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I've heard very complimentary things about Akhnaten by people I respect, but have never been to see it myself.
One 20th century composer I've enjoyed is Górecki, especially his Third Symphony. It is "monotonous" but still interesting and powerful. I don't really know a lot about music, but I love Dvořák and Brahms and Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. I've always been uninterested in Glass because of his reputation, but reading this article and the other comments makes me want to listen to something from him. Any suggestions?
I share your love of Gorecki. I heard him on the radio once and it was some of the most beautiful music I ever heard, so I ran out to buy the CD. I like some of Glass's music. Also his more monotonous pieces, but like almost every composer with a large body of produced works there's quite a number of pieces that I do not like at all. So yeah, check him out! As for the suggestions: I'll add them tomorrow morning.
Two albums to are on opposite ends of the Glass spectrum for me are: "Glassworks" (which I like a lot) and "Songs from Liquid Days" (which I am not so enthusiastic about).
the fact that Glass’s music contains no fully developed melodies I had to look up the date on this piece because taking into account Glass's post 1995 (at the very latest) works, I couldn't disagree more with the conclusion and perhaps misunderstand the author's concept of melody. Glass's distant history with melody is not particularly strong (although Façades is a good example of early melodic work), but his work ha…
The only Glass music I am familiar with is his Solo Piano album. I consider it very melodic.
Solo Piano is an interesting example, though, because melodic or not, even if one were to write it off as a rather mechnical work (which as, on the page, it looks) when Glass plays it himself it becomes quite organic due to his imperfect and almost swaggering rhythm.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The only Glass music I am familiar with is his Solo Piano album. I consider it very melodic.
Absolutely. Although I'd steer clear of arguing that with a critic, as many of its melodies are based around arpeggios which feeds into the "repetitiveness" stereotype many hold against Glass. Solo Piano is an interesting example, though, because melodic or not, even if one were to write it off as a rather mechnical work (which as, on the page, it looks) when Glass plays it himself it becomes quite organic due to his…
I can't fathom the concentration it takes to play some of the longer pieces off of Einstein etc. Let alone something like Reich's Piano Phase. Superhuman focus...
I think the mistake of the last section of the article is to present its conclusions as absolutes rather than personal experience. I have the exact same problem with Glass in a concert setting. On the other hand, I adore Steve Reich who 100% embraces narrative from It's Gonna Rain onwards. I've heard very complimentary things about Akhnaten by people I respect, but have never been to see it myself.
Interestingly I saw Einstein on the Beach the year before. Beforehand I was worried whether the near-4 hours would be tortuous (I love the work but tend to have it on while doing other stuff - I've never say and listened to it like one would a shorter or more narrative piece)
In the event it was actually a really lovely experience and if anything it went much quicker than expected. You do have to listen differently but it's still music and does all the things that 'normal' music does. Create anticipation, build up tension then release it, evoke emotion.
Just on a different scale and over a different timespan. It's no different to learning to appreciate classical when you're used to pop, Early Music when you're used to the Romantics or Be-bop when you're used to Swing ;-)
Curiously, the author expounds on why he does not like Glass's work (fair enough) and how Glass is not a great composer (certainly up for debate); he spends no time (and appears to have no insights) explaining why, exactly, so many people have been duped into enjoying it. He proposes a few theories, but seems rather dismissive in the face some pretty convincing evidence re: Glass's greatness. I actually looked for a…
This article seems reasonably objective at first, until it suddenly turns on you and becomes extremely opinionated: " The problem is that Glass’s music fails to do what I believe all great music does, which is to structure time in a profoundly meaningful way " Not really. When I'm composing something, and I find myself forced to backtrack and rewrite my work, lest it sound "too glassy", which I know everyone would co…
I 'm not sure if the criterion you 're suggesting is good though. For example i may have found some slight influence from stravinsky in your track, and i thought well of it. The fact that you try to exclude the Glass influence is kind of telling about how influential he is going to be in the future. Having a distinct style doesn't make one a great composer.
the fact that Glass’s music contains no fully developed melodies I had to look up the date on this piece because taking into account Glass's post 1995 (at the very latest) works, I couldn't disagree more with the conclusion and perhaps misunderstand the author's concept of melody. Glass's distant history with melody is not particularly strong (although Façades is a good example of early melodic work), but his work ha…
the fact that Glass’s music contains no fully developed melodies I had to look up the date on this piece because taking into account Glass's post 1995 (at the very latest) works, I couldn't disagree more with the conclusion and perhaps misunderstand the author's concept of melody. Glass's distant history with melody is not particularly strong (although Façades is a good example of early melodic work), but his work ha…
When he's not, his music sounds like the output of a really simple music generation algorithm and boring. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNiOqa1nWgI)
However, I'll always be in debt to Glass for getting me into modern music and musical Minimalism, which led me to Steve Reich. Who strangely also become more melodic as his musical ideas progressed. For me my favorite piece is Music for 18 Musicians, good recordings of which send you to the most sublime and transformative musical place for an hour -- that I've ever heard.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLckHHc25ww
His music is also difficult, some pieces can take up to a year for a group to prepare, but for reasons that are entirely different than what most musicians think of as "difficult".
Another favorite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edKE10Yz_zs
Reich is also one of those composers who you can see a clear musical progression in his career: from almost avante garde experiments with recordings and typical minimalist focuses on single musical ideas (usually phasing), in his later career turned to fantastic rhythms and harmonies and the idea of slowly evolving musical themes. The music sounds almost the same as you listen to it, but before you know it you are somewhere entirely different from where you started. I find myself often skipping back a minute or so mid song to relive the journey and figure out what happened.
I think the mistake of the last section of the article is to present its conclusions as absolutes rather than personal experience. I have the exact same problem with Glass in a concert setting. On the other hand, I adore Steve Reich who 100% embraces narrative from It's Gonna Rain onwards. I've heard very complimentary things about Akhnaten by people I respect, but have never been to see it myself.