Philip Glass Festival at The Modlin Center for the Arts

Be there, seriously.

September 14, 2012; 7:06 AM • by Susan Howson

You’ve heard of Beethoven, right? Good lord, I hope so. Well, I’m not lying when I say that Philip Glass is the Beethoven of the latter half/former half of the 20th/21st centuries. He’s innovative, often shocking, and always completely beautiful. We’re more than lucky, frigging blessed even, to have such an important and influential composer and performer grace us with his presence.

To underscore the occasion, the folks at Modlin have put together a festival to celebrate his very existence. Those of you who are familiar with his work: this is a good time to delve deeper. Those of you who aren’t: the festival is a brilliant place to start your education. And it’s not one of those painful algebra-type educations. It’s an education that you’ll treasure for the rest of your life.

Here’s the breakdown:

Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts

• Sun. Sept. 16 • 3:00 PM
• Camp Concert Hall, The Modlin Center for the Arts, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way
• $5 (free for UR students)

Get the inside scoop into what makes the great man tick. This documentary will give you the backstory you need to appreciate Glass’s music from a 365-degree perspective. Scott Hicks’s film gives you a year of Philip Glass’s life in just under two hours. How did he start? What’s up with all that repetition? Why should a guy like this end up as a joke on A Prairie Home Companion? You’ll find out, and if you’re new to the whole thing, your interest will be more than piqued.

eighth blackbird: A Philip Glass Celebration

• Wed. Sept. 19 • 7:30 PM
• Camp Concert Hall, The Modlin Center for the Arts, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way
• $10-$20 (free for UR students)

Modern chamber giants eighth blackbird gives Philip Glass the royal treatment with this tribute performance, featuring works by and for the master. Highlights include: Derek Bermel’s Tied Shifts and Mayke Nas’s Anyone Can Do It. This entertaining spectacle will drive home exactly how influential the guy is, particularly with the piece Doublespeak, which was written by Nico Muhly for eighth blackbird as a birthday present for Glass himself. Oh BTW, people, did I mention eighth blackbird is GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING??

Koyaanisqatsi

The environment. Technology. Modern times. Natural times. HOW WILL THEY ALL GET ALONG? This debut work by Godfrey Reggio is the first in a series of important films directed by Reggio and scored by Philip Glass. No conversation about either is complete without this masterpiece of filmmaking (and naming). Bonus points if you can spell it afterwards.

• Sun. Sept. 23 • 3:00 PM
• Camp Concert Hall, The Modlin Center for the Arts, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way
• $5 (free for UR students)

La Belle et La Bête (Beauty and the Beast)

Glass admired pioneering director Jean Cocteau’s interpretation of the creative process. Being a creative man himself (in case you hadn’t guessed), Glass took on the extremely challenging task of scoring this groundbreaking classic by replacing not just the score, but the dialogue track itself. Throughout this version, you’ll hear music composed by Glass, performed by the Philip Glass Ensemble, and dialogue sung by his hand-selected singers.

• Mon. Oct. 1 • 7:00 PM
• Camp Concert Hall, The Modlin Center for the Arts, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way
• $5 (free for UR students)

ModlinArts Artists Voices Series Presents: Philip Glass: Collaboration and the Creative Process

He speaks!! Listen in awe as you learn about Glass’s firsthand experience as part of the 1970s group of innovative American artists and what it’s like to collaborate with legends such as Allen Ginsberg, Woody Allen, and David (omg) Bowie.

• Thurs. Oct. 1 • 7:30 PM
• Alice Jepson Theatre, The Modlin Center for the Arts, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way
• $17-$34 (free for UR students)

Philip Glass and Tim Fain in Concert

OMFG!!

• Fri. Oct. 5 • 7:30 PM
• Camp Concert Hall, The Modlin Center for the Arts, University of Richmond, 28 Westhampton Way
• $19-$38 (free for UR students)

Buy tickets to this extraordinary event (and learn more while you’re at it) by stopping by the Modlin Center or visiting their website. And compare notes with me on some of these events afterwards, right here, right now. I mean, then.

September 14, 2012 7:06 AM 0