Round Up: 75th Birthday Celebrations and Coverage (UPDATED w/Super Bowl)

(The Glass Birthday Cake)

Needless to say, I've been preoccupied with many things over the past week. The most immediately newsworthy was the US premiere and iTunes release of the Ninth Symphony.  Right before that, during, and after there have been a number of pieces on Philip Glass which I'll attempt to list below:

*The Accidental Symphonist: Philip Glass Turns 75, and Celebrates with his Ninth Symphony

A preview piece by the Daily News' Paul Pelkonen

*Philip Glass, 75, Has an iTunes Hit with his Ninth Symphony

The Los Angeles Times' Culture Monster Reports on the recording of Glass' new symphony which came in at No.15 on the iTunes Pop Charts, No.1 on the Classical Charts

*Honoring a Composer after a Digital Preview

The New York TImes' Allan Kozinn reviews the Carnegie Hall US premiere of Symphony No.9, as well as the recording of the work by the Bruckner Orchester Linz

*Celebrating the Greatness of Philip Glass

Matthew Guerrieri from the Boston Globe reports on the gala and symphony premiere

* A Prolific Composer Pauses, Briefly, For His Birthday

Two Days Earlier the New York Times' Kozinn also attended Glass' Birthday Party at New York's club Le Poisson Rouge

*Raising a Glass to America's Most Famous Contemporary Composer

NPR Music's Anastasia Tsioulcas talks Symphony No.9 and the Glass birthday party at LPR

*Philip Glass on His 75th Birthday, Songs of Protest and his Annual Tibet House Benefit

from the Huffington Post

* Had I Never Listened Closely Enough, On Trying to Like Philip Glass, again and again and again

Writer Justin Davidson repeats that he doesn't like Philip Glass - with the one exception of Songs & Poems, Glass' only good piece.

*Choose Your Own Operatic Philip Glass Adventure

New York's Classical Radio Station WQXR posted this piece on Glass' operas

*Philip Glass Gets Contemporary Cookie Puss Cake on his 75th Birthday

VH1's Blog has the story and a photo of Soundcheck's John Schaefer honoring the composer with his own cookie puss ice cream cake.

(Glass' Cookie Puss)

*BSO Journeys Through Time in Grand Fashion

The Baltimore Symphony under Marin Alsop performed Glass' LIFE: A Journey Through Time in the composer's native Baltimore

*Rarely Staged "Orphée" comes to Norfolk

A piece on the Glimmerglass production of Orphée which has been making the rounds and is now touring Virgina. The funny part about this article is that it says "in only the fifth ever American production."  This is totally bizarre since most operas are lucky to get one production. 

*Madison Opera's "Galileo" sings of Scientific Discoveries

Lindsay Christians review of Madison Opera's new production of Glass' opera Galileo. 

Her follow up article titled "Galileo maps the Universe of a Scientist and Philosopher.

In another review, reviewer William R. Wineke writes in his review:

* Madison Opera Breathes Life into Galileo Galilei:

"Since the score, vintage Glass, basically consists of a few notes played over and over for 90 minutes, they all did a remarkable job. My wife did not think the score was boring. She likes Philip Glass.  And, to be honest, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would."

*An Entertaining but Troubled Glass opera in Raleigh

North Carolina Opera produced Glass' Les Enfants Terribles. Brian Howe reports

And I have a vague distant memory of something having to do with Einstein on the Beach happening only two weeks ago.

And anyone watching the Super Bowl yesterday might have caught this music in the background:

Comments

[Chris Slaby]

I was so excited to hear that commercial! Was the music used legally?

[Richard Guerin]

Yes, the obtained a permission from Glass.

[Chris Slaby]

Thanks, it's wonderful to hear that! It makes the commercial twice as good. A happy music surprise, and used with proper permission by the people who have legal and creative rights!

[Brinkley Kactus]

A belated birthday present for Mr. Glass; I've made up a little video of the song I wrote, using Kathleen MacQueen's poem 'To Philip Glass', (a few months ago), and posted it on youtube (a new experience for me). Fans of "Glassical" music might appreciate it! Hopefully this link will take you to it: http://youtu.be/REaHzvURjxU

[Maxim]

Awesome, Brinkley! And thank you for posting this. I've been meaning to e-mail you for the song but couldn't find that post.

Glad to finally hear it. Excellent work.

[Brinkley Kactus]

Thanks Maxim, I just wish I could've made a better video; it would've been good to throw some images of Glass up there to go with the music, but it's beyond my ability at the moment! (I hope Kathleen MacQueen approves).