Although considered Philip Glass's first opera, this mammoth 1976 work—clocking in at over four hours in this revival filmed at the Théâtre du Chátelet in Paris in 2014—is actually a huge piece of collaborative avant-garde performance art by the composer, the director-designer Robert Wilson, and dancer-choreographer Lucinda Childs. The series of nine tableaux, divided into four acts and connected by intermezzos called “knee plays,” contain occasional references to Einstein and atomic power (“On the Beach” recalls the title of Nevil Shute's novel about the aftermath of a nuclear war), but the segments are basically slowly-moving live-action “paintings” by Wilson accompanied by typically propulsive, repetitive numbers by Glass, complete with vocal interjections consisting of nonsense syllables, numerical recitations, and short snatches of disconnected verse. Meaning may be beside the point, but the joint effect of the dazzling visuals and energetic music is hypnotic. This set preserves the 2012 remounting that toured for several years across five continents, including the Paris stop. Overseen by Glass, Wilson, and Childs, the performance can be considered definitive, and the stamina and precision of the company—which includes the Lucinda Childs Dance Company and the Philip Glass Ensemble along with soloists, all under the baton of conductor Michael Riesman—are nothing short of staggering. An excellent staging of a cutting-edge work of art from the ‘70s, Einstein on the Beach is presented in DTS 5.1 (DTS-HD 5.1 on the Blu-ray release) and LPCM stereo. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Einstein on the Beach
(2014) 2 discs. 264 min. DVD or Blu-ray: $39.99. Opus Arte (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 32, Issue 1
Einstein on the Beach
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