Minimally Musical
Lynn at Reflections in d minor posts a funny joke at the expense of one of the better-known minimalists of the latter 20th century. This would be my version of the joke:
While repetitive, I actually enjoy Philip Glass.
While repetitive, I actually enjoy Philip Glass.
While repetitive, I actually enjoy Philip Glass.
While repetitive, I actually enjoy Philip Glass.
While repetitive, I enjoy Philip Glass' music. And it evolves.
While repetitive, I enjoy Philip Glass' music. And it evolves.
While repetitive, I enjoy Philip Glass' music. And it evolves.
While repetitive, I enjoy Philip Glass' music. And it evolves.
It's tonal, while repetitive, and it evolves, so I enjoy Philip Glass' music.
It's tonal, while repetitive, and it evolves, so I enjoy Philip Glass' music.
It's tonal, while repetitive, and it evolves, so I enjoy Philip Glass' music.
It's tonal, while repetitive, and it evolves, so I enjoy Philip Glass' music.
etc.
I first encountered Glass in his soundtrack to the visually stimulating Koyaanisqatsi. Glass is a polarizing figure, as I later discovered while a music student at UT Austin. I went to see him in concert (on solo piano). Before the concert, the theory-comp majors all slammed him as a gimmicky composer with no real talent (as though their atonal screeches were superior, somehow). Then, at the concert, were the rich and snobby non-musician hangers-on who pretended to have their moments of greatness, some even air-kissing (I'm serious!) when they met him. Gag.
When I met him briefly, he was friendly, warm, and quite unassuming. So I won't judge him too harshly as a person. As a composer, he made tonal music popular again, even if in the context of minimalism. One CD that I play about every three months to clear my mind is Passages (with Ravi Shankar). Hypnotic, lovely melodies that repeat, develop, intertwine, and resolve themselves. Music at its simple -- minimalist -- best.
Hmmm. This is getting weird. You're into Dr. Who. You went to UT music school. You respect Glass and saw the "Emporer's New Clothes" effect of atonal music. We both like Jimmy Smith and are keyboard players. Are you old enough to have heard the Electro Magnets live, or visit the Armadillo?
Posted by: anselm at February 22, 2005 05:20 PMYou tell me... I was at UT from 1986 through 1991. I saw Doctors Mob, Zeitgeist (later known as the Reavers), Glass Eye, The Texas Instruments, and other such at clubs like the Continental Club, Liberty Lunch, and the Cave Club. I didn't play live much at all (I played one gig at the Thundercloud Subs on Riverside and another at the Black Cat on 6th Street). Most of my playing was classical. I don't remember the Electro Magnets, and I know I didn't visit the Armadillo.
Guess I was a little before your time - Ok maybe a lot, 73-77. Electromagnets was Eric Johnson's first notable band, BTW. I moved to big D in 80 and just returned to the area last year.
Posted by: anselm at February 23, 2005 10:14 PMHi,
LARGO02 is a french artist whose inspirations are 80's electro pop music,some other massive attack, bjork, sakamoto, kraftwerk, and jazz stars like coltrane and so on.
why wouldn't you discover his work on his website?
have fun.
http://larg02.over-blog.com
I have the soundtrack Glass did with the Kronos Quartet for the old Dracula, and like it a lot. I'm no classical music buff, but its simple, emotive tracks are my sort of thing.
Posted by: francisthegreat at March 1, 2005 05:00 PMGreat comments, all. Thanks Fred for the recommendation; I will check that out.
Posted by: JohnL at March 2, 2005 12:57 PM