 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-02-18 05:43
A couple months ago, Philip Glass came to University of Maryland played a concert with Bang on a Can. It was pretty cool. I'm not into modern music, but minimalism is pretty cool.
Anyway, Philip Glass himself came out a played a few of his Etudes for piano. I was just the MP4s of them. They are so pretty. They make me wanna cry (Mainly number 2). *tear* pretty.
--Contragirl
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Author: Synonymous Botch
Date: 2005-02-18 12:40
I heard a Master class in the 1980's, where he claimed all that he could write was "hooks", so he left exposition to others.
I find his drive, and pace exhilarating.
However, I find it lacks depth on repeated listening.
As for playing his charts, only Vivaldi has more repeats...
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-02-18 13:00
For depthhhh you must listen to Einstein On The Beach
Bob Draznik
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Author: mnorswor
Date: 2005-02-18 14:49
If anyone is interested, I'm playing in a Minimalism concert this evening with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project.
http://www.bmop.org
Program includes
John Adams Common Tones in Simple Time (1979/1986)
Philip Glass Symphony No. 3 (1995)
Elena Ruehr Shimmer (1994)
Steve Reich Tehillim (1981)
For anyone who doesn't know the Reich, it's AMAZING. Hope to see some of you if you're in the area!
--Michael
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2005-02-18 17:38
Last night, I heard the NY Philharmonic play Arvo Pärt's Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten. It consisted of a very slow descending minor scale. Over and over. And over. OK the first couple of times through. Interminable and suffocating after 7 minutes.
Some people love it. For me, it's like Chinese water torture.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Phat Cat
Date: 2005-02-19 00:16
If you want the ultra-minimalist Glass, get the recent re-recording of Music In Twelve Parts. I first heard individual sections performed by Philip and his ensemble when it was a work in progress in the 1970’s. I was amazed that the principal wind player (John Gibson, if I recall) used circular breathing to create continuous lines that went on forever. The playing on the new recording is phenomenally precise.
I also attended the original presentation of Einstein On The Beach at BAM. In my opinion, these are his two finest works.
Ken: avoid like the plague.
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Author: contragirl
Date: 2005-02-19 03:06
Funny you mention Britten. The UMSO (University of MD) played yesterday, and we played a Britten piece with the choir. I only played on one piece, a tone poem by a faculty member (Lawrence Moss), so I didn't get to play the Britten. It was something about the sea... but it was cool because they did a light show! Well, more just of lighting effects, not lasers or anything. hehe. It went really well and looked nice.
--CG
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Author: Kevin
Date: 2005-02-19 03:24
Mr. Shaw, I'm actually possibly planning on going to the 3rd concert of that Philharmonic program tomorrow night. Not being the slightest fan of minimal music, I'll expect to probably have a similar reaction to the Arvo Part. But I'll be willing to sit through it and hear the Stravinsky Firebird after intermission. Along with the Shostakovich/Mussorgsky song cycle, that should be an interesting evening of 20th century music. (the Arvo Part may be even 21st century, I haven't got a clue when he wrote it, but it is an NYPO premiere)
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-02-19 12:53
I was able to capture the tv performance of most of the Twyla Tharp Group performance of "Glass Pieces" under the name "In The Upper Room". Don't miss it if it pops up again.
Bob Draznik
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-02-19 14:27
Hi All:
As a big fan of Phil Glass, and a friend, I thought you might like to see a list of my favorite Glass works available on CD:
"Heroes" Symphony (with David Bowie)
Naqoyqatsi (CD and video)
Powaqqatsi (CD and film classic)
and his great Opera,
Satyagraha
I worked with Phil on all there fine recordings and films. He's a giant talent, a great composer, and a gentle man. It was an honor and a privilege to work with him and get to know the man behind the legend.
Enjoy,
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: claril
Date: 2005-07-19 13:04
"However, I find it lacks depth on repeated listening" - quoted
Yes, but the first few times you hear him, it's the deepest music you have heard..
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Author: Markus Wenninger
Date: 2005-07-19 14:14
On the contrary, the more often you listen to Glass´composition, the deeper it gets. Although "deep" is a misleading metaphorical term in respect to music, on a surface level it makes sense, for referring to the more minute details and shifts are to be descerned. / I envy You, JJM, the priviledge to have worked with and for such a composer of our days, really I do; one learns so incredibly much just biding one´s time in their presence, let alone working with them.
Markus
p.s.: Those often read apologies on our BBoard here make me smile, these "I´m really not into modern music, but there´s this piece..." ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif) ...like if modern music were some obscenity in the face of tonality, "really, I walk upright most of the time, but, to be honest, my man, I tripped ever so often..."
...
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2005-07-19 18:42
>>Yes, but the first few times you hear him, it's the deepest music you have heard..
I saw his opera many years ago "Akahnaton" (Whoops, I've probably spelt it wrong!). It was amazing. I also saw some TV documentaries that used his music and while on its own it may have been simply arpeggios repeating over and over again, it worked very well.
Does anyone know if he's written any ballets or any dance music at all?
Steve
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2005-07-19 21:13
Once I learned that Glass, as well as many other 20th (and 21st) century composers, wrote for the movies, I understood. That is to say, I find a lot of this music difficult to listen to -- but less so if I imagine that there's a film going on while it is playing, even if I can't imagine what that film might be about. In other words, I see a lot of these guys as film score writers who happened to write music when there were no films to go with it. I'm serious. Stylistically, is there really much difference? In Glass' case, we are actually talking about some works where there's other stuff going on, e.g., opera, documentary-like film.
Steve Epstein
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Author: stevensfo
Date: 2005-07-19 21:32
Very interesting and a subject discussed for decades.
Would music by John Williams be as moving if you didn't know the film?
One of our favourite ballets is 'La fille mal gardee'. The music alone, unlike the Tchaikovsky suites, is rather boring. With the dancing, it's a masterpiece. Probably like a simple duet. One part on its own is so-so. Both parts are required for it to be a true work of art.
Steve
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Author: BobD
Date: 2005-07-19 22:00
"Does anyone know if he's written any ballets or any dance music at all?"
Twyla Tharp choreographed his (I believe) "GlassPieces" for her modern dance group and called it "In The Upper Room". Don't know if he intended it for dance,however. I like it.
Bob Draznik
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Author: diz
Date: 2005-07-19 22:17
Ken - Pärt's Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten is one of my absolute favourite pieces of contemporary music. Must be the "in" piece at present as it has been performed here quite recently, too.
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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