Music in Twelve Parts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Music in Twelve Parts is a set of pieces, twelve in total, by contemporary composer Philip Glass. The entire set can be over three hours long when performed and was written between the years 1971-1974. These works utilize Glass' mode of repetious structures often associated with musical minimalism. Despite this, many of the works display a great deal of variety and invention. While many people who listen to these pieces may consider the repetitious structures to be boring or even maddeningly annoying, these pieces have enjoyed a significant level of popularity and are often cited as a major work of the second half of the 20th century. The works show a great emphasis on development and slow alteration, with different pieces utilizing different techniques for development.
Andrew Porter for The New Yorker magazine (1978) wrote of the transitions from one track to the next:
"A new sound and a new chord suddenly break in, with an effect as if one wall of a room has suddenly disappeared, to reveal a completely new view."
 |
This article about a classical composition is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
