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Philip
Glass: An Interview
Part 2 | Read
Part 1 here
By
Benjamin Chee
On
finding universality with his music
I don't know if the music can find a universality with people.
I do what I do more out of curiosity; I am hesitant to talk
about "universality", at a time where people are meeting and
working with each other, borders clashing. My aim is not
to achieve an Esperanto of art. (laughs) Each time I meet
someone it changes my music in some way; what I come into
contact with changes me in some way.
About
art and technology
Art is often about society and nature, but in our headlong
rush into technology, it has changed the world beyond our
ability to control it. I'm not sure we can control
it. Technology, in a way, is a culture. Art is a culture,
society is a culture; technology was invented by humans but
it seems to have a mind of its own. We're only finding this
out now.
First-hand
experience with technology
We checked in this morning, and I brought my Powerbook along.
We plugged it in - I can't understand it - and the powerbook
didn't work. We fooled around with it a bit, and then twenty
minutes later it did. I don't understand why. (laughs) There
are things happening we don't understand in the digital world.
Using
technology
In my work, we use computer programs to print the music. There
are some people I work with who still write their music by
hand, and they come to me and point out something in my (computer-printed)
music, "Philip, there's a mistake here." A computer could
never do that for you. (pause) I find, actually, that the
computer makes a lot of mistakes. Technology is more fallable
than human beings.
Another
story about technology
I was editing a movie with (Martin) Scorsese, he was doing
it digitally. He was working on it in digital mode. However,
he would watch the results in analog - we'd go to a screening
room the following day and watch what he'd done. He claimed
that there were things which he couldn't see in digital mode,
and - (pause) I think he's right. We can't see some things
in digital. Either the technology changes something, or we
have got used to seeing things that way.
About
reinventing music
It seems that one generation of old composers always gets
upset at new generation, that the new music somehow invalidated
the old. (laughs) When I started composing, I was displacing
the music of Stockhousen, Boulez, Berio - but it didn't feel
like I was destroying them.
Check
out "On the Road" photos taken by the Philip Glass
Ensemble in Singapore at www.philipglass.com.
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"The
fusion of image and music is what's creating the experience, and
in that sense, the music is co-equal with the image."
-
Godfrey Reggio, Director
The
second in the trilogy of three films, Powaqqatsi
looks at the negative mutation of land-based, human societies in
the Southern Hemisphere into technologically driven, urban clones.
Different in its perspectives from the first film Koyaanisqatsi
 ,
the focus on cultures in the Southern Hemisphere translates into
a more ethnic sound in the accompanying music. As Glass himself
noted, "this meant an exploration in indigenous music from
many parts of the world that were new to me. This represents in
a sense, my first synthesis of my own music style and traditions
of world music."
Throughout
the film, I was aware that we, the audience, were given a liberty
to form our own views on every scene, and millions of thoughts raced
through my mind as the visual merged with the audio to project a
vivid image despite the non-narration. The way the photography (despite
at times being a little 'National Geographic") was weaved together
with the music was surely what one could only call a dynamic and
forceful presentation of diversity and transformation.
The
film opened showcasing societies that lived a 'hand-made' life,
a simple way of living. Glass' signature minimalist repetition of
notes in the beginning was backed against images of life and death,
how life went on continuously for these indigenous folk over the
centuries. There was definitely a sense of a celebration of life
in the Anthem of the film, a theme of tribal rhythm that recurred
throughout most of the pieces. The hypnotic pounding of the drums,
the bright passages of notes on the keyboards combined with the
commanding forcefulness of the woodwinds only made the 'repetition'
rich and emotive in its representation of the rhythm of life.
A particular
piece I enjoyed was 'Mosque and Temple', where a subtle shift
from the exuberance of the 'Anthem' moved into deep contemplative
seriousness of God and religion in the lives of the people. The
sense of reverence that was invoked by the music very effectively
stressed the importance religious belief in their lives.
The
pieces played were very effectual in invoking the character of each
scene. From the classic train-chugging sound effect in 'Train
to São Paulo' to the contrast of emotive and unique repetition
at the beginning celebrating life, with the uniform and dead repetition
that depicted the price societies had to pay after technology suppressed
the individual.
 Perhaps
what was most unforgettable after watching Powaqqatsi was
the facial expressions of many of the 'actors'. In many cases, people
were filmed candidly, as they were living their lives. But the expressions
on their faces in numerous instances captured poignancy in its fullest,
such as the sadness of the people after their lives had been transformed
by the effects of urbanisation and technology for example.
Above/Left:
The Philip Glass Ensemble rehearsing at the University Cultural
Centre. Photo from "On the Road" section at www.philipglass.com.
A note
must be mentioned for the Philip Glass Ensemble, which carried itself
so confidently and professionally throughout the whole performance.
Their superb showmanship along with their surety in performing Glass'
works greatly enhanced the experience of a very fortunate audience.
Indeed,
I think the true gift of the performance was not only in the fact
that it allowed the audience the liberty to lay their own meaning
to the film, but that it provoked one to think even after the performance.
And this 'aftermath' effect on the audience, as I would like to
term it, only proves the success of any artist's work to be truly
called a work of art.
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Note:
Naqoyqatsi, the third in the trilogy of films, will be released
in Fall 2002, while the accompanying recording will be released
Winter 2002, in the United States.
Check
out "On the Road" photos taken by the
Philip Glass Ensemble in Singapore at www.philipglass.com.
Visit
koyaanisqatsi.org
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The
last time DAVID CHEW
had such praise for ethnic music was when he visited Bali. But that's
another story all together.
If
you wish to Add a Comment to this review, please post your comments
to classical@inkpot.com.
Koyaanisqatsi
Review (June 19) | Next Concert Reviewed
895:
21.6.2001 © David Chew
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