[Nick Zwar]

I’ve been a fan of Philip Glass ever since I heard KOYAANISQATSI. I was still in school back, but had a summer internthip at the German distributor of the film, so I got access to all the promotional material, posters, flyers, press books… soundtrack LPs. 🙂
I was music unlike any music I had ever heard, it was neither “classical” classical music, nor was it “modern” classical music, it was something new. It’s the musical equivalent of a mosaic.
I very much like Philip Glass, from his piano Études to his operas (especially Akhnaten). I think his operas, and again especially Akhnaten, while abstract, are probably the most dramatic music Glass has ever written. His largest scale work is probably ITAIPU, which features a large orchestra as well as a large chorus. So yes, Glass has been a “fixture” in my music collection ever since KOYAANISQATSI, which I did see performed live to picture, with Glass at the Keyboard. It’s the type of movie where such concerts actually make sense.