Glass music (was Truman Show thoughts (some spoilers))

T0Morrow@aol.com
Wed, 1 Jul 1998 14:49:47 EDT

> The music from the [TS] _feels_ Extropian to me. Spontaneous
> Order and such... what's a better example than music improvisation round
the
> clock?
>
> A note about the score... it's by Burkhard Dallwitz, with multiple tracks
by
> Philip Glass. In fact, two of my favorite bits are originally from Anima
> Mundi, a very well-produced (and narrator-free) special on PBS a few years
> back. Philip Glass apparently scored the entire thing.
>
> But all I know about him is that he "appeared" briefly on South Park for
the
> Christmas "Mr. Hanky" episode. Has anyone anything more on this guy?
> -s6

I've been a Glass fan for a long, long while. In fact, I think I can lay claim to turning Max More onto the composer! Max and I, when we shared an apartment, often enjoyed listening to the soundtrack from "Powaqquatsi." The powerful scene where Truman starts to enter his office, only to spin round and round the revolving door as the realization of his condition fully hits him, uses music from that soundtrack.

I prefer the earlier soundtrack from "Mishima," a portion of which served as the backdrop for the climatic scene where TS hits the wall of his world. If you liked that, I can also suggest the soundtrack from "Koyaanisqatsi," an incredibly powerful work that, unfortunately, serves to advance a rather entropic message. Happily, Glass himself has evinced a love of high-and mega- --see his liner notes to "Itaipu -- The Canyon."

Be forewarned: The subtle and lengthy works that Glass wrote relatively early in his career do not suit many tastes. His works of the last decade or so use somewhat more obvious melodic structures (too obvious for me, at times). But by working backwards, even impatient listeners can come to appreciate Glass as a pioneer and giant in minimalism.

Tom