMG a godlike keyboardist!), Kurt Munkacsi and Dora Ohrenstein (singing and playing samples of her own voice on an EMU Emulator I simultaneously--sweet!) . . . anyway, this was in the small theater of an art museum in Baltimore and my date was a reporter. She got us in during rehersal on her press pass. Glass was being a friggin' sergeant major insisting absolutely everything was dead on the beat. You would have thought he was James Brown or something. Yelling at them, stopping songs in the middle . . . shit I couldn't hear any missed notes, they were TIGHT! Fast forward to about 10 years after Koyaanisqatsi came out. Saw Glass and "ensemble" doing a live version of the soundtrack to the film. All of the stringed instruments--violins and all--were played on samplers. And I'm like OMG I can hear the bad loop points in the samples! It was total shite. I was really embarrassed for them. Same thing at the Low Symphony performance. They started out playing things like Music in 5ths and Music in Similar Motion, works that were originally just Farfisa organ. They performed it on synths or samplers (not sure which) and the performances were horrible--but David Bowie did come out on stage after the full symphony part, which was pretty good.
Sorry, this post is as long as one of Glass's works!
The most unusual work Glass ever, and my personal favorite, is North Star. This was a soundtrack to a documentary about a sculptor, and has some of the most strikingly eclectic gems Glass ever created. The fact that he was limited to small musical statements forced him to create on a scale he's never done since: the brevity of the pieces distills their essence into such a pure form. And these works seem his most experimental, and successfully so.
However, as far as pure compositional concerns go, Glass's masterwork has to beMusic in 12 Parts. I think it was done just prior to Einstein, and it fits nicely between his earlier more art-world stuff and his later theatrical works. It also has some damn pretty stuff in it, much more like Steve Reich--and you MUST check Reich out. He's by far the greater talent and innovator of the two. (Reich has continued to shine work after work, whereas Glass has been stuck in a friggin' rut for 30 years!)
Of his works after Einstein, I think Akhnaten really shines, though you have to be prepared for pure operatic voices. And there were a few others that really work. His soundtrack to the astoundingly good film Koyaanisqatsi is probably his best work in his "mature" style. That is, in the style that he's be stuck ever since. Also, his soundtrack to the film Mishima is pretty good as well. But there only so much of his do-do-do-do/do-do-de-dum-de-dum stuff that one can take.
Other les known works that are worth checking out are his Dances (released in several different combinations but they're all good).
I've seen him in concert in a variety of performances: solo piano, small ensemble, large ensemble, full orchestra, and I've seen Einstein at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (a must see if you ever get the chance!) But one thing I've noticed is that the performance quality has gone way down over the years. Back in the early '80s I saw him with his classic ensemble including Jon Gibson, Michael Riesman (OMG a godlike keyboardist!), Kurt Munkacsi and Dora Ohrenstein (singing and playing samples of her own voice on an EMU Emulator I simultaneously--sweet!) . . . anyway, this was in the small theater of an art museum in Baltimore and my date was a reporter. She got us in during rehersal on her press pass. Glass was being a friggin' sergeant major insisting absolutely everything was dead on the beat. You would have thought he was James Brown or something. Yelling at them, stopping songs in the middle . . . shit I couldn't hear any missed notes, they were TIGHT! Fast forward to about 10 years after Koyaanisqatsi came out. Saw Glass and "ensemble" doing a live version of the soundtrack to the film. All of the stringed instruments--violins and all--were played on samplers. And I'm like OMG I can hear the bad loop points in the samples! It was total shite. I was really embarrassed for them. Same thing at the Low Symphony performance. They started out playing things like Music in 5ths and Music in Similar Motion, works that were originally just Farfisa organ. They performed it on synths or samplers (not sure which) and the performances were horrible--but David Bowie did come out on stage after the full symphony part, which was pretty good.
Sorry, this post is as long as one of Glass's works!
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- KVRAF
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
No, but he does have one named John Adams (Nixon in China my ass!)Meffy wrote:Did you know that Philip Glass has a negative doppelganger named M.T. Glass?
