Flotation Device celebrates the 85th birthday of Philip Glass, one of musical minimalism's most iconic voices. Check out this two-hour survey of career highlights, starting with his formative encounters with Ravi Shankar and Steve Reich in the 1960s, then progressing through his earliest minimalist landmarks and forays into new music theater, thence onto postminimalism before concluding with his brand-new 9th String Quartet, premiered in January 2022. We’re helped by Robert Wilson, David Bowie, Claire Chase, Lucinda Childs, Michael Riesman, the Tana Quartet, Dennis Russell Davies, and multiple generations of The Philip Glass Ensemble.
Annotated playlist and photo credits with Comments. Catch Flotation Device live with host Michael Schell Sunday nights 10pm–Midnight PST on 91.3 KBCS-FM Bellevue/Seattle/Tacoma, streaming at kbcs.fm. And visit us on Facebook and Instagram by Googling "Flotation Device KBCS"
Global chart history
Top position held by this upload
Comments
#1 in Classical, Chillout and Noise in the US. Congrats to our sister show!
Maestro
Agreed.
Flotation Device 2022-01-30: annotated playlist by host Michael Schell
Intro and SET 1: Minimalist Glass with Ravi Shankar: Chappaqua [0:00]
1. [2:15] Philip Glass: Piece in the Shape of a Square. From Density (New Focus, 2013) with Claire Chase (two multitracked flutes). NOTE: Composed 1968
2. [14:59] Philip Glass: Music in Similar Motion. From Music in Similar Motion, Music in Fifths (Chatham Square, 1973, reissued 1994 by Nonesuch) with Philip Glass, Steve Chambers, Art Murphy (electric organs), Jon Gibson, Dickie Landry (soprano saxophones), Robert Prado (flute), Kurt Munkacsi (engineer, electronics). NOTE: Composed November 1969, premiered January 16, 1970, recorded June 1971⠀
⠀
SET 2: Theatrical Glass [32:14]
1. [37:57] Philip Glass: Knee Play 1. From Einstein on the Beach (Tomato Records, 1968, reissued by CBS/Sony) with Lucinda Childs, Sheryl L. Sutton (actors), Large Chorus and Philip Glass Ensemble: Philip Glass (organ), Michael Riesman (organ, conductor), Kurt Munkacsi (sound mix)
2. [41:50] Philip Glass: Act 2, Scene 1 (Dance 1). From Einstein on the Beach (as above) with Small Chorus, Philip Glass Ensemble: Jon Gibson (soprano saxophone, flute), Philip Glass (organ), Richard Landry (flute, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet), Richard Peck (alto saxophone, flute), Michael Riesman (conductor, organ, synthesizer bass, additional keyboards), Kurt Munkacsi (sound mix)
3. [55:31] Outro with Einstein on the Beach - Act 1, Scene 1 (Train)
4. [1:00:35] Philip Glass: Act 4, Scene 2 (Bed). From Einstein on the Beach (as above) with Iris Hiskey (voice), Michael Riesman (organ)⠀
⠀
SET 3: Postminimalist Glass [1:12:53]
1. [1:14:26] Philip Glass: Glassworks - Opening. From Glass Box: A Nonesuch Retrospective (Nonesuch, 2008) with Michael Riesman (piano). NOTE: This is a version of Opening from the 1982 Glassworks album (labeled "from the Orange Mountain Music Archive") which lacks the horn link to the second track on the original release
2. [1:20:38] Philip Glass: Symphony No. 1 (Low) - 1. Subterraneans. From "Low" Symphony (Point Music, 1993) with Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra, Dennis Russell Davies (conductor). NOTE: Composed 1992, based on David Bowie: Low (1977)⠀
⠀
SET 4: Brand-new Glass [1:35:48]
1. [1:38:10] Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 9 (King Lear) - 1. From String Quartet Nos. 8, 9 (Soond, 2022) with Tana Quartet: Antoine Maisonhaute, Ivan Lebrun (violins), Julie Michael (viola), Jeanne Maisonhaute (cello), Vincent Mons (recording engineer). NOTE: Composed 2021, premiered January 15, 2022
2. [1:44:51] Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 9 (King Lear) - 4. From String Quartet Nos. 8, 9 (as above)
3. [1:49:41] Philip Glass: String Quartet No. 9 (King Lear) - 5. From String Quartet Nos. 8, 9 (as above)
4. [1:55:34] Outro with Einstein on the Beach - Knee Play 5 featuring Samuel M. Johnson (actor), Paul Zukovsky (Einstein's violin)
Photo credits: Philip Glass by Steve Pyke, organ passage from Einstein On The Beach, Glass and Robert Wilson by Robert Mapplethorpe, Glass and Claire Chase via City University of New York, Glass and David Bowie by Andrew Eccles, Glass by Chuck Close, Lucinda Childs via Tomato Records, Ravi Shankar via Wikipedia.