Michael Nieland hosted a chamber music party at his house this weekend. It was a lovely affair with good food and drink surrounding the enthusiastic readings of piano quintets by Dvorak, Dohnanyi, Franck and Bridge. I only attended the Sunday party, getting to hear both the Franck and Bridge quintets for the first time.
I was struck by the prevalent use of double chromatic mediants in the Franck. The second movement in particular had moments that reminded me strongly of Philip Glass’ harmonic (and gestural) style. I have heard other musicians describe Glass’ music as expanded Mozart viola parts (all of the arpeggios). But there is also a late romantic sheen to his harmonic palette that I think is often overlooked. Listen to the opening of Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet” and you can hear the “Glass-ian” effects in both harmony and orchestration.
I’m not making a value judgment on any of this, just connections across time. I heard a lecture by David Burge (I think…) in the early ‘90s and he said (using Bartok’s “Allegro Barbaro” as an illustration) that one of the aesthetic tenants of 20th Century music was to “make it new and make it mine.” This is just what Philip Glass has done.
