Glass Half Full; H&N, Sat 28/1/17; 10:00pm

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A mixed programme for me tomorrow night: highlights from the Philip Glass "Total Immersion" events performed earlier in the day at the Barbican - a selection from the Etudes for Piano, and movements (unspecified on the H&N website - nor is it crystal clear if these are arrangements for piano/piano duet of the original chamber ensemble pieces) from Glassworks played by Robert Allan and Ben Smith. There's also some unspecified "choral works" performed by Forum favourites, the BBC Singers, conducted by Tecwyn Evans. The BBC Singers performing Philip Glass - Alpie's idea of Hell?

Should a taster be required, the complete original Glassworks is available on youTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Stu7h7Qup8

And - much more exciting for me - the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by St Ilan Volkov (he's worth far better than a mere knighthood) play Composition #27 and Composition #63 by Anthony BRAXTON (b 1945), as well as two new orchestral works by Braxton collaborators, James Fei (b 1974) and Taylor Ho Bynum (b 1975).

http://www.jamesfei.com/

http://taylorhobynum.com/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08c2lg4

[Serial_Apologist]

Thanks ferney.

Much looking forward to the Braxtons - and the good night's sleep to follow!

[peterthekeys]

When I heard the term "total immersion" used to describe the GlassFest this weekend, what immediately struck me was the total immersion which might be preferable - the sort of thing experienced by workers at a water treatment plant, in case of a major malfunction.

I do wonder about the "Through the Night" Glass sequence - could it be seen as a back-handed compliment? (It seems possible that I'm not the only listener who has found that the principal function of Glass' work is as an incredibly reliable cure for insomnia )

[Bryn]

"Glass Night" (not "Through the Night") appears to be devoted exclusively to his most interesting work, the not quite early stuff, (the earlier Brass Sextet and other works which preceded 600 Lines I find rather less inspired). Unfortunately there is no information on the schedule page re. which performances will be broadcast. I does not help that SM-P announced that the recording of Music in 12 Parts will be the original one with the Philip Glass Ensemble preferred by Michael Riesman. The original recording (issued by Virgin) was made up of two quite separate sessions recorded some years apart, with different personnel). That favoured by Riesman was the later set issued by Nonesuch. We will just have to wait and hear. Still, at least those recordings used Farfisas rather than the digital keyboards used in their most recent (complete) version on OMM.

[Richard Barrett]

My first experience of Glass was through Radio 3 when parts 1-3 of Music in 12 Parts was broadcast in 1975 or so. I made a cassette recording of the broadcast, as I often did of "Music In Our Time", and listened to it very often until parts 1 and 2 (the same recordings I think) came out on LP. For me, part 1 is the best thing he's ever written. If I listen to all 12 parts, which I've done a few times, my attention begins eventually to wander.

[ahinton]

Cut glass wouldn't be a bad idea.

[Serial_Apologist]

The two Braxton pieces were fine, in a serial kind of way I was expecting - more to get to grips there than either the Glass or the two Braxton pupils, whose music I found rather thin.