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- KVRAF
- 7217 posts since 21 Aug, 2004 from Trondheim, Norway
I have been looking for that movie for many years with no luck. I saw it as a teenager, just as I was writing a school paper on Ibsen's Brand, which is about trying to live your ideals as well. I take it there's only one Mishima, and that it's about this guy who's struggling to live up to his own standards? I was so taken with that movie, I can probably retell it in remarkable detail even today, probably 20 years after the only time I saw it.emdot_ambient wrote: Also, his soundtrack to the film Mishima is pretty good as well.
I'm sure I'd be disappointed if I saw it again, cynical as I've become (I only saw Live8 for the Pink Floyd reunion
)I didn't even know Glass wrote the music - but I'm sure it's good stuff. I like the dum-dum-dum of Glass. I was a bit put off by the last CD I bought, which is called 'the photographer'.
Cool. Thanks for reminding me of that movie, Emdot!
Rakkervoksen
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- Skunk Mod
- 21249 posts since 10 Jun, 2004 from Pony Pasture
News has a kind of mystery, emdot. Don't deny it, the Chairman is dancing!
Here's something that's puzzled me for ages: Is a compilation of small mothers' names a mini-ma list?
Here's something that's puzzled me for ages: Is a compilation of small mothers' names a mini-ma list?
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- KVRist
- 377 posts since 16 Apr, 2004 from Antwerp
True!Pantsdown666 wrote:Yes, upgrade product immediately!TennesseeVic wrote:If you've only just discovered him, please immediately upgrade to Steve Reich..
Sometimes it's not clear when you listen at the shop that Glass has no sense of melody/harmony and actually fell asleep on top of an arpeggiator about 15 years ago. If you point this out to the manfacturer you may be liable for a refund
Steve Reich on the other hand
You could also try sq4² -> you'll have Glass-riddles in a sec.
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- KVRAF
- 7217 posts since 21 Aug, 2004 from Trondheim, Norway
My very favourite minimalist piece is "Jesus' blood never failed me yet' by Gavin Bryars.
It really keeps my attention through the 70+ minutes... I actually think it lowers mt heart rate.
It really keeps my attention through the 70+ minutes... I actually think it lowers mt heart rate.
Rakkervoksen
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- KVRAF
- 2356 posts since 30 Sep, 2003 from Sunny Staffordshire
Candyman was great, totally soul destroying!
Kundun was interesting too. If i remember correctly (havent listened to it in a while) it used loads of bimetric rhythms and stuff.
I'll have to listen to more from this composer cuz he really is a modern day master. In addition his study f**king rules!
Kundun was interesting too. If i remember correctly (havent listened to it in a while) it used loads of bimetric rhythms and stuff.
I'll have to listen to more from this composer cuz he really is a modern day master. In addition his study f**king rules!
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- KVRAF
- 3964 posts since 31 Aug, 2003 from In a foreign town, in a foreign land
I used to think so too until I heard Purcell and Bach[1]. Nyman's done some nice stuff (I really like A Zed And Two Naughts), but he stoops to rewriting the old masters a bit too often. Almost as if he runs out of ideas and uses Purcell bits to fill the gaps.scuzzphut wrote:If you like that kind of stuff, can I recommend that you seek out "The Essential Michael Nyman Band" as a good intor to another excellent composer
Groet, Erik
[1] stuff other then the usual (cue hackneyed organ piece).
Pop music delenda est.
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- KVRAF
- 2830 posts since 2 Mar, 2003 from The only civilized county in Texas
Correction: 30 minutes. The revision with Tom Waits is evil. The original is perfect.Hovmod wrote:My very favourite minimalist piece is "Jesus' blood never failed me yet' by Gavin Bryars.
It really keeps my attention through the 70+ minutes... I actually think it lowers mt heart rate.
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- KVRAF
- 6496 posts since 26 Nov, 2004 from Frederick, MD
Amazon.com has it here but it may not be in the format you need.Hovmod wrote:I have been looking for that movie for many years with no luck.emdot_ambient wrote: Also, his soundtrack to the film Mishima is pretty good as well.