Philip Glass: Glassworks

Week 4

Welcome back to my weekly series 'Listen 52:25'! This week will be a slightly reduced edition, focusing specifically on Philip Glass' 'Glassworks' - as we will be looking at another of Glass' compositions next week in this series. 'Glassworks' is another clear example of the fundamentals of minimalism being embodied within this composition.

Philip Glass: Glassworks

'Glassworks' is a work for chamber ensemble, exploiting specific timbres for a truly unique sound-world, introducing forces to the texture when Glass feels it adds value to the overall texture - remembering that management of individual textural layers is essential to maintaining a minimalist atmosphere.

Come back next week to find out more about Philip Glass as a composer, and his musical background as I explore another of his key influential works.

What influenced this work?

This work is divided into six movements, with an intention of making it more accessible to a wider audience. It was Glass' attempt to create a 'pop-oriented' "Walkman-suitable" work, with more accessible pieces written with the recording studio in mind.

In Glass' own words:

The work was released in 1982 on LP and cassette. The LP release was intended for home listening, whilst the cassette was designed for personal cassette players, such as the Sony Walkman (hence "Walkman-suitable").

The music

This work is divided into six movements, they are:

I. Opening

II. Floe

III. Island

IV. Rubric

V. Façades

VI. Closing

Unlike other minimalist works we've explored in this series so far, 'Glassworks' doesn't have a programmatic base upon which it sits; it does not follow a traditional narrative or storyline. The music itself does seem to have this natural atmospheric and emotional progression across six movements. The title 'Glassworks' can be seen as a metaphor, reflecting the intricate and multifaceted natured of the music, much how light interacts with glass to create various reflections and patterns.

Each movement of this work has its own unique atmosphere, and as I alluded to earlier features different instrumentations - something I find interesting in the sense it offers a fresh voice to each movement. You could say this is one of the ways Glass achieves presenting this work as a "Walkman-suitable" work.

I. Opening

This introductory movement features a serene and flowing piano melody, gradually joined by the French horn towards the end of the movement. It sets a reflective and contemplative tone for the rest of the piece to follow. The simplicity of the repetitive patterns creates a real sense of calm and introspection. The entire movement rests on a 2:3 polyrhythmic grounding with simple left hand minim bass pattern - certainly showcasing how effective simplicity within a minimalist setting can be.

II. Floe

Rhythmic energy quickly picks up upon the opening of this movement: featuring flutes, saxophones, horns and a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer. The rhythmic drive and interlocking patterns give it a dynamic and almost mechanical feel, reminiscent of ice floes moving in sync.

III. Island

This movement slows down the pace with a more tranquil spacious sound. The instrumentation introduces strings amongst the woodwinds: flutes, saxophones, bass clarinet, horns, viola, cello and synth. This unique blend of timbres creates a lush and atmospheric texture, potentially evoking the imagery of a serene island landscape.

IV. Rubric

This is one of the more upbeat movements, 'Rubric' is characterized by its lively and intricate interplay of instruments reducing back down to flutes, saxophones, horns and organ. Repetitive motifs create a sense of forward momentum and thrill throughout this movement.

V. Façades

This movement has a haunting and ethereal quality to it, featuring soprano saxophones, synth, viola and cello - each voice carrying its own weight within the texture. The repetitive and minimalistic patterns build a mesmerizing and hypnotic atmosphere, adding to the overall meditative nature of this piece.

VI. Closing

The final movement brings the piece full circle upon its return to the reflective and calming mood. The instrumentation features flute, clarinets, horn, viola, cello and piano. The music gently fades away, leaving a sense of closure and tranquillity within this beautiful conclusion.

Notationally speaking, this work is incredibly interesting because the work was handwritten - allowing for real flexibility as to working outside of the normal restraints of traditional sheet music. Whilst it appears most of this score could now be re-written in notation software, it shows how freeing it can be for a composer to approach a score through handwritten means. You will notice how glass writes short melodic cells in latter movements within this work, and writes "x4" for example - telling the player to play that specific pattern 4 times. Below you can see an example of this, found in the organ part in the fourth movement, 'Rubric':

You can also see in this example that Glass subdivided the cell in the left hand into two x2 cells - an example of the potential flexibility offered by notating minimalist works like this. Of course, all of this aids readability for the players - an often easily neglected part of composition, the presentation of scores. Notating like this cuts out unnecessary repetition on a page, saving space and page turns as well as clarifying to the player where ideas change and what the changes are - as opposed to a mind field of notes on the page. I feel this notation highlights to us how central the minimalist style is to Glass' composition process, which I feel forms the key take away for this week's work.

Conclusion

Philip Glass' 'Glassworks' is a masterful example of minimalist music, showcasing the power of simplicity and repetition. This piece not only stands as a significant work in the minimalist repertoire, but also offers listeners a profound and immersive experience. I will be exploring more of Glass' work in next week's edition of this series, to further appreciate his contribution to modern, minimalist music.