Philip Glass and Robert Wilson's Einstein on the Beach, widely credited as one of the greatest artistic achievements of the 20th century, opens at the Barbican Theatre in London tonight, marking its UK premiere. It is the first of eight performances at the Barbican and part of a major international tour. Glass and Wilson recently spoke with the Guardian about the making of the piece and were interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today. Philip Glass is featured in The Fader's Icon Issue, which includes Wilson's reflections on Einstein on the Beach, an oral history of Glass's work, a look at his legacy, a photo essay of recent Glass performances around the world, and an interview with the composer.
Composer Philip Glass and director Robert Wilson's Einstein on the Beach, widely credited as one of the greatest artistic achievements of the 20th century, opens at the Barbican Theatre in London tonight, marking the work's UK premiere. It is the first of eight performances at the Barbican, part of a major international tour of Einstein on the Beach that saw preview performances in Ann Arbor in January and premiered at the Opéra Berlioz / Le Corum in Montpellier in March. Glass and Wilson recently spoke with the Guardian's Tom Service about the creation and impact of Einstein on the Beach and were interviewed on this morning’s edition of BBC Radio 4's Today ahead of tonight’s performance. You can listen again via at bbc.co.uk; their segment begins at one hour and 44 minutes in. In conjunction with the premiere, the Barbican will screen the 2007 documentary Glass: A Portrait in Twelve Parts, on Saturday.
Einstein on the Beach launched its creators to international success when it was first produced in Avignon, France, in 1976, with subsequent performances in Europe and in New York at the Metropolitan Opera. It is still recognized as one of their greatest masterpieces. The current international tour comes nearly four decades after it was first performed and 20 years since its last production. Following the Barbican performances, Einstein on the Beach will head to Toronto's Luminato festival in June, the Brooklyn Academy of Music in September, Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall in October, and the Teatro del Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City in November. The tour continues in 2013 with performances at Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam and the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
Philip Glass, who turned 75 in January, is featured on the cover of the latest issue of The Fader magazine, its Icon Issue, which includes what editor Matthew Schnipper calls its “loping meditation” on the composer. “His career is a model of experimentation ... He has created so much music in his life that his influence is unknowable. We’ve tried to touch on most of it, though that would be like measuring the waters of the ocean with a teaspoon. May you find your Swan Lake. We did." Features in the magazine include Robert Wilson's reflections on Einstein on the Beach, an oral history of Glass's work, notes from other musicians on his influence, a photo essay of recent Glass performances around the world, and an interview with the composer. For more, visit thefader.com; you can pick up a copy of the Icon Issue on newsstands now.
To coincide with the international tour and Glass’s 75th birthday, Nonesuch Records reissued its 1993 recording of Einstein on the Beach, which the Washington Post called a "more complete than the first recording and superior in both performance and sound." To pick up a copy of the three-CD set, head to the Nonesuch Store now.
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