

Philip Glass Half-Full - hecubus
https://www.commentarymagazine.com/article/philip-glass-half-full/

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petercooper
_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 has become
more (and to choose a rather tricky term) "human" over the years. Reviews of
_Naqoyqatsi_ (both the movie soundtrack and the concerto it turned into)
frequently cite its "melodic" nature and "lyrical melodic lines" (BBC Music)
and it is far from the only modern Glass piece to adopt a melodic approach
(his epic first _Violin Concerto_ comes to mind). Heck, I'm sure I even saw
Glass and Yo Yo Ma being interviewed about Naqoyqatsi and how it was
_designed_ for the cello to drive a powerful melody to counteract the
technological nature of the movie (note that _Koyaanisqatsi_ was the other way
around - more 'mechnical' electronic music set to scenes of the natural
world).

One problem some new to Glass can encounter is Glass's melodies frequently
occur in lower registers on instruments that don't generally play melodies,
particularly in his operas, leaving the traditionally melodic instruments to
instead provide the rhythm. Appomattox provides modern examples of this:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J14flyMOQo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6J14flyMOQo)

~~~
danbmil99
Agree 100%. However I even find earlier pieces such as "Music in 12 Parts"
hauntingly beautiful and melodic in the way that trance/ambient can be. True
it doesn't have the same purpose, or effect, of a narrative song, but it isn't
intended to.

I see a strong analogy between Glass's early works and Brian Eno's period
starting with "Music For Elevators". They are both asking a fundamental
question -- what is music "supposed to do?" \-- and attempting to break down
centuries of expectation, to build up a new way of communicating from the
ground up.

Interestingly, both artists evolved from their early radical roots, re-
introducing more approachable narrative tropes, to create a new hybrid style
that melds hard-core minimalism with the desire for a storytelling arc. Often,
they did so in collaboration.

Examples: Passages (Glass / Shankar), Achtung Baby (U2 / Eno)

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mturmon
Eno's recording of _Music for Airports_ (not "elevators", that is something of
a howler) had an interesting compositional method which was based on
overlapping tape loops, with the loops having different periods.

You can hear the notes coming into and out of phase (over very long time
periods) sometimes playing almost over the top of one another, and sometimes
with silent spaces. Because of this, it has a _sub rosa_ mathematical side.

Eno was influenced by Glass, but Glass is about a decade older.

I'm sure I've listened to that one record 200 times. I've found all of his
music to be very rewarding over many years.

Incidentally, the article mentions John Adams in passing. I've found Adams'
music to be more engaging and adventurous than Glass'. Adams is more of a West
coast character, he's the composer in residence at the LA Phil and, earlier,
at the SF Symphony. Highly recommended.

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KC8ZKF
This may be obvious to most, but the loops in question were literal tape
loops, it being 1978. ("...running around a series of tubular aluminum chairs
in Conny Plank's studio.")

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pierrec
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 complain about, then that's a rather clear sign that Glass is
now settled as a great composer. It's not an understatement to say that he
changed the history of music, and that his style is likely to influence most,
if not all future composers.

~~~
return0
I found your music very interesting!

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.

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nslocum
Philip Glass's music is great to code to.

I don't care much about musical critiques of his work, he is one of the few
artists whose music is consistently great to program with.

I can't recommend it enough.

~~~
jdp23
Very much agree!

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rgawdzik
The first time I knew of Philip's Glass work was from Battlestar Galactica.
There was a beautiful composition that Starbuck listened to in her apartment,
and I was driven to find it.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hMw1C6fPt8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hMw1C6fPt8)

~~~
benbreen
That exact piece has been the soundtrack to finishing my dissertation these
last couple months. Probably played it 100 times in the past few weeks and I'm
still not sick of it. I first listened to it in the back of a darkened and
nearly empty 737 being sprayed with de-icing fluid during a heavy snowstorm on
the day after New Years Eve - not sure if I've ever encountered a better "life
soundtrack" moment.

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pjungwir
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?

~~~
aerique
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.

~~~
aerique
Right, since I was on my phone last night I didn't really want to look things
up.

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).

~~~
pjungwir
Thanks to you and @mandelbrot for the suggestions!

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intopieces
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 "next page" button.

~~~
lmm
Does that case have to be made? Are there people who listen to Glass' music in
and of itself, or in a concert-hall setting? The author claims that Glass'
music has been successful for people to get high to and as background for
films and stage performances, but not adopted for the concert hall, and the
explanations are in line with this.

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moomin
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.

~~~
andybak
I've always found Akhnaten a bit bombastic but I love Satyagraha (composed a
few years before Akhnaten) and I saw it live last year. It absolutely works.

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 ;-)

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modzu
2200 words to explain how glass' music is empty? hah, stfu

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modzu
to be clear, part of what makes glass the genius that he is comes from how he
is able to do so much with so little.. so to come across a supposed criticism
of his work sprawled across thousands of words just made me chuckle a little

