7 ms·

I saw Glass at a performing arts center in my hometown. The PAC has a lot of season ticket holders, and Glass' music triggered an older attendee to march to the

I saw Glass at a performing arts center in my hometown. The PAC has a lot of season ticket holders, and Glass' music triggered an older attendee to march to the front of the auditorium and yell, "this isn't music". He was quickly ushered out by his wife, but Glass was noticeably smirking, and the whole thing really added to the avant garde vibe of the performance. Amazing concert BTW. One of my favorite artists.

andrewljohnson 6y ago
I wonder if there is any chance that's stagepersonship.
- hypertele-Xii 6y ago
  Paid actor.
- jedimastert 6y ago
  I think I trust Phillip Glass a bit more than that.
- jtbayly 6y ago
  You mean stagemanship?
  - pnut 6y ago
    You mean venueentityvessel?
AndrewUnmuted 6y ago
The label "avant-garde" is surprising to see used to describe Philip Glass's works. What performance were you attending?
- barbecue_sauce 6y ago
  Philip Glass is constantly described as avant-garde. You may take issue with that label, but I hardly see how it can be surprising.
  - AndrewUnmuted 6y ago
    It's a ridiculous label to apply to Philip Glass. He would likely reject it himself. The word "avant-garde" comes up not once in Philip Glass's Wikipedia article [0]. The only uses of the word "experimental" are in reference to his early interest in experimental theater. Philip Glass is easily the most popular, mainstream living music composer. His music is extremely "listenable," and inoffensive to the casual listener. Calling him avant-garde is a complete disservice to what he has actually accomplished in his career. It's more avant-garde to call Philip Glass avant-garde than his music is avant-garde. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Glass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Glass
    - garbagetime 6y ago
      > It's a ridiculous label to apply to Philip Glass. I disagree. >The word "avant-garde" comes up not once in Philip Glass's Wikipedia article The only uses of the word "experimental" are in reference to his early interest in experimental theater. What's that meant to show? I opened the first four references on that Wikipedia article and all contained the phrase 'avant-garde': [1]https://www.biography.com/musician/philip-glass https://www.biography.com/musician/philip-glass >Philip Glass is an Oscar-nominated avant-garde composer whose notable works include 'Einstein on the Beach,' 'The Hours' and 'Notes on a Scandal.' [2]https://nymag.com/news/features/influentials/16903/ https://nymag.com/news/features/influentials/16903/ >Took the avant-garde mainstream, offering hope and inspiration to countless composer-followers. [3]https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/nov/24/arts.highereducation1 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/nov/24/arts.highe... >The project that would propel Glass from downtown New York notoriety to international stardom came in 1976 - an avant-garde music theatre collaboration with theatre visionary Robert Wilson" [4]https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9ugCQfxwym0C/page/n5/mode/2up?q=avant-garde https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9ugCQfxwym0C/page/n5/mode... OK, this one doesn't use the phrase in reference to Glass.
- jedimastert 6y ago
  I agree. He was required reading in several of my music degree courses
- easytiger 6y ago
  Unrelated anecdote, but I once went to a 3 hour John Cage concert. Genuinely awful, and about as thought provoking as a piece of cardboard. That was avant-garde, apparently.
  - AndrewUnmuted 6y ago
    Yes, John Cage is probably the most well-known "avant-garde" composer. Calling music by this term communicates a powerful judgment about its place in musical history. And it is simply, unavoidably incorrect. It has nothing to do with the music itself - it has to do with his musical process and how it jives with the basic musical environment of his time. If the whole musical world were like John Cage, Philip Glass's works would definitely be avant-garde. But because the musical world is a lot more like Philip Glass, using the word "avant-garde" to describe his contributions is simply untrue.
    - easytiger 6y ago
      Yes indeed. A lady playing a cactus was the point at which we decided to take our leave, around the 3 hour mark. I struggled and read a lot to understand the foundations of modern art. I found a lot of the intellectual constructions very unconvincing contrivances. I imagine I'd feel the same way about such compositions; an area in which I am certainly a neophyte
      - rolfea 6y ago
        maybe you've come across it, but Silverman's biography does a good job tracing how Cage came to a lot of his compositional convictions. I don't think it would convince you to enjoy his work, but I found it to be a really good read, regardless! https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Again-Biography-John-Cage/dp/0810128306/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1&keywords=john+cage&qid=1607448100&s=books&sr=1-17 https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Again-Biography-John-Cage/dp/08...
      - kaybe 6y ago
        May I ask, how does one play a cactus?
- tmountain 6y ago
  A performance at the University of Florida Performing Arts center here in Gainesville. This was back in the nineties.
JoeDaDude 6y ago
Steve Reich mentioned a similar anecdote in which an audience member came up to the stage and banged on it with his shoe demanding that the playing be stopped.
- nefitty 6y ago
  Similar things have happened to me when me and my previous punk band used to play at unsuspecting bars hahaha. I love Glass and Reich even more now!
- enneff 6y ago
  Imagine being so arrogant as to demand a performance be stopped rather than just leaving.
holri 6y ago
There was a Skandalkonzert conducted by Schönberg in the Viennese Musikverein which lead to a slap and a lawsuit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandalkonzert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandalkonzert
marshray 6y ago
I saw the same thing happen 2002-ish. Have to admit I was a little disappointed to find that wasn't part of the show.

andrewljohnson 6y ago

I wonder if there is any chance that's stagepersonship.

hypertele-Xii 6y ago
Paid actor.
jedimastert 6y ago
I think I trust Phillip Glass a bit more than that.
jtbayly 6y ago
You mean stagemanship?
- pnut 6y ago
  You mean venueentityvessel?

