Philip Glass: Philip on Film

Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.

Byham Theater…

Philip Glass: Philip on Film

Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.

Byham Theater

$20/night for students with ID

(412) 456-6666

Philip Glass is the Eminem of the classical music world – aficionados either praise his innovative genius or clutch their bleeding ears, crying over the unholy death of the genre.

There’s no question that Glass headed up the new and intriguing movement of minimalist music in the late ’60s and ’70s, along with composers Terry Riley and Steve Reich. Inspired by his exposure to Eastern music after working with Indian musician Ravi Shankar on a film score, Glass is known for experimenting with repetition and unusual or completely absent harmonic development in his music. While many listeners find his work challenging to the point of frustration, others find its structural simplicity (in comparison to traditional classical music) compelling. There’s no question, though, that his work tends to be dramatic, especially when played fast and loud as Glass, a man of the rock ‘n’ roll generation, prefers.

This dramatic flair lends itself well to soundtracks for film and theater productions. Some of his better-known film scores include “Candyman,” “Kundun,” and “The Truman Show,” for which he won a Golden Globe Award for Best Score in 1999. However, this weekend some of Glass’s other film works will be presented at the Byham Theater, with Glass and the Philip Glass Ensemble performing the scores live.

Friday evening, Glass and his ensemble will perform scores from short films, including “Passages” by Shirin Nashat, which was recently exhibited at the Regina Gouger Miller Gallery, and whose score Glass composed with Ravi Shankar. Glass will also perform his original scores for other short films by Atom Egoyan, Peter Greenaway, Godfrey Reggio and Michael Rovner.

Glass and his ensemble will perform a full-length film score Saturday evening, to Reggio’s 1982 film “Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance.” The film takes its title from a Hopi Indian word which means, as its subtitle suggests, a life in turmoil or out of balance, and explores the dichotomy between urban technology and natural landscapes. The film is not a typical narrative with characters, but instead a series of images that build to an apocalyptic finish. Either night should provide fans, critics and those new to minimalist music with a couple of hours of unique and thought-provoking sights and sounds.