Philip Glass and the Art of Imitation

First of all, I want to thank all for not running out of the classroom on the day of my presentation on Philip Glass screaming, "I've been cut! I've been cut!" (Think about that for awhile.) I first fell in love with Glass sometime in the early 80s, when I was a young lad just out of college. I believe a friend introduced his music to me. Now, this was a friend who couldn't read a bit of music, but loved opera (he could tell you all the character names after one listening) and innovative music. In fact, he gave me the cassette recording of Glass' "Glassworks," which I believe was performed by the Kronos Quartet.

There have been some interesting comments made in class about what music a composer is most well know for, especially their earlier musics which first brings us to attention. And then a very interesting statement was made about how a composer sometimes goes "commercial" with his/her work. Both statements, I find, are very interesting. If a composer does not "shock" the world and the musical community with his/her 1st works, then perhaps we would not know about them. It will be quite interesting in a hundred years to know by the musical community which composers are viewed as being significant and innovative. Wasn't Bach "discovered" by the larger community years after his death? So it would be interesting to see how our present-day innovators will be viewed and remembered a hundred years from now. And what is wrong with being "commercial?" A composer has to survive. But isn't it great that a composer can be commercial and still keep his musical integrity? I don't think that Glass has sold out. I just believe that we have become used to minimalistic music. Just listen to all the pop music that we have now. I keep hearing miminalistic music all the time on the radio and TV. I even thought I heard the beginning of a Glass piece for a commercial but then it diverted! lol Glass wrote in sequences and we hear this abundantly in today's music. I'm not sure but maybe it started with the Sugarland group in the late 70s with the 1st rap/hip hop music. Or maybe it started with Johann Pachebel and his notorious "Canon"!

Chris brought up an interesting point about the youtube clip on how to create your own Glass sound on the piano. While I thought it was funny myself, I strongly agree with Chris that imitation is the best form of flattery. Listen to today's pop music. There is a tremendous amount of imitation (aka...sequencing) that goes on in the recording studio. Just think of Eric Carmen's use of Rachmonioff's Piano Concerto #2 (second mvt.) in All By Myself or the use of Beethoven's 2nd mvt. of "Pathetique" sonata by Louise Tucker/Charlie Skarbek's Midnight Blue in 1983.

Philip Glass’s music may be somewhat commercial, but the appeal is there for everyone to enjoy. Time will tell whether Glass’ music will make the “cut” in American music history. Here are the websites I gave you in class. Enjoy!

www.philipglass.com (official website)

http://www.fullscaleeffects.com/dvd_pepsi_no_brainer_video_sm.htm (2000 Pepsi commercial featuring “Knee 1” from Einstein on the Beach)

http://www.philipglass.com/sounds/recordings/freezing.mp3 (“Freezing” from Songs of Liquid Days – 1985; Linda Ronstadt, vocals and Suzanne Vega, lyrics)

http://www.visionariesdebate.com/profile.php?id=12 (“Is Philip Glass the most visionary?” – video clip by BBC World News)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvIuzUF1fWs (Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists – 2000; YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNiOqa1nWgI (How to play piano like Philip Glass – YouTube)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmBuC6BPpEc (Symphony No. 8, mvt. 1 – 2005)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq-xuQgotbQ&feature=related (The Truman Show – 1998)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5antXqfUQrQ (Two Pages – for Steve Reich – 1968)