The chair is a strong image, but you wouldn’t want to sit in it, which is sort of the problem with the operas. Note that Wilson says that upon agreeing to collaborate, he and Glass decided on the length of the production before almost anything else. I was taught in school that once Existential angst and Abstract Expressionist flailing became hackneyed we got to the point where boredom became exciting, hence Minimalism. We used to take pride in how long one could look at a blank painting, or whether you could sit through something like Einstein, or a four hour landscape movie by Michael Snow. I suspect Wagner’s fans have a bit of that in them (don’t mess with those folks.) Epic scale has its rewards, but one recalls Borges’ comment about why should he write a novel when he could say what he needed to in a short story. Still, I’ve found Minimalist music can be engaging and can transport one into a trance-like state which requires a certain duration and immersion to achieve. Try getting stoned and renting Koyaanisqatsi.
Wilson, I think, can be a skillful manipulator of images. It’s interesting that he’s now doing St Anthony. As I recenty mentioned, in relation to Gunewald, this is a subject of some concern to me, though I imagine our interpretations differ. All protestations aside, theater and visual art dispense with the viewer’s body, at least compared to a performance of popular music where the audience dances. Certain mind-altering experiences of that sort were ultimately more important to me than anything I got out of the “serious” art world, but there’s been a degree of overlap. That’s why electronic dance music has inherited the cachet of psychedelic freak-out jamming, and both have employed hypnotic rhythms and long duration. Dave recently posted something about My Bloody Valentine, which was a really great band that straddled the line between rock, art, and dance music. I saw them play one chord for twenty minutes, a very Minimalist trope, but you could dance to it. Of course my ears were ringing for a week after…
"shot mostly in the desert Southwest and New York City on a tiny budget with no script, then attracting the support of Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas and enlisting the indispensable musical contribution of Philip Glass--" I will have to check it out, thanks!
Despite the negative link I posted on R. Wilson's Temptation of Saint Anthony I have heard it is a pretty interesting interpretation. Apparently he and Bernice Johnson Reagon put it together after a week out at watermill together (conceived in one week?! can we say minimal amount of time?). I don’t really have anything of interest to add re: Grunewald (unless the fact that the few painting I have seen have given me bad dreams counts).
I'd say bad dreams count for a lot, but try this one.
trivia from last night:
Philip Glass was the studio assistant to Richard Serra for three years.
saw and heard:
Glass composed non narrative music to architecture for the opening sequence of Soderbergh's NAQOYQATSI.
Mr. Glass reports:
if you look at one image to different kinds of music, the music will change how you view the image.
But, if you try the exercise the other way around, and listen to one composition while viewing different images the images will not change what you hear in the music.
Sounds like a musician talking.
I think two things next to each other will each effect the other every time.
"text, image, movement and music are my earth, wind, water and fire" P.Glass
Wait, Earth Wind & Fire were there - and I missed it?!?!?!?!?
LOL, you really missed a great "Jungle Boogie" jam.
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Wilson, I think, can be a skillful manipulator of images. It’s interesting that he’s now doing St Anthony. As I recenty mentioned, in relation to Gunewald, this is a subject of some concern to me, though I imagine our interpretations differ. All protestations aside, theater and visual art dispense with the viewer’s body, at least compared to a performance of popular music where the audience dances. Certain mind-altering experiences of that sort were ultimately more important to me than anything I got out of the “serious” art world, but there’s been a degree of overlap. That’s why electronic dance music has inherited the cachet of psychedelic freak-out jamming, and both have employed hypnotic rhythms and long duration. Dave recently posted something about My Bloody Valentine, which was a really great band that straddled the line between rock, art, and dance music. I saw them play one chord for twenty minutes, a very Minimalist trope, but you could dance to it. Of course my ears were ringing for a week after…
- alex 3-23-2004 5:06 am
"shot mostly in the desert Southwest and New York City on a tiny budget with no script, then attracting the support of Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas and enlisting the indispensable musical contribution of Philip Glass--" I will have to check it out, thanks!
Despite the negative link I posted on R. Wilson's Temptation of Saint Anthony I have heard it is a pretty interesting interpretation. Apparently he and Bernice Johnson Reagon put it together after a week out at watermill together (conceived in one week?! can we say minimal amount of time?). I don’t really have anything of interest to add re: Grunewald (unless the fact that the few painting I have seen have given me bad dreams counts).
- selma 3-23-2004 6:09 pm [add a comment]
I'd say bad dreams count for a lot, but try this one.
- alex 3-23-2004 8:31 pm [add a comment]
trivia from last night:
Philip Glass was the studio assistant to Richard Serra for three years.
saw and heard:
Glass composed non narrative music to architecture for the opening sequence of Soderbergh's NAQOYQATSI.
Mr. Glass reports:
if you look at one image to different kinds of music, the music will change how you view the image.
But, if you try the exercise the other way around, and listen to one composition while viewing different images the images will not change what you hear in the music.
- selma 4-08-2004 9:37 pm [add a comment]
Sounds like a musician talking.
I think two things next to each other will each effect the other every time.
- alex 4-08-2004 10:20 pm [add a comment]
"text, image, movement and music are my earth, wind, water and fire" P.Glass
- selma 4-08-2004 10:47 pm [add a comment]
Wait, Earth Wind & Fire were there - and I missed it?!?!?!?!?
- jim 4-08-2004 11:00 pm [add a comment]
LOL, you really missed a great "Jungle Boogie" jam.
- selma 4-08-2004 11:23 pm [add a comment]