Introduction to Philip Glass' "Harmonium Mountain"
About this video
Gerard Schwarz introduces Philip Glass's Harmonium Mountain, describing Glass as perhaps the most famous living composer and one closely linked with American visual artists. He explains that the piece was used with artist Clifford Ross's work, and that minimalist music seems simple at first but builds interest through layering and small changes.
You'll be able to
- describe who Philip Glass is and the kinds of music he has written.
- explain what 'minimalist' music means and why it is more than just simple.
- explain how music and visual art can enhance each other.
Key words
- Minimalist
- A style of music that uses a small amount of material, repeated and layered with subtle changes.
- Commissioned
- Paid for or requested by someone who asks a composer to write a new piece.
- Layering
- Adding parts on top of each other so that the sound becomes richer.
- Juxtaposition
- Placing two different things side by side so you notice something new about each.
Transcript
- Our next work is Harmonium Mountain by Philip Glass. Philip is maybe the most famous living composer today. (dramatic orchestral music) He's written concertos. He's written symphonies. He's written operas. He's written music for the film. If you talk to anyone involved in the visual arts and you ask them about modern music, the name Philip Glass will come up because he is so attached to so many great American artists.
This piece is no different. It was commissioned by Agnes Gund and Charles Simonyi.
- It was used for a friend of mine's video on using, that's an artist, Clifford Ross, and using all these color panels coming together. (dramatic orchestral music) It's just wonderful how well it works as a modern piece, but how much I feel like it is just as good as music with this modern artist's work as if it were an old master, having that juxtaposition.
It's enhancing on both sides. - We call it minimalist because the material seems to be minimal at first, but with the layering and the subtlety of the work, there's a lot more going on. I mean, this particular piece starts just with the cellos and the violins playing...
(repeating notes on piano) I mean, pretty simple. And then the cellos keep going and the violins change it to... (repeating notes on piano) Again, just a little subtlety. (dramatic orchestral music) It's a little piece of genius. Fascinating, charming, interesting, and absolutely marvelous.
(dramatic orchestral music)
Video © Khan Academy, used under CC BY-NC-SA. Watch on Khan Academy. Puzzicle is not affiliated with Khan Academy.