Re: Kundun

["Stephen P. Goodman" <sgoodman@earthlight.net>]

Neil Goldstein <ngold@imagina.com> mentioned:


>Generous looping through much of this powerful and evocative film c/o
>Philip Glass' music.
>
>As I was watching this film, some parts resembling the great Konyaskatsii
>(sp?) I realized that like it or not, my first exposure to looping as a
>compositional idiom was via Glass music.


I saw a marvelous interview that Scorsese did lately on Charlie Rose (PBS),
where he talked about the music.  He'd first been exposed to Philip Glass'
work via Koyaaniskatsi (1982?), a film so beautiful as to bring tears to 
the
eyes - oh, for the letterbox version!  There was a sequel, by the way,
called Powaaniskatsi (the Hopi word apparently describing the assumption of
power through consumption); the music is more world-oriented, but still
Glass.

I first encountered his work some years after being exposed to
Fripp/Eno/Cage et. al. in the mid-70s; I went to a benefit for the Kitchen
in NYC, which billed (amongst others) DNA, David Byrne, a video 
installation
(On Land, actually) by Brian Eno, and the Philip Glass Ensemble.  The
benefit was held in Bond's, an old clothing store-turned-club, and there
were so many celebs (in terms of the New Music scene and others) I couldn't
help but notice the absence of Mr.'s Fripp or Eno, for that matter.  (I
think the League of Gentlemen was touring then, anyhoo).

Anyway!  I needed to point out something about Philip Glass' music with
respect to looping.  The only looping is from the compositional standpoint,
and not because of any technology.  To see an orchestra play his work is
something else, I imagine - the Ensemble alone looked like they shed quite 
a
lot of sweat at the Kitchen, Mr.. Glass playing keyboards also, and
conducting using accentuated nods of his head, which sported a bushy cloud
of hair (then).  They were playing it all, man.  However, it Wasn't IMHO
'looping' as most of us on this list know it.  More like a compositional
'repeat', but then I know not much of music composition in the
parochial-classical sense. :)  Anyone?  Is 'repeat' the correct musical
term?  I *know* it's not 'loop'. :)

Stephen Goodman       * Download The Loop Of The Week and more!
EarthLight Studios         * http://www.earthlight.net/Studios
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