Customer Reviews

Glass: Einstein on the Beach (1993 Recording)

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Einstein on the Beach is hardcore Philip Glass with its frenzied (and repetitive) pace, nonsensical poems, and exhaustive length. While this opera helped propel his fame, I would not recommend diving into it if you are looking for an introduction to what Philip Glass writes. Personally, I discovered and grew to love this music through the compilation CD, Songs from the Trilogy. It is cheaper than any recording of these three operas and lets you hear the best of what they have to offer. Of the three, I think Einstein on the Beach is the most difficult to appreciate and even after purchasing, it sat on my shelf. Yet, over time, I begin to hear more than the "One, two, three" and violins sawing away: there's a delicate sound beneath it all. Akhnaten and Satyagraha have this quality as well, but it's easier to hear at first listening. So if you're a casual Philip Glass listener, be prepared to not like Einstein at first because it is so much different than his more recent releases.

For die-hard Glass fans, this recording is the longer (and cheaper) of the two available. If you enjoy his Music in Twelve Parts and other earlier works, this opera is a real treat. Since Einstein is such a monumental piece in the Glass library, it's a must buy. But if you're looking for something less hardcore, try Songs from the Trilogy. I gave five stars because when compared to other music, it's still awe-inspiring, but when compared to other Philip Glass music, especially the other two operas, it rates three stars.

Presumably, if you're reading this, you're shopping for one of the two Einstein on the Beach recordings and trying to pick between the two. This is a VASTLY superior disc. The improvement in synthesizer capabilities in the decades between the earlier recording and this one are notable from the beginning of Disc 1, Track 1. The organs here as a result have a warmer, fuller sound. Recording technology also improved, and the overall result is better tone, better clarity. Fulkerson's violin playing is more soulful than Zukovsky's, and his huge sound is far more appropriate in much of the passagework. There is far greater accuracy and superior tone and clarity throughout in the other instruments as well, in particular the piccolos, and the choir here is simply better. Finally, the price tag is somewhat less discouraging.

If you like Einstein on the Beach, absolutely get this recording. If you are curious about Philip Glass and want a representative sample of his best music, absolutely get this recording.

I must confess that I didn't really like Einstein on the Beach, but like so much 20th century music, it has really grown on me.

This is the definitive recording of the four-plus-hour "opera." For those unfamiliar with this landmark in modern music, it is said by many to be one of the most well known examples of `minimalist' music (although Glass himself evidently abhors this term).

Unlike most western compositions which rely on harmony, melody, and such, EOTB's music is based almost completely on rhythm. In order to hear the complex rhythmic relationships, Glass decided to pare down his music into basic harmonies and melodies. While it seems constant at first, Glass' music evolves at an almost-glacial pace, and the music actually seldom repeats itself.

EOTB debuted in 1976 and is a non-narrative history of the famous scientist. Instead of a plot, the opera unfolds much like a dream, representing the various aspects of Einstein and his life--the violinist, the humorist, and the scientist who's discoveries `enabled' space travel, time distortion, other various aspects of modern society, and, of course, nuclear annihilation.

The liner booklet is exceptional and does a much better job explaining the opera than an amateur like me ever could.

I really like this music and find it entrancing. Almost all the dialogue is present on this recording, which also helps provide some of the effect of the performance.

Although EOTB has much in common with popular techno music, I don't think it would make a great gift for anybody who doesn't know what it's about. If you have heard of EOTB and find it at least interesting, then you'll enjoy this CD set.

Einstein on the Beach is one of the great works of music/theatre (as opposed to opera, or even traditional "musical theatre") of the 20th century, but the rerecording suffers from the bloated, cheap pretentiousness that characterizes almost all of Philip Glass's later work. Dilettantes criticize the original for the "artificial" timbre of the synthesizers, ignorant of the idea that the sound of the synthesizers are part of the piece as a historical text, or that the grating sound of the original recording actually emphasizes the formal qualities of Glass's minimalism. Utterly lacking in the irony and wit that made the first not only fascinating, but a pleasure to listen to, the rerecording is just dull.

I seem to be in the minority, but I prefer the original recording. What this version gains in performance and sonics, it loses in bite and immediacy. I came to Glass from rock music. The earlier recording had attitude and human energy. This one is fine art. I guess it depends what you're in the mood to hear.

The text has been altered quite a bit. I can live with everything except the new "Mr. Bojangles"; for some reason, Glass decided that the speaker should EMOTE in an odd self-conscious way. It doesn't work. The deadpan humor is gone.

The new sax line in "Building" (formerly "Building/Train") seems to have wandered in from a different universe. We're zooming through a mathematical soundworld ... and there's Kenny G. This piece has been extensively revised. The old version suggested a train at full throttle. This version is much slower, with muted organ and a meditative vibe.

The "Bed" aria is technically flawless (a definite "improvement"), but it doesn't have the plaintive, haunting feel of the first recording. This singer has a strong, formal, "operatic" style.

Someone was wondering why the earlier version was a 4-CD set. The reason is, it was originally a 4-LP box. At the time, 4 vinyl records meant 4 shiny compact discs. CDs were still a strange new medium for rich people. It took a while for the public to demand longer discs and lower prices.

