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Philip Glass: Through A Glass Darkly

Mark Dery, High Performance, 1983

Composer Philip Glass has leapt to national prominence in music with his synthesized symphonies and his collaborations with artists and filmmakers. His systems-oriented work provided an appropriate soundtrack for the overview of contemporary life patterns in Godfrey Reggio's widely acclaimed art film Koyaanisqatsi. His music reached millions on Nam June Paik's New Year's Day satellite-broadcast television show. Critics differ on his music — one called it "a titanic High Mass on Mars," another labeled it "slide show Musak." Recently returned from business in New Delhi, Glass took time to answer some questions for HIGH PERFORMANCE.

Total word count of piece: 1963

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