| Naqoyqatsi |
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Composed by Philip Glass |
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Performed by Yo-Yo Ma and members of the Philip Glass Ensemble Produced by Kurt Munkacsi Release Date: 2002 |
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While not my first experience with the music of Philip Glass (I've been able to hear his new score for the original Dracula film), it is my first experience with Philip Glass and his work on the experimental film trilogy, Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi, and most recently, Naqoyqatsi. Since I've not even heard of these films, except in strange, exotic locations (like the Scoreland message board - click here), I'm gathering my impression of the music solely on what I hear on the CD. There are no images or impressions from my mind clouding my judgment. I have no idea what the film will ultimately look like, how it will affect me, or anything else. Thus, you can take my word for it when I say that even if, like me, you have no idea what this thing is, the music is still very good and if you're looking for something that moves in a direction that is quite off the beaten path, you can look no further. To say that the score to Naqoyqatsi is experimental would be quite an understatement. The phrase itself is a Hopi word describing a life filled with warfare, so it would stand to reason that the images of the film will match this tone. As such, it would seem to inspire a lot of powerful emotional feelings for Glass to incorporate into his music. While he does to a certain extent, its not in the way that most composers (especially film score ones) would chose to represent them. There are no hair-tingling moments of courage and heroism. There is no patriotic main theme. There are no themes at all actually. There is just a collection of some of the most hypnotic pieces of music I have ever heard. In fact, I refuse to listen to this one while driving down the road as it causes me to end up traveling for miles on end without really paying attention to what I'm doing. Trying to give a description of the music contained here would be a foolish attempt for myself, since my background is not heavy in the language of music, and I cannot find any adequate words in the English language to fully express what this score is like. Just take my word for it that if you're into something fresh, different, and entirely original, that you should take this disc for a spin. This goes double if you've ever heard about Philip Glass and would like to experience his work. I should also mention that Yo-Yo Ma is a performer on this one, so if you've loved his expert performances, that should serve as even more incentive to pick this one up. Filled to full capacity with some an intense collection of mesmerizing, beautiful music, this is the CD that shows you have some culture after all. ***** |
| Track Listing - Total Running Time: 77:05 | |
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