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Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

theguardian.com

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Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#121

Post by ladelfa »

randlet wrote: post #22
AndrewUnmuted wrote: post #14

No, Philip Glass's problem is that he believes he writes symphonies. He's the Donald Trump of the classical music world - trying desperately to be considered one of the "big ones," while piling on incessantly with new "works" that rehash the same tired minimalist tropes, which have all been explored by far more competent composers such as Berio, Feldman, Riley, and Reich. I am not surprised to read these glowing revi…

Is your goal with this comment to encourage people to give Berio, Feldman, Riley, and Reich a try, or is to try to convince others how much better at listening to music you are than them? For anyone else who likes Glass's piano work, you might like some pieces by Yann Tiersen or Erik Satie.

> For anyone else who likes Glass's piano work, you might like some pieces by Yann Tiersen or Erik Satie.

And then go find yourself any of the multiple-piano music by the Dutch composer Simeon Ten Holt. "Canto Ostinato" is the famous one, but "Incantante IV" is probably my favorite.

Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#122

Post by samatman »

Cd00d wrote: post #110
AndrewUnmuted wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a ridiculous label to apply to Philip Glass. He would likely reject it himself. The word "avant-garde" comes up not once in Philip Glass's Wikipedia article [0]. The only uses of the word "experimental" are in reference to his early interest in experimental theater. Philip Glass is easily the most popular, mainstream living music composer. His music is extremely "listenable," and inoffensive to the casual listen…

>is easily the most popular, mainstream living music composer But, this isn't an article about Danny Elfman....

I would have gone with John Williams, but I got a chuckle out of this.

Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#123

Post by PaulDavisThe1st »

bch wrote: post #112
taliesinb wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reich is brilliant! “Come out” is a very affecting piece, and the history behind it is also quite interesting. Also, judging from the name, OP is probably also a fan of Arvo Part. There is a moving “video etude” for the piece Healing of Arinushka that I would recommend if you’re feeling contemplative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7exvD2nJG8

Steve Reichs work is brilliant. I also enjoy the Reich Remixed album (c 1999) which was (as I think of it) a modern take on modern music - interestingly, I’d say the “modern take” part has aged the worst, but it’s still all good fun. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lYC12ZK5DudCAd...

The big problem I had with Reich Remixed is that all but one of the pieces completely ignore the meter of the originals and force them into 4/4. Call me a pedant or something, but I just found that unforgivable.

Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#124

Post by WorldMaker »

barbecue_sauce wrote: post #32
JohnJamesRambo wrote: post #26

I miss the documentary about Glass that used to be available on streaming. It's one of the few discs I plan to actually buy. I don't understand the business model of small films that withdraw from streaming completely, especially documentaries. Surely that can't be more profitable? I think about this question a lot while going through the dreck on Netflix and Amazon Prime. I think about all that work and knowledge an…

Why do you assume it's the owners of the small films that withdraw, and not the streaming services that drop them in order to redeploy funds to other content?

Or to intentionally "vault" subsets of their catalogs for given periods so that when it shows back up in the catalog it is "new content" for some of the audience to discover?

Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#125

Post by justincormack »

tunesmith wrote: post #117
mgr86 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I first herd Einstein on the Beach after a particularly manic period in undergrad. My advisor wasn't familiar with it, and I may have spooked her a bit try to explain it. I think to this day its great background music for programming work, but to me more because it can illicit that sense of young focus and drive that I find increasingly fleeting. Perhaps not unlike how music can "wake up" dementia patients. It elicit…

I think his soundtrack to Scorsese's Kundun is also excellent programming background music, I've listened to that soundtrack from beginning to end countless times.

Music in 12 Parts is one of my favourites for coding.

Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#126

Post by samatman »

AndrewUnmuted wrote: post #28
mekoka wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Criticizing the work is one thing. Trying to bully people for finding beauty where you can't is kinda childish.

Many people do not realize that they do not "listen" to music. They simply put it on for background ambiance, to do other things. And before anyone feels further offended, please see this [0] post from 30 minutes ago on HN that completely proves my point made in the previous post. > I think to this day its great background music for programming work Philip Glass wrote his music to be heard in the concert hall. Very f…

I've seen Philip Glass in concert twice.

You have some bizarre chip on your shoulder, have given no reason for anyone to credit your critical opinions, and are generally showing bad taste and rude behaviour.

Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#127

Post by WorldMaker »

okareaman wrote: post #66
AndrewUnmuted wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Steve* Reich. IMO, an excellent first listen would be Tehillim. [0] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiaTvR9sFX8

Steve* thanks fixed it. My intro was Different Trains. I think his 9/11 piece is the best art to come out of that tragic event. Steve Reich - Different Trains (Part 1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1E4Bjt_zVJc Proverb https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5lgAUHVFC4 Steve Reich: WTC 9/11 I. 9/11 Kronos Quartet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWhTkOMue70

Different Trains can be incredibly powerful live. A local to me collective of musicians put together somewhat recently (last year around this time, or perhaps the year before) a small show that involved both Different Trains and Terry Riley's In C with local compositions in between. It was a powerful evening for the small audience (myself included) that was there to appreciate it.

(ETA: Must have been two years ago as other memories flit in. That was an interesting year too because it was a year I saw two very different live versions of In C, which seems unusual to have occur twice in the same year.)

Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#128

Post by bch »

PaulDavisThe1st wrote: post #123
bch wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Steve Reichs work is brilliant. I also enjoy the Reich Remixed album (c 1999) which was (as I think of it) a modern take on modern music - interestingly, I’d say the “modern take” part has aged the worst, but it’s still all good fun. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lYC12ZK5DudCAd...

The big problem I had with Reich Remixed is that all but one of the pieces completely ignore the meter of the originals and force them into 4/4. Call me a pedant or something, but I just found that unforgivable.

Huh - I didn’t notice that, but that’s something for me to now look for. “Pedantic” is not the word I’d use to describe your observation here re: Steve Reich, master of phasing and polyrhythms and rounds.

Re: Philip Glass: My problem is people don’t believe I write symphonies (2017)

#129

Post by PaulDavisThe1st »

AndrewUnmuted wrote: post #43
okareaman wrote: post #37

If you're a fan of Philip Glass but haven't explored the works of Steve Reich I highly recommend it

Steve* Reich. IMO, an excellent first listen would be Tehillim. [0] [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiaTvR9sFX8

IMO, there's really no good first listen for Reich's work.

You might love or hate "Come Out" or "It's Gonna Rain", and hate or love "Different Trains". You might be entranced or utterly bored by "Six Marimbas" but be disinterested or engaged by "Music For Ensemble and Orchestra". etc. etc.

Best to plan on diving in about once a decade and see if you like what he was doing then. My suggestions would be:

  60s: Come out
  70s: Music for 18 Musicians
  80s: Tehillim
  90s: Different Trains
  00s: Double Sextet
  10s: Reich/Richter
Personally, I'm a huge fan of his phase-shifting work, so for me the keys works would be:

  Six Pianos / Six Marimbas
  Clapping Music
  Music For 18 Musicians
  Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ
  Drumming
There are also some very "pretty" ensemble orchestral works:

  Sextet
  Desert Music
and then ... so much more!

For the adventurous, also check out the album "Shift" by Chris Hughes: renderings of various early Reich works (or ideas) using totally different timbres.

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