Search - Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts on DVD

Case study on how to really thrive

G. F. Margison | Christchurch, New Zealand | 04/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Saw this amazing doco last night. Its an incisive two hour window into how one of the most iconic composers does his thriving. Some key insights:
1. If you are not upsetting someone then you're not doing your craft - Craft is about letting your uniqueness come through ;
2. Its not about contribution (though, of course, you really do);
3. The craft speaks to something that really enrichs his life
If you only use trued and true tools and techniques then thats all you will produce ;
4. "Big things" emerge - its like being under ground and hearing an underground river somewhere. Instead of directly looking for it, you do your routines and you sink in the time - the river finds you and takes you where it is going - you are the vehicle and it (for Philip the new music) was always there ;
5. It is your life - have a portfolio of activities that craddle your uniqueness - for him this is various moving meditations and exercises with different masters, family life, being a New Yorker - doing the evryday stuff and routines - With the portfolio of mediations/exercise/spiritual practices, you look for new practices that fill in gaps or open new possibilities ;
6. It is your life - surround yourself with a network of gifted very different individuals, and have regular quality time with them
7. It is your life - shape the quality of it by the environments you inhabit and move between - for him its the buzz and life of NYC, coupled to the farm wilderness type enviornment he and Holly have on the Nova Scotia coast;
8. Learn and evolve from lots of very different teachers - from the harsh formal piano mistress in Paris to the loving approach used by Ravi Shankar
When you do your craft you just make the quality time, be there, support yourself with the habits and it comes. Have lots of projects on the go at any one time
9. The craft is "communicating" - for him its through music, painters its their art - the key is how to ingest this - for music being great at "listening", visual arts through "seeing". Passive - active going on here
10. It is your life - Moving between the Nova Scotia coast and NYC environments and live "young" - His much younger wife Holly, and family life with kids under 5 - he turned seventy in 2005 but appears to live with the energy and drive of someone half his age

Oh, and yes, there is his music and projects sprinkled throughout it that really add to the tone and meaning of it..."

Astonishingly banal

Wolfsegg | 05/23/2009

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I like Philip Glass. I like his music, and I like him as a person. I've actually met him, and he seems genuinely approachable and down-to-earth. However, this documentary just isn't worth watching, even if you are a devotee of Mr. Glass's work. You see Philip chatting with friends, Philip cooking, Philip with his kids. You meet his family. Et cetera, et cetera. There was a German TV documentary made about Philip Glass a few years ago that was more watchable than this film, because it was less ambitious; you saw Philip at home and Philip at work, and the whole thing lasted about an hour. At roughly two hours, this film is just complete 'overkill'. Mr. Glass is one of the most successful composers of the 20th/21st century, but his daily routine is not signficiantly more eventful than the lot of the typical New York intellectual/professional artist. Even Glass's occasional comments on art and the artistic process seem ploddingly pedestrian, though it must be admitted that he is generally distracted when he makes these comments; he's watching the kids, or the food, or whatever. Admittedly, it must be an exhausting experience to have someone follow you around for days with a movie camera, capturing your every move. I've seen interviews in which Philip Glass provides some remarkable insight into the world of art and the role of the artist in society. Here, the anecdotes get mixed in with the usual flotsam of daily life, and frankly, it's not enough to sustain viewer interest across two whole hours."

Essential viewing for anyone interested in music and creativ

S. Schindler | Florida | 05/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I will start off by saying that I'm a huge Philip Glass fan- I've been to over 50 Glass concerts of all types since 1988 and have an extensive collection of Glass memorabilia as well. I've had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Glass on several occasions.

This movie is essential viewing for anyone interested in music and creativity. Mr. Glass is a genius; a music "machine" who is incredibly prolific and obsessed with music composition. He's a human being too, as the film vividly illustrates. He is simply an amazing man yet struggles with the demands of life as all of us do, as the ending of the film makes clear.

Scott Hicks, who has directed the films "Shine" and "No Reservations" among others, is a fan of Mr. Glass and followed Mr. Glass around the world for approximately two years as he worked on composing his Symphony No. 8, toured his work for the Philip Glass Ensemble and world musicians called "Orion", and premiered his opera "Waiting for the Barbarians" in Erfurt, Germany.

There is simply so much in this movie that I can't go into all of it here. I first saw the movie at the Sarasota Film Festival and it was shown on PBS TV as part of the "American Masters" series in April of this year.

Even if you don't like Glass's music, this movie will carry you along for an exploration into an incredible artist. This movie is just like Glass's music- multi-dimensional, out of the ordinary, beautiful, humorous, spiritual, and haunting. The cinematography is also superior to ordinary documentaries. It's fast paced and could have easily been much longer. Also includes a second DVD which includes outtakes, extended interviews with Glass, performance clips from the incredible work "Orion", and Glass performing "Metamporphosis" on piano in concert. A remarkable portrait of the greatest living composer!

"

A great documentary of a special person!

Rick Rascati | CT | 12/06/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the documentary that recently aired
on the PBS series American Masters. This is
a terrific insight to the mind of such a
brilliant and multi-faceted person. Not only
does Glass come off as intriguing, but
self-effacing and humble. You will learn
about his background in music as well
as his upbringing, family, and spiritual
pursuits. The interviews are candid and
witty. As a composer myself I found this
very inspiring, but one does not need
to be a musician to appreciate. For those
that have seen the doc on PBS already it's
still worth it with all the bonus footage
on the second disc. You get about an
hour and a half of the leftover interviews
and about the same in live performances.

A must have for Glass fans!"