In 1975 Philip Glass's music was largely ignored by the more traditional, contemporary classical music world. He had no record contract and was unable to perform outside art galleries and performance spaces. Today Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha and Akhnaten have become three of the most performed and highly regarded of 20th-century operras, enjoyed by audiences for their evocative meditations on men who altered the course of history through their inner vissions. As a result, Philip Glass has emerged as today's most significant and innovative American composer.

In Music by Philip Glass, he tells of his musical struggle and growth, from the Juilliard School, through his studies in Paris with the great teacher Nadia Boulanger (whose other students included Aaron Copland and Virgil Thomson) and working with Ravi Shankar to "translate" his scores for Western musicians, to his immersion in the avant-garde theater of Mabou Mines, LaMama and Robert Wilson.

Here are the sudden obstacles and enormous toil involved in mounting and performing his three revolutionary operas, as well as the full libretti and discussions of the music by the composer. Equally revealing are his reflections on the succesful Glassworks, Songs from Liquid Days, and the film scores for Koyaanisqatsi and Mishima.

With a new foreword, new photos, and updated discography, Music by Philip Glass remains an essential companion for avid Glass listeners or for anyone interested in rhythmically rich, epic, cutting-edge music.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

vii. Foreword by Philip Glass

xi. Introduction by Robert T. Jones

3. Apprenticeship of Sorts

27. Einstein on the Beach

87. Satyagraha

135. Akhnaten

197. Some Other Music

211. Music Catalog

218. Discography

222. Index