The Tao of Glass

The latest work by Philip Glass is The Tao of Glass, written with long-time collaborator Phelim McDermott (who directed Satyagraha and Ahknaten), which is being performed in Manchester starting this week.

The Guardian has an article that describes their collaborations and what might be coming next. For me, the most interesting part of the article is this:

Meanwhile, McDermott is set to take Akhnaten to the Met in New York in November – and then, he believes, he will finally be ready to tackle Einstein on the Beach. There’s also the big dream: that Glass’s three “portrait operas” (Satyagraha, Akhnaten, Einstein) can be presented for the first time somewhere as a Ring-style marathon. “These operas are terrifying because you go, ‘There’s this scene. What actually happens? Anything?’ And then you do things you could never normally do.”

I saw Einstein on the Beach when it was performed in Toronto a few years ago; it was a transcendent experience, and I would consider travelling anywhere in the world to see the portrait operas trilogy performed together.

In the meantime, Glass fans (of which I am most defnitely one) can watch the Metropolitan Opera's simulcast of Ahknaten at cinemas worldwide, with the first performance being November 23. I will be at a theatre for that one.