"Having performed "The State of the Tibetan Nation: A Madrigal Opera" many times with Christina Fong in the late 1990s, it is wonderful to finally hear this little-known but very important Glass work on disc. I wish that we had been allowed to record our version back in the late 1990s when we performed it on a regular basis for a 2-year period throughout the midwest and Canada (Canadian premiere at Open Ears Festival). This is some of the finest solo string writing of Glass's early career. One can hear the seeds of Koyaanisqatsi (in the solo viola movement) along with Glass's unique choral writing style, soon to be heard in Satyagraha."
First the title. The Madrigal Opera is described by its composer as a chamber opera with an unspecified story line, allowing different narrative content to be inserted and thus making it potentially a different story each time it is performed. In this respect, it is more like a ballet than an opera. This is not surprising, since it is of the same period in the composer's career as Einstein on the Beach, which could also be described as more like a ballet than an opera.
Now the music. The piece is scored for 6 voices with violin and viola. The format is one in which Glass has often worked and continues to do so. The opening and closing pieces, here called "opening" and "closing" as in Glassworks, are bookends to four central pieces, here called Parts I-IV. However, musically parts III and IV combine to create a structure somewhat parallel to parts I and II.
The use of strings for accompaniment provide a clue that the music will be passionate. String writing seems to bring out the strongest, even delirious emotions in Glass' composition. Think of the string quartets, the third symphony with the sublime violin solo in the third movement, the obligato of the darkest song from Book of Longing (the heart-rending "Babylon"), or the breathtaking violin concerto number 1. And the Madrigal Opera doesn't disappoint in this regard. Errol Morris is known for saying that Glass "does existential dread better than anybody." I would add a paraphrase, relevant especially to parts 1 and 2 of the Madrigal Opera, that Glass does ecstasy better than anybody."
YEAH!
Eric Mars | San Francisco, CA | 12/10/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This truly IS an important Glass work. I'm elated!!! As the other reviewer says you can hear the seeds of Koyaanisqatsi (Pruit Igoe to be exact, but actually, more detailed, complex and emotional.) If you're a Glass devotee you're a bit jaded about new releases - so much repetition (ha ha). But this is truly glorious and different - it's not 'yet another soulless recording of Music in 14,257 parts' by any means. I would actually also have to put Naqoyqaatsi and EOTB Knee Play 5 in this family. It's PG without compromises and taking no prisoners. It's not decorative, it's not meant to prove you're smart. It's meant to move you. And it does. I give credit to the musicians - it's INCREDIBLY performed by musicians who truly understand the music. Very emotional. Not mechanical in the least. The non-initiated may hear squeaks on a chalkboard, those who understand. Will cry."
Earlier Glass work with an intimate and beautiful scoring
Douglas Burkett | Central FL | 12/27/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Containing Glass' early, repetative style yet beautiful and intimate, this music was a surprise and 'A Madrigal Opera' will likely be one of my favorite Glass CDs over time. This is truly one of the most unique pieces I have heard from Glass and it is one of the most original, refreshing CD releases of his work in a while from the OMM label.
Scored for a very intimate performance of violin, viola and six voices, this work contains all of the intense, repetative (and occasionally dissonent) tonalities heard in his early works but scores them for this small, almost gentle sounding orchestartion of stings and voices. It's nothing short of a Glass paradox by taking the kind of heavy, repetative structures you would expect from 'Koyaanisqatsi' and then having them performed through this almost ethereal sounding scoring. But even though the flavor of the piece is 'early Glass', I never felt as if 'I have heard this before' or felt as if Glass was borrowing from himself as I have complained about as of late with works like 'Toltec'. There is a little bit of paraphrasing from a 'Koyaanisqatsi' track but that is all; it felt like a completely original composition. This older work of Glass will definitely remind you of early Glass technically but the beauty of the simplicity of the scoring just lets the entire piece fantastically hypnotize you from start to finish.
For those who like comparisons, I would liken this composition to that of the string and vocal parts heard in the second piece/track of 'The Photographer' (Act II) as well as the 'Another Look at Harmony' track from the 'Early Voice' release. Much of this work has that 70's kind of Glass sound as heard during psychedelic-like animations during 'Sesame Street' and the like back then. Hints of the String Quartets are also evident here but the main style is that early Glass with this unique, chamber instrumentation.
Absolutely no reservation in recommending this amazingly beautiful, original and hypnotic work.