American Classical Music
Philip Glass was born in 1937 in a middle-class family. He joined Peabody Institute in Baltimore where he studied flute and later joined the University of Chicago. In 1964, he went in Paris to further his studies and composition. At the age of 6 -15, Phillip was playing the violin, the flute and piano. Later, he joined Juilliard School in New York where he was encouraged to study courses in composition (Glass, chapter 1). Since he was young, Phillip had the desire of becoming a musician though his family could respect art work as a career. Some of his compositions include ‘Music in Twelve Parts (1974) with simple melodies, Einstein on the Beach, Akhnaten among many (Glass, chapter 1).
In 20th century, Phillip gained superficial remarks for his great work in composition. Phillip is well known for establishing a minimalistic movement during the postwar era in America. Minimalism music during his time had minimal compositional details, texture and structure. In other words, he introduced a compositional language and employed minimum elements in music (Glass, chapter 2). Generally, his compositions such as ‘Music ion Fifth’ (1969) have minimal style and extensive repetitions. Minimalism in the work of Phillip was a reaction to ‘Abstract Expressionism’ He presented the minimalism movement through developing a quiet revolution such as use of repetitive patterns (Candelaria & Kingman, 264). His music is hypnotic and they are able to bring a state of mindfulness. In other words, his music play role in modern societies by providing social awareness and aesthetic experience. It allows the society members to consider the humanity and creating a meaningful life.
In minimalism, Philip concentrated on the process of music but not the musical structures. His music comprised harmony, rhythm melody and minimal musical manipulation. He developed complex musical language and stylish development to bring transformation after postwar. According to Neo-Riemannian theory, minimalism artist concentrate on creating harmonic relations (Candelaria & Kingman, 280). The themes of minimalism in the music art show that people should live a deliberate and a meaningful life. Minimalism brings the reality in cultural phenomenon and allows listeners to relate the sound with life and gain new perspectives.
When he was studying composition in Paris, he was influenced by Samuel Beckett. At this period, he composed musics such as ‘String Quartet No.1 (1966) which comprise a repeated structure and Play (1965) which comprise soprano saxophone (Glass, chapter 1). From 1967 to 1970, he moved in New York from Paris where he continued with his minimalism work by using dissonance, amplified instruments and pulsating rhythms. The minimalist movement was influenced by ‘additive processes’ in Indian music. In his artwork, he could use both intuitive additive processes and rigorous process. By 1974, his minimalist work had gained popularity and this is the period when he ended minimalism (Glass, chapter 1). During the period, he had brought evolution by expanded the Philip Glass ensemble- a group which presented harmony differentiations. His visit to India provided him with knowledge and skills on Eastern music and modular-form style. The experience made him to apply Eastern principles in his compositions. The Philip Glass Ensemble performed musical arts such as Music in Fifths (1969), Music in Twelve Parts (1971-1974) and others (Glass, chapter 2).
Phillip says that when composing music, he could hear the music in a vision and later he could spend time to interpret the music. In the language of music, he was able to unfold ideas. Phillip Glass is well-known as a famous composer of classical music. His work remembered in the contemporary culture since his songs he did not only maintain artistic integrity while singing but he also touched social issues (Glass, chapter 2). The interesting thing about traditional music like those of Philip is that they have a vital force that connection people with society truths and nature.
Work cited
Glass, Philip. Words Without Music: A Memoir. , 2015. Internet resource.
Candelaria, Lorenzo F, and Kingman Daniel. American Music: A Panorama. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth,
- Print.
