Philip Glass, Robert Wilson, The Philip Glass Ensemble – Einstein On The Beach / CBS Masterworks 4x Audio CD, Box Set

M4K 38875

Overview

• Label: CBS Masterworks – M4K 38875
• Format: 4 x CD, Album, Box Set
• Country: UK & Europe
• UPC: Not provided
• Genre: Electronic, Non-Music, Classical, Stage & Screen
• Style: Modern Classical, Abstract, Minimal, Avantgarde

Tracklist

Disc 1

Act I
1-1. Knee Play 1 - 3:52
1-2. Scene 1: Train - 17:20
1-3. Scene 2: Trial - 23:20

Disc 2

Act II
2-1. Knee Play 2 - 6:50
2-2. Scene 1: Dance 1 (Field With Spaceship) - 13:41
2-3. Scene 2: Night Train - 13:52
2-4. Knee Play 3 - 5:39

Disc 3

Act III
3-1. Scene 1: Trial/Prison - 18:15
3-2. Scene 2: Dance 2 (Field With Spaceship) - 17:10
3-3. Knee Play 4 - 6:46

Disc 4

Act IV
4-1. Scene 1: Building - 7:30
4-2. Scene 2: Bed - 11:49
4-3. Scene 3: Spaceship - 13:23
4-4. Knee Play 5 - 5:33

Description

Einstein On The Beach, composed by Philip Glass with stage direction by Robert Wilson, is a groundbreaking opera characterized by its minimalist music and avant-garde theatrical presentation. Released as a 4-disc box set under CBS Masterworks, this album captures the entirety of the opera, known for its abstract narrative and repetitive, evolving musical motifs.

The opera is structured into four acts (each represented on a separate disc), interspersed with "Knee Plays" which serve as interludes between scenes. Philip Glass's music, performed by The Philip Glass Ensemble under the direction of Michael Riesman, combines electronic and classical instrumentation to create a mesmerizing sonic landscape that complements Wilson's visionary staging.

Featuring a large chorus and a diverse cast of vocalists and actors, including Lucinda Childs and Samuel M. Johnson among others, Einstein On The Beach challenges traditional opera norms with its non-linear narrative and extended musical structures.