Philip Glass' SATYAGRAHA at Met - Saturday

[Serial_Apologist]

However it's making a come back at ENO in October. I almost certainly won't go!

https://eno.org/

I'm afraid when it comes to ENO I am of the same opinion generally as that for Mr Glass. The other ENO, that is... not the indigestion salts.

[vinteuil]

I'm afraid when it comes to ENO I am of the same opinion generally as that for Mr Glass. The other ENO, that is... not the indigestion salts.

... or Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle?


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[Serial_Apologist]

... or Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle?


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Well his parents obviously liked him!

[Ein Heldenleben]

The point at which I part company with Glass's work is when it stops being radical in terms of material, form, instrumentation and so on, and becomes pseudo-"classical" mood music, which in retrospect with however many operas, symphonies and concertos he's churned out since the late 1970s, seems to have been the way things were going all along. As in Satyagraha, each of whose scenes contains maybe half a minute of music stretched out to however many yards are required.

It’s interesting that his work is so popular though. One of the living contemporary classical composers that might just ring a bell with the public (maybe also Part , Birtwhistle, Jenkins , Whitaker , Rutter - all though for differing reasons ). I am a bit of a loss to explain why. Although the music is harmonically approachable for me it’s just too repetitive. I quite enjoyed the Met Akhnaten but that was largely because it had such a persuasive personality in the title role.

[Richard Barrett]

It’s interesting that his work is so popular though.

Yes it is. For me it comes across as bland and insubstantial, and every piece seems more or less interchangeable with any of the others, and on the other hand it isn't static or repetitive enough for that to be its raison d'être in the manner of his own earlier work, but obviously others would put a completely different spin on those same features!

[Bryn]

Yes it is. For me it comes across as bland and insubstantial, and every piece seems more or less interchangeable with any of the others, and on the other hand it isn't static or repetitive enough for that to be its raison d'être in the manner of his own earlier work, but obviously others would put a completely different spin on those same features!

It's interesting that, for the commercial audio recording (CBS/Sony), he opted for the approach used for pop music. The first commercial video release did not help, either. The lighting was dreadful. Hopefully, it was better for the theatre performance itself.

[Mandryka]

Not really, no; sorry!

OK, let me try my all time favourite music by Glass in my all time favourite performance on you

[Mandryka]

Here is a good example of what NOT to do to a pretty cool song (love the Gilbert and George style graphics though!)

[Mandryka]

On the other hand, I think he’s got a knack of fitting music and image in a slick way, I like this for example

[Mandryka]

From the operas, I quite enjoyed La Belle et la Bête and (less so) The Photographer - shame there is no video recording of the staging of The Photographer.

[Bryn]

On the other hand, I think he’s got a knack of fitting music and image in a slick way, I like this for example

Yes, I thought Koyaanisqatsi a very effective interaction of image and music. Sadly, I found the other two films of the triptych somewhat less so.

[Richard Barrett]

Yes, I thought Koyaanisqatsi a very effective interaction of image and music. Sadly, if found the other two films of the triptych somewhat less so.

Although I remember thinking at the time of the first film that the music could be interpreted as a symptom of the "life out of balance" depicted in the images rather than a response to it.

I like that Aphex Twin remix. If only Glass could invent things as strange as that. (Bowie could of course!)