Einstein on the Beach
If you listen to the recording above, you will instantly get a taste of the style of music that encompasses “Einstein on the Beach”, an opera created by Philip Glass and Robert Wilson in 1976. This style is now common throughout modern works and familiar to many listeners: a sort of intentionally odd group of sounds that breaks every common-sense musical norm. What makes “Einstein on the Beach” remarkable though, is that it was the first of its kind.
Since the beginning of 20th century, many composers attempted to break traditional rules and create brand new sounds. Whether it was the provocative premiere of Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”, Schoenberg’s 12 tone theory, or Korngold’s work in Hollywood film scores, new genres of classical music and previously unthinkable noises were being created. Another thing those composers had in common though, is that Philip Glass, born in 1934, would have studied them in real time as he developed his own style of composition. And yet, Glass chose to wholly deviate even from these brand new approaches to classical music. This started with “Einstein on the Beach”, the work that propelled him to international stature.
In his autobiography “Words Without Music,” Philip Glass insists that “Einstein” neither asked for nor needed an explanation. “And we never tried to make one.” The result, was a near complete lack of influence by musical structures of the past. Despite being an 5 hour long opera, “Einstein on the Beach” has no storyline, no libretto, and no orchestral accompaniment as for example a 5-hour Wagner opera had. The only lyrics in the entire opera are the ones in the video above — the numbers 1 through 9 and solfegge syllables. The only spoken words for most of the opera are a series of meaningless phrases repeated over and over by two cast members. The only instruments involved are a single violin and a synthesizer, also unheard of in an opera. In the 1976 American premiere at the Metropolitan Opera, the audience was invited to wander in and out of the theater at will, rather than during scheduled intermissions. It was this lack of desire for structure, and lack of intent for explaining and telling, that spawned a new genre of modern music and gave Philip Glass his current renown.
What makes the premiere of “Einstein on the Beach” particularly surprising though, is that it’s avant-garde approach was considered more revolutionary than outrageous. For example, this critical review of the opera’s premiere (November 23, 1976 (Page 326 of 537) — ProQuest (arizona.edu) makes fun of the work of Robert Wilson in the set design and length of the opera but expresses admiration for Philip Glass’s score. An even more glowing review read:
“Einstein was like nothing I had ever encountered. For me, its very elusiveness radiated richly, like some dark star whose effects we can only feel. The synergy of words and music seemed ideal…Einstein on the Beach, perhaps, like Einstein himself, transcended time. It’s not (just) an artifact of its era, it’s timeless… Einstein must be seen and re-seen, encountered and savored…an experience to cherish for a lifetime.”
And most importantly, Philip Glass was catapulted to the top of the modern music scene, with other minimalist and abstract artists following in his wake. This can be attributed entirely to the real merits of this style of classical music, starting with “Einstein on the Beach”. I resonate with the description “like some dark star whose effects we can only feel”: A powerful story is not being told to us directly, but instead emerges from an unintentional synergy of musical elements. It is almost the truest expression of inner musicality, as only the composer and the listener’s intuition can guide and decipher the creation of meaning. At last, I urge you to listen to this excerpt from the closing of “Einstein on the Beach”. It consists of the first and only spoken poetry in the opera, culminating over four hours of minimalism. Some have described it as depicting two lovers being the only humans left on earth after a nuclear disaster. But as Philip Glass said, it neither asked for nor needed an explanation.