1/31Today in Weird Music History: 1937. Happy Birthday Phillip Glass! America’s most prominent proponent of musical minimalism is born on this day in Baltimore, Maryland. Phillip Glass has actually composed in a variety of styles throughout his career, but his use of simple repeated motives, layering and slow paced transformation became his recognizable and influential modus operandi. Perhaps most indicative is his Music in Twelve Parts, a six-hour long piece. His most memorable piece continues to be the opera Einstein at the Beach, an innovative and sometimes incomprehensible work considered one of the most important stage works of the late 20th century. His popularity cuts across many presupposed boundaries, illustrated by his 1986 appearance as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
(Photo credit: Raymond Meier)
Happy birthday (plus a day) Phillip Glass! WMH – thanks for letting me know!