Post by erik on Apr 1, 2023 19:39:41 GMT -5
The "King Of Minimalism", Philip Glass, is in this week's Classical Works Spotlight with an impressionistic tone poem that is a bit like Debussy.
Philip Glass: THE CANYON
Alongside composers like John Adams and Steve Reich, Philip Glass is a composer often identified with what might be called the “minimalist” style of music, a style that emerged out of the musical experimentations of the late 20th century and was based on arguably repetitious melodic progressions. Oftentimes, these would involve inventive uses of keyboards, percussion, and stringed instruments. In many ways, this was an extension of of the experimentations with big orchestral sounds pioneered by, among others, Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg, just taken into the space age, though also borrowing from ancient and indigenous forces as well. Such was the case with “The Canyon”, a fifteen minute-long orchestral tone poem that Mr. Glass composed during the late 1980’s, and which had its world premiere in Atlanta in 1989. It begins and ends quietly, with various themes being hammered out piece by piece as it depicts the Debussy-like impressions of the mythical, anonymous canyon of its title. Ironically enough, even with the repetitions, the work is still noticeably tonal, though the key it’s in, E Major, isn’t one that is often heard much in classical music, save for the Bruckner Seventh Symphony and numerous works of Richard Wagner. The work’s premiere, done by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and their music director Robert Shaw, was widely praised; and the orchestra made a subsequent recording of both it and Glass’ indigenous choral cantata “Itaipu” for Sony Records.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/ROBERT SHAW (Sony)
Included):
ITAIPU (with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus)
Philip Glass: THE CANYON
Alongside composers like John Adams and Steve Reich, Philip Glass is a composer often identified with what might be called the “minimalist” style of music, a style that emerged out of the musical experimentations of the late 20th century and was based on arguably repetitious melodic progressions. Oftentimes, these would involve inventive uses of keyboards, percussion, and stringed instruments. In many ways, this was an extension of of the experimentations with big orchestral sounds pioneered by, among others, Gustav Mahler and Arnold Schoenberg, just taken into the space age, though also borrowing from ancient and indigenous forces as well. Such was the case with “The Canyon”, a fifteen minute-long orchestral tone poem that Mr. Glass composed during the late 1980’s, and which had its world premiere in Atlanta in 1989. It begins and ends quietly, with various themes being hammered out piece by piece as it depicts the Debussy-like impressions of the mythical, anonymous canyon of its title. Ironically enough, even with the repetitions, the work is still noticeably tonal, though the key it’s in, E Major, isn’t one that is often heard much in classical music, save for the Bruckner Seventh Symphony and numerous works of Richard Wagner. The work’s premiere, done by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and their music director Robert Shaw, was widely praised; and the orchestra made a subsequent recording of both it and Glass’ indigenous choral cantata “Itaipu” for Sony Records.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/ROBERT SHAW (Sony)
Included):
ITAIPU (with the Atlanta Symphony Chorus)