PHILIP GLASS has written some groundbreaking music. These photographs were taken before, during and after the Athens world premiere of ‘Orion’, by the Philip Glass Ensemble and guest artists.
The premier – at the open-air Attikon Odeon – was unusual in that it rained!
All the expensive equipment, instruments and the musicians were getting wet, not to mention the audience.
But instead of packing up and going home, one of the performers had an inspiration, getting members of the audience to come up on stage and hold their umbrellas over proceedings, allowing the show to go on!
The concert was a spectacular, virtuosic demonstration of the harmonious blending of musical ethnic diversity. ‘Orion’ was commissioned for the Cultural Olympiad 2004 and is playing across Europe over the next few weeks, though unfortunately not in Cyprus.
Playing along-side the Philip Glass Ensemble in Athens, were an appropriately multi-cultural collection of musicians. The composition is named ‘Orion’ because that is the one constellation that can be seen from every continent. From Australia was Mark Atkins (Didjeridoo); from North America was Canadian Ashley MacIsaac (Violin); from China was Wu Man (Pipa); from Africa was Foday Musa Suso (Kora); from Brasil was the percussion ensemble Uakti; from India Gaurav Mazumdar(Sitar)who improvised on a piece by Ravi Shankar and from Europe, the Greek pop singer Eleftheria Arvanitaki.
Michael Riesman, the Musical Director, kept the whole show together from behind the keyboard.
As a struggling artist in New York, Philip Glass had to drive a taxi and even turn his hand to plumbing. It was not till his 40s that Philip Glass had his big break, gaining public acclaim with his opera ‘Einstein on the Beach’. Now, several years later, he is recognised as one of the originators and leading lights of American Minimalism, along with Steve Reich and Terry Riley.
Philip Glass’ music is inspired by Indian music and its use of rhythm. The composer himself puts it: “I would explain the difference between the use of western and Indian music in the following way: in western music we divide time – as if you were to take a length of time and slice it the way you slice a loaf of bread. In Indian music you take small units, or ‘beats’, and string them together to make up larger time values.”
