Philip Glass is an American composer who needs no introduction. It is difficult to find a person who has not heard the brilliant creations of the maestro at least once. Many have heard Glass's compositions, without even knowing who their author is, in the films Leviathan, Elena, The Hours, Fantastic Four, The Truman Show, not to mention Koyaanisqatsi.
He has come a long way to being recognized for his talent. For music critics, Philip was like a punching bag. Experts called the composer's creations "music for torture" or "minimalist music that is not able to attract a large audience."
Glass worked as a waiter, taxi driver, courier. He independently paid for his own tours and work in a recording studio. Philip believed in his music and talent.
Childhood and adolescence Philip Glass
The composer's date of birth is January 31, 1937. He was born in Baltimore. Philip was brought up in a traditionally intelligent and creative family.
Glass's father owned a small music store. He adored his job and tried to instill a love of music in his children. In the evenings, the head of the family liked to listen to the classical works of immortal composers. He was touched by the sonatas of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven.
Glass attended elementary college at the University of Chicago. Some time later, he entered the Juilliard School of Music. He then took lessons from Juliette Nadia Boulanger herself. According to the composer's memoirs, his consciousness was turned over by the work of Ravi Shankar.
During this period of time, he is working on a soundtrack, which, in his opinion, was supposed to marry European and Indian music. In the end, nothing good came of it. There were pluses in the failure - the composer discovered the principles of building Indian music.
From this period of time, he switched to a schematic construction of musical works, which is based on repetition, addition and subtraction. All further music of the maestro grew out of this early, ascetic and not very comfortable music for perception.
Music by Philip Glass
He remained in the shadow of recognition for a long time, but, most importantly, Philip did not give up. Everyone could envy his endurance and self-confidence. The fact that the composer is not offended by criticism is a direct consequence of his biography.
Many years ago, the musician played his own compositions at private parties. At the beginning of the artist's performance, half of the audience left the hall without remorse. Philip was not embarrassed by this situation. He continued to play.
The composer had every reason to end his musical career. Not a single label took on him, and he also did not play at serious concert venues. Glass's success is the merit of one man.
The list of Glass's most popular musical compositions opens with the second part of the triptych about people who changed the world, the Satyagraha opera. The work was created by the maestro at the end of the 70s of the last century. The first part of the trilogy was the opera "Einstein on the Beach", and the third - "Akhenaton". The last one he dedicated to the Egyptian pharaoh.
It is important to note that Satyagrahi was written in Sanskrit by the musician himself. A certain Constance De Jong helped him in his work. An opera work consists of several acts. Maestro Philip reproduced a quote from the opera in the music for the film The Hours.
Music from "Akhenaton" sounds in the tape "Leviathan". For the film "Elena", the director borrowed fragments of Symphony No. 3 by the American composer.
The creations of the American composer sound in tapes of different genres. He feels the plot of the film, the experiences of the main characters - and based on his own feelings creates masterpieces.
Albums by composer Philip Glass
As for the albums, they were too. But before that, it should be said that Glass founded his own group at the end of the 60s of the last century. His brainchild was called the Philip Glass Ensemble. He still writes compositions for musicians, and also plays keyboards in a band. In 1990, together with Ravi Shankar, Philip Glass recorded the LP Passages.
He has written several minimalist musical compositions, but he does not like the term "minimalism" at all. But one way or another, one still cannot ignore the works Music in twelve parts and Music with changing parts, which today are classified as minimal music.
Details of the personal life of Philip Glass
The personal life of the maestro is as rich as the creative one. It has already been noticed that Philip does not like to just meet and cohabitate. Almost all of his relationships ended in marriage.
The first to win Philip's heart was the charming Joanne Akalaitis. In this marriage, two children were born, but even their birth did not seal the union. The couple divorced in 1980.
The next sweetheart of the maestro was the beauty Lyuba Burtyk. She failed to become "the one" for Glass. They soon divorced. Some time later, the man was seen in a relationship with Candy Jernigan. There was no divorce in this union, but there was a place for tragic news. The woman died of cancer.
The fourth wife of restaurateur Holly Krichtlow - gave birth to two children from the artist. She commented that she was fascinated by the talent of her ex-husband, but living under one roof was a big test for her.
In 2019, it turned out that pleasant changes again took place in the artist’s personal life. He took Soari Tsukade as his wife. The maestro shares general pictures on social networks.
Interesting facts about Philip Glass
- In 2007, a biopic about Glass, Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts, was shown.
- He was nominated three times for a Golden Globe.
- In the early 70s, Philip, together with like-minded people, founded a theater company.
- He composed music for over 50 films.
- Although he has written many film scores, Philip calls himself a theater composer.
- He loves the works of Schubert.
- In 2019, he received a Grammy.
Philip Glass: today
In 2019, he presented a new piece of music to fans of his work. This is the 12th symphony. Then he went on a big tour, in which the musician visited Moscow and St. Petersburg. The award ceremony was scheduled for 2020.
A year later, Glass's soundtrack for a film about the Dalai Lama was presented. The Tibetan musician Tenzin Chogyal took part in the recording of the musical work. The score was performed by the composer himself. The traditional Buddhist mantra "Om mani padme hum" can be heard in the work Heart Strings performed by the Tibetan children's choir.
At the end of April 2021, the premiere of a new opera by the American composer took place. The work was called Circus Days and Nights. David Henry Hwang and Tilda Bjorfors also worked on the opera.
