Philip Glass - Two Pages (for Steve Reich), 1968

(NOTE: This is a revised version of a previously posted YouTube video. I've corrected a musical error and also added some reverb. Unfortunately I couldn't simply update the original video and keep all the comments, which is a shame since there were hundreds of good comments/discussions on it. Oh well.)

I'm learning to play this early Glass piece so I thought I'd make a video version. No, this is not me playing it, this is a sequence I did with Cubase. And it's playing back at twice the tempo as Glass' original recording from 1975. I primarily sped it up so it would fit within YouTube's 10 minute time limit, but actually now I really like hearing it at this speed. And since I'm not aware of any tempo indication on Glass' original score (and much of his music in the 70s WAS played at tempos approaching this speed), I feel that this is a justifiable choice, though you're free to disagree of course. I definitely couldn't play it live this fast, though. It's hard enough to keep it together at half this speed.

In any event, this version is mostly meant to be more of a technical illustration of how such Glass pieces are put together and notated. Hopefully you'll find this useful in aiding your appreciation of this music, which is admittedly an acquired taste for most folks. I highly suggest you seek out the original recording, which is easily available on CD. Or better yet, catch a live performance sometime- you really can't truly appreciate this music unless you hear it performed live, as it was originally intended to be heard.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• minimalism
• minimalist

[Arachnidius]

I like to be open-minded and non-discriminatory in my appreciation of music, but I can't find anything tasteful in this (I realise that this may partly be the point in it). I can't see how anyone can justify this, I mean the emphasis seems to be on rhythmic complexity, or repetition and minimalism. There are hundreds of artists who do this (in my opinion) with far more finesse, complexity, technicality and approachability. Can someone explain how this is more than just pretentious noise? Thanks.

[peahix]

@Arachnidius hi, start by reading thru the comments here, and also my general description. be sure to understand the historical context of the piece. also, read what glass himself has written (extensively) about this early phase in his compositional career. here's a hint: you probably won't "get" this music if my little video here is your only exposure to it. this video is more useful for folks who want to understand how this music was scored and structured.

[kurtilein3]

i dont think this is the best one, its not even close to the best work Glass has done.

Even if you stay in exactly this style, there are better examples, like "knee 3" or "knee 5" from the opera "Einstein on the beach". Check it out, these are truly awesome, and very similar in style.

[peahix]

@kurtilein3 well... the knee plays are actually a later style than this (about 8 years later), after glass had re-incorporated harmonic structures into his music. even glass himself, when pressed to use the word "minimalist" to describe his own music, has used that term in reference to pieces like "two pages," but has rejected that term in reference to "einstein on the beach." other pieces similar to "two pages" are "music in fifths," "strung out," "music with changing parts," etc.

[peahix]

@olivemypikachuu you might try listening to Glass' original *live* recording to see if it does anything for you. my version here is more of a technical demonstration of the piece, which arguably is not as interesting from a purely musical standpoint as a live performance.

[DIEGO7CUERDAS]

This is SICK...I like it!!

[mickyoneil1]

this almost gave me a seizure.

[nondor13]

it's like the sound equivalent of op art; the human mind infers the appearance ov cadence.

[alexnordh]

The paradox of this kind of music is that you have to listen to it in a both passive and active way. It´s like the words of Klaus Schultze :" My music is best appreciated when NOT listened to" In my opionion, Schultze is much a heritage of this.

[SpringInTheSchool]

@mikrokosmik Let's share the ringtone. :D

[MrCroset]

@Arachnidius .yes

[paulinaluc]

Wow, I love it! If only I was good enough to play such for my diploma..!

[loodwig]

@peahix Very good point. I remember analyzing Gorecki's third symphony in a similar fashion. The materials are interesting to discover without the distraction of beautiful orchestration. I find with all minimalism that the goal must be to absorb the materials over time, as opposed to a quick understanding you must find with serialism. Overall, I feel the two paradigms are reactionary and Glass does a better job with accessibility in other works (Koyaanisqatsi for example).