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The Family of Benjamin Z. Gould Center for Humanistic Studies
New in Academic Year 2008-09: Book of Longing A New Work by Philip Glass Based on the Poetry and Images of Leonard Cohen Performances commence at 8:00 p.m. Tickets available through
From http://www.pomegranatearts.com/project-philip_glass/index.html#:
A new work by Philip Glass based on the poetry and images of Leonard Cohen, Book of Longing has been conceived as an evening-length concert work composed for ensemble, singers, spoken word and imagery. The culmination of years of mutual admiration between two of the most celebrated musical artists of their generation, the piece features new music by Glass inspired by Cohen's most recently published book of the same name. Comprised of Cohen's poetry and sketches created over the course of the past 20 years including eight years spent at the Mt. Baldy Buddhist monastery, Book of Longing is signature Leonard Cohen-- at once meditative, playful, erotic, and provocative. The poems are a diverse collection that can loosely be collected into the categories of long "ballads," love poems, autobiographical works, spiritual meditations written at Mt. Baldy, and short comic pieces that Philip Glass has nicknamed "limericks."
Philip Glass has conceived the concert as a collection of poetry from each of these loose categories to run as a continuous evening rather than a traditional song cycle. The music is performed by an ensemble of eight musicians including electronic keyboards (one played by Glass himself), flute/bass clarinet, hand percussion, violin, cello double bass, and oboe/English horn that are visible on stage throughout the evening. The music is directed by Glass's longtime musical director Michael Riesman. Four singers (Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor and Baritone) sing lyrics pulled from Cohen's poetry as soloists, as a quartet, and in a variety of combinations throughout the evening and appear onstage for the entirety of the evening. Leonard Cohen's recorded voice delivers selections of the poetry and is underscored by the musical ensemble. The visual artwork of Leonard Cohen has never before been seen in conjunction with his music and his images are prominently incorporated into the set
In creating Book of Longing, Philip Glass has collaborated with choreographer/director Susan Marshall, with whom he created the opera Les Enfants Terribles, to stage the musicians and singers.
Book of Longing in performance; photo by Cylla von Tiedemann (www.pomegranatearts.com)
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The Gould Center investigates the major forces that have gone into, and are still at work in, the formation of the modern world. Its scholars and students also focus on the great changes in attitudes since the Renaissance. The Center hosts an annual academic seminar exploring a major issue of modern society, brings distinguished visiting fellows to campus, and offers fellowships for collaborative faculty and student research efforts.
