Philipp Glass – Music in Twelve Parts/ Train/SpaceShip

 

Philipp Glass – Music in Twelve Parts/ Train/SpaceShip

Especially in Phlipp Glass’s piece “Music in Twelve Parts” the influence of Steven Reich is distinctive. Repetitive phases that morph over various lengths of time are alike. I cannot avoid comparing the two composers, because their pieces sound quite similar to me, yet so different. In my opinion, “Music in Twelve Parts” is not as enjoyable as for instance “Music for Mallet instruments, voices and organ” by Steve Reich, although they feature similar rhythmic patterns. Reason for that is the choice of instruments, because the glockenspiel in Steve Reich’s composition produces a more pleasant atmosphere than the keyboard in Glass’s composition.

As a result, “Music in Twelve Parts” sounds overall more chaotic and hectic to me, and I feel sincerely stressed. According to my research, Glass composed music for films, modern video games like Grand Theft Auto, and even for TV channels like national geographic. After I got to know that, I thought that this piece would be absolutely suited for escape-like scenes, or animals fighting one another. Casually listening to this piece would probably make me freak out, feel pressed for time, or even aggressive. When listening to this piece again at home, I also turned down the volume as far as possible, because the music was uncomfortably loud.

Similar to Reich’s composition, one instrument (I believe it is a keyboard or an electric organ) builds the basis, and repeats throughout the entire play. Further, the different instruments do not harmonize as well as in Reich’s composition. It appears like some parts do not belong together, but are composed rather accidentally, or even randomly. Also, in Reich’s mentioned piece, the women’s vocals match the play’s dynamic, whereas in Glass’s “Train/Spaceship”, the women’s vocals are barely recognizable, and are predominated by the keyboard. To my perception, the general interaction between the present instruments lacks harmony, although the speed of the various instruments does in fact match.