Einstein On The Beach

February 3, 2022 12:20 PM

Reviving and revisiting several previous posts, I'm pleased to bring you Einstein On The Beach [Vimeo link], the full 4h30m intermissionless performance from the 2012-2013 revival/tour of this seminal and infrequently performed Philip Glass opera.

Einstein On The Beach: The Changing Image Of Opera (1986) was filmed for the first revival of the work. It's only 1h long and is maybe a good introduction for those not wanting to dive into the whole work. Includes interviews to provide context.

Or perhaps a live concert with interviews and amazing performances is better? The Greene Space at WNYC and WQXR have An Hour With Einstein Revisited [1h34m]. No opera performances but great live moments.

Robert Wilson, Philip Glass, and Lucinda Childs Discuss Einstein On The Beach is also from the 2012-13 revival, 44m. Worthwhile, IMO.

Also, Philip Glass & Robert Wilson: The Power Of 2 [1h35m] is a good look at collective interview about the collaboration between the composer and the director.

Finally, Einstein In The HOUSE, a 2017 project from Fifth Wall Performing Arts. A different take on the whole thing.

There are other revivals starting to happen, so this work is moving out of the realm of the Philip Glass Ensemble and now into the outer world.

posted by hippybear (20 comments total)

You do good work here hippybear - thanks. Fantastic.
posted by whatevernot at 12:25 PM on February 3, 2022

The first of those previous posts led me to travel to Toronto to see this opera in person, which was amazing. I'll probably never have another chance in my lifetime, so I have MetaFilter to thank for me actually seeing this. I feel privileged and blessed. Thanks!
posted by hippybear at 12:40 PM on February 3, 2022 [6 favorites]

If, on the other hand, you only have four minutes to spare, may I recommend Einstein on the Beast as an alternative.

(Thank you, hippybear; I look forward to someday being able to watch the whole thing!)
posted by phooky at 12:50 PM on February 3, 2022

I managed to see this production here in Melbourne, and it was absolutely life-changing. As a kid growing up in regional Victoria in the 80s, I'd seen a TV news or arts show report about that tour of the first revival and even though it was on TV, my kid brain was suddenly filled with the possibility of theatre. I became fascinated by the music of Philip Glass (and minimalism more generally), and as I grew up I became more and more involved in theatre, ending up as a sound designer and composer for live performance. Finally seeing this opera in person was indescribably important for me, and for every second of the 4 hours and 30 minutes I was utterly riveted, whispering lines to myself ('These are the days, my friends...')

Thanks for this, hippybear!
posted by prismatic7 at 1:04 PM on February 3, 2022 [3 favorites]

When I lived in NYC in the mid 70s, I had a friend who was a member of the Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds. That was Robert Wilson's performance group. Held in a loft in Soho...I was invited down one weekend evening to watch them practice...Lots of Sufi style spinning and.lots of special brownies...What an exciting time to be in N Y then...
posted by Czjewel at 1:12 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

Countingcrowserpoint: "Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman)"
posted by kirkaracha at 1:31 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

Awesome!
posted by rhizome at 2:06 PM on February 3, 2022

Yeah, great piece and great post, thanks!
posted by LooseFilter at 2:08 PM on February 3, 2022

I can't link on my IPad, but YouTube has Peter Schiekele's (alias P D Q Bach) Einstein on the Fritz which is very funny. Supposedly Glass was at the premiere and laughing loudly.
posted by wittgenstein at 2:16 PM on February 3, 2022

MetaFilter: Lots of Sufi style spinning and lots of special brownies
posted by hippybear at 3:24 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

Do you love me, John?
posted by hototogisu at 4:10 PM on February 3, 2022 [3 favorites]

Thank you!!! This had been on YouTube for a long time, and I always meant to set aside the time to watch it in full, but it got taken down before I did.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 4:24 PM on February 3, 2022

I grew up listening to this. I think my stepfather gave me the boxed set of LPs, I remember him talking about how long the show was and how people would leave, eat dinner, and come back. We had a shared love of quirky avant-garde stuff.

One two three four five six one two three four five six seven eight one two three four five six seven eight

I sat in my room listening and read the liner notes and tried to stage it in my mind.

I got to see this revival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, a few lifetimes later, and I don't have the words for that experience.

Oh these are the days my friends and these are the days my friends

I still have the boxed set. I miss him.
posted by Ishbadiddle at 5:13 PM on February 3, 2022 [4 favorites]

Listened to this on the recordings, mostly liked Act 4 Bed and that rousing conclusion.


Do you love me, John?

Yes,
posted by ovvl at 6:20 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

I have never seen any Philip Glass performed live but I did get to a performance of Robert Wilson’s collaboration with Tom Waits and WS Burroughs, Black Rider, at BAM in 1990 or so. Riveting.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 7:26 PM on February 3, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oh, this is very exciting! I met one of the cast members of this production in 2011 just after she found out she had landed the role for this tour. But, I never go to see the production live. Very excited to be able to see it now.
posted by bkpiano at 7:37 PM on February 3, 2022

And if you only have five minutes and 12 seconds, here' Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread by David Ives.

(EOTB is brilliant, of course.)
posted by How the runs scored at 8:35 PM on February 3, 2022

My favorite description of Einstein, from Richard Taruskin: a postmodern gesamtkunstwerk. Which it is.
posted by LooseFilter at 8:41 PM on February 3, 2022

Ah! I was treated to a Philip Glass performance for my 21st birthday (Monsters of Grace...shorter and less impressive) and afterwards we hung out near the back entrance so that I could meet him. I was so excited that when he came out I shout-squeaked "it's my birthday!!" and he shook my hand. I've always wanted to see Einstein on the Beach performed. Someday!! Until then, I'll listen/watch this. :^)
posted by Gray Duck at 7:08 AM on February 4, 2022

I was introduced to "Einstein On the Beach" by WRPI in its heyday (also to "Music for 18 Musicians" and lots of other things that have kept with me).

In 2011 I got a job doing tech support for special effects and stereo conversion at a company based near Detroit. The job was going to transition to a subsidiary in Montreal. So I was going to be in Canada summer of 2012 and arranged with (the legendary) hippybear to see EOTB in Toronto that summer.

Then one day the local (to Michigan) NPR station was doing a news broadcast and playing bits of the opera and I heard that it would be playing (in preview) in Ann Arbor that weekend. I checked it out and discovered I could get a ticket. I could not resist. After all it was EOTB and not far away. Got to the theatre a bit early and saw Wilson's sketches on brown paper in the lobby. Ah!

Had a good seat, just in front of the introduction with the women on the chairs, and sat, entranced, through the whole damn thing. hippybear admitted to being a bit envious.

It was so hard to explain to the people I was working with (Oh, i went to see an opera, some of the lyrics included "It could be Franky, it could be Franky, it could be very fresh and clean" ...) but such a satisfying evening.

Then saw it again in Toronto with hippybear, so I've seen it live twice. And given a chance, I'd do it again.

A glorious, weird, strange work. And, with the right attitude going in, so much fun.
posted by Death and Gravity at 11:06 PM on February 4, 2022 [2 favorites]