Einstein on the Beach is completely amazing. I had listened to it as background music before buying my own copy. As background music, it didn't move me. As a Glass-fan, I found it good, but nothing special. I then sat down and actually listened to it. After the three CDs had played, I found my view completely changed. The sheer beauty of the opera was astounding. In some parts, like the Knee Plays, the music was layered with a heavy coating of both optimism and gloom, yet retained its musical "simplicity". This is the thing about Einstein on the Beach that makes me think it is one of the greatest pieces of music ever. The music has so much emotion in it, yet it is almost impossible to discern what type of emotion. Sometimes it feels extremely lonely and in a few seconds, within the same musical recursion, it feels lofty and light. The spoken texts compliment this feature of the music so well. If you enjoy Philip Glass or any other good music, and want a beautiful work that touches every emotion you have without overloading feeling or ever clearly expressing any emotion at all, buy this. NOW.

Having read the preceding reviews, I'm wondering if any of the writers have actually SEEN this opera in its entirety.

I had the pleasure and privilege of seeing the Met premier of EOB in 1976, and then the Brooklyn Academy of Music version last decade. Although listening to the music certainly gives you a good general idea of Glass' output and of the power of this specific piece, seeing it first hand is another matter altogether. First off, the Wilson visuals for EOB are, in themselves, a breakwater in American theatrical/operatic staging and production. The Act IV, Scene II image of the bed (pictured on the cover of the Nonsuch recording) taking twenty or so minutes to imperceptibly lift off of the stage, then float up and out of site remains one of the most indelible images in all my years of viewing opera/theater. The combination of the visuals and the music exponentially raises the emotional and visceral level of the experience to a transcedent level. I remember, after experiencing the preceeding overwhelming four or so hours of the opera, during which I passed from amazement through utter astonishment to total epiphany, actually weeping during the final Knee Play as Mr. Johnson read aloud his text "Two lovers sat on a park bench....".

As for the recordings themselves, the earlier Sony recording really does convey the sense of that immediacy and visceral astonishment that attends the live opera. Yes, it's not a "note perfect" performance (far from it), but you really have a sense of what it's like to be watching the visuals, the musicians down in the pit area valiently striving to perform this incredibly demanding music - you can almost imagine hearing the heavy breathing of the dancers on the stage as the complex and acrobatic movement by Wilson puts them through their paces. On the other hand, Glass and his group did (rather early on) perform EOB in a "concert setting." The Nonsuch recording has much more of this feel, more note perfect and cooler, as the musicians aren't reacting to the excitement being created by the staging and movement.

Most importantly, if you haven't seen the opera, and if they ever drag it out and tour it again, absolutely expend whatever efforts are necessary (travel, etc.) to see this opera live. It will be well worth the expense and energy.

This was my first exposure to Philip Glass. I instantly fell in love with the work, and was glad when this version was released. The quality is top line, and other editions are edited.
I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Glass a few years ago. I nervously approached him, held out the booklet that accompanies this set, and asked for an autograph. He smiled, opened and signed it, and said "You got the real thing."

A modern-day re-recording of the opera, slightly longer than the original (by 40 minutes or so), and with a smoother, less edgy sound. Effectively there isn't much difference - think of it as an extended version, and if you have the original, there isn't anything astonishingly different here (although the closing narration, puzzlingly cut short before, is here in full). The performers are much the same, although the booming voice of the judge is provided by a different player, the original having sadly died.

As for the music itself, it's wonderful, batty, utterly distinctive and very different to Glass's later, more conservative, work. The opening segment uses the most epic series of three repeated notes imaginable, and it veers from tunefulness, to complete mania (a length section in which a violinist dementedly runs through scales, hammering out the notes faster and fast, stands out), and beyond - for one astonishing sequence, a chorus chants numbers at impossible speed, a capella. The performers are folded into mechanical shapes and you'll wonder how human beings could possibly produce so much music, so quickly, for so long. It waxes and wanes, fading up to a melancholic conclusion in which two people sit on a park bench and talk.

It doesn't really 'mean' any one thing, any more than a spanner or a cockroach 'means' something, and it's astonishing.

Have you ever heard music that changes your life? Maybe it was a song that stays locked in your short-term memory for decades, which matured and blended over years between listenings until the next time you have heard it. And when you do....

It is EXACTLY the way you remembered it! And more...

I accidently discovered Einstein on the Beach in my college's music listening lab. It became a part of my internal soundtrack, almost like a meditative chant, when I painted or wrote. It is STILL there to unlock my creativity.

This Phillip Glass / Robert Wilson piece may not be for everyone (it drives my wife, who is logical,wonderful,the order to my clutter, and likes almost all of the same music I do, round the bend). There is not only the familiar (and welcome) signature Glass music line that permeates most of his work, but a vocal organisation to match. The lyrics/phrasing and timing are mathematically precise and dramatically circular. All while telling a story (A Story?) Well, it isn't necessary to even pay attention to the meaning of the lyrics to enjoy the CDs. The music is only enhanced by them.

BUT if you like Kowaanisqatsi, The cIVIl warS, David Byrne's The Forest, Brian Eno's instrumetals, I can highly recommend EINSTEIN ON THE BEACH.

It is one of the few pieces of music I could not bear to part with.