An opera that is not an opera.
Philip Glass (1937) called his composition Einstein on the Beach an opera. However, the piece has little in common with traditional opera. There is no storyline, and the text mainly consists of numbers, note names, and fragments of radio programs.
Glass collaborated with director Robert Wilson (1941) for the piece. He made sketches loosely based on Albert Einstein. For example, sketches of a spaceship and a train referred to the theory of relativity, which Einstein explained using the example of a moving train. Glass then based his music on these sketches.
Program details:
1. Philip Glass. Fragments from Einstein on the Beach: “Knee Play 1,” “Trial 1,” “Spaceship,” and “Knee Play 5.”
Philip Glass Ensemble conducted by Michael Riesman.