AndrewUnmuted 6y ago

The label "avant-garde" is surprising to see used to describe Philip Glass's works. What performance were you attending?

barbecue_sauce 6y ago
Philip Glass is constantly described as avant-garde. You may take issue with that label, but I hardly see how it can be surprising.
- AndrewUnmuted 6y ago
  It's a ridiculous label to apply to Philip Glass. He would likely reject it himself. The word "avant-garde" comes up not once in Philip Glass's Wikipedia article [0]. The only uses of the word "experimental" are in reference to his early interest in experimental theater. Philip Glass is easily the most popular, mainstream living music composer. His music is extremely "listenable," and inoffensive to the casual listener. Calling him avant-garde is a complete disservice to what he has actually accomplished in his career. It's more avant-garde to call Philip Glass avant-garde than his music is avant-garde. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Glass https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Glass
  - garbagetime 6y ago
    > It's a ridiculous label to apply to Philip Glass. I disagree. >The word "avant-garde" comes up not once in Philip Glass's Wikipedia article The only uses of the word "experimental" are in reference to his early interest in experimental theater. What's that meant to show? I opened the first four references on that Wikipedia article and all contained the phrase 'avant-garde': [1]https://www.biography.com/musician/philip-glass https://www.biography.com/musician/philip-glass >Philip Glass is an Oscar-nominated avant-garde composer whose notable works include 'Einstein on the Beach,' 'The Hours' and 'Notes on a Scandal.' [2]https://nymag.com/news/features/influentials/16903/ https://nymag.com/news/features/influentials/16903/ >Took the avant-garde mainstream, offering hope and inspiration to countless composer-followers. [3]https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/nov/24/arts.highereducation1 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/nov/24/arts.highe... >The project that would propel Glass from downtown New York notoriety to international stardom came in 1976 - an avant-garde music theatre collaboration with theatre visionary Robert Wilson" [4]https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9ugCQfxwym0C/page/n5/mode/2up?q=avant-garde https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9ugCQfxwym0C/page/n5/mode... OK, this one doesn't use the phrase in reference to Glass.
jedimastert 6y ago
I agree. He was required reading in several of my music degree courses
easytiger 6y ago
Unrelated anecdote, but I once went to a 3 hour John Cage concert. Genuinely awful, and about as thought provoking as a piece of cardboard. That was avant-garde, apparently.
- AndrewUnmuted 6y ago
  Yes, John Cage is probably the most well-known "avant-garde" composer. Calling music by this term communicates a powerful judgment about its place in musical history. And it is simply, unavoidably incorrect. It has nothing to do with the music itself - it has to do with his musical process and how it jives with the basic musical environment of his time. If the whole musical world were like John Cage, Philip Glass's works would definitely be avant-garde. But because the musical world is a lot more like Philip Glass, using the word "avant-garde" to describe his contributions is simply untrue.
  - easytiger 6y ago
    Yes indeed. A lady playing a cactus was the point at which we decided to take our leave, around the 3 hour mark. I struggled and read a lot to understand the foundations of modern art. I found a lot of the intellectual constructions very unconvincing contrivances. I imagine I'd feel the same way about such compositions; an area in which I am certainly a neophyte
    - rolfea 6y ago
      maybe you've come across it, but Silverman's biography does a good job tracing how Cage came to a lot of his compositional convictions. I don't think it would convince you to enjoy his work, but I found it to be a really good read, regardless! https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Again-Biography-John-Cage/dp/0810128306/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1&keywords=john+cage&qid=1607448100&s=books&sr=1-17 https://www.amazon.com/Begin-Again-Biography-John-Cage/dp/08...
    - kaybe 6y ago
      May I ask, how does one play a cactus?
tmountain 6y ago
A performance at the University of Florida Performing Arts center here in Gainesville. This was back in the nineties.

JoeDaDude 6y ago

Steve Reich mentioned a similar anecdote in which an audience member came up to the stage and banged on it with his shoe demanding that the playing be stopped.

nefitty 6y ago
Similar things have happened to me when me and my previous punk band used to play at unsuspecting bars hahaha. I love Glass and Reich even more now!
enneff 6y ago
Imagine being so arrogant as to demand a performance be stopped rather than just leaving.

holri 6y ago

There was a Skandalkonzert conducted by Schönberg in the Viennese Musikverein which lead to a slap and a lawsuit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandalkonzert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skandalkonzert

marshray 6y ago

I saw the same thing happen 2002-ish. Have to admit I was a little disappointed to find that wasn't part of the show.