"Philip Glass Organ Works". So does mine!

A small diversion today -- Anne Midgette, the very capable critic for the Washington Post, simply made me laugh with this telling, possibly unintentional, juxtaposition.

figure juxtaposition: Good call. They really are more of an appetizer.

During a season preview concert, the Baltimore Symphony played works by Prokofiev, Mahler and Mozart and...

The biggest hit with the audience was John Williams's "Star Wars" theme, which will be featured on a space-themed January concert along with a co-commissioned work by Philip Glass.

Nothing says space theme quite like Philip Glass?

No judgments, here, about highbrow and lowbrow.

What an incredibly odd thing to say.

The BSO is working to make people feel welcome, turning what has traditionally been a society event into a genuine social exchange.

Poor, Philip Glass. Does no one like your music?

Which reminds me of an Amazon.com user review of a Glass album which I ran across a few days ago:

Handel composed water music. Philip Glass composes water-torture music. Certainly, the track-by-track agony of waiting for Glass' infernal triplets to reappear (and they do, again and again) is akin to counting the moments until the next water particle falls. What is it with those triplets?

[snip]

Glass pays tribute to Disco with track two ("Lightning") and Jimmy Webb's "MacArthur Park" on track five. Linda Ronstadt pays tribute to bad soprano singing on tracks three and six. Pay tribute to your intelligence by avoiding this washed-up exercise in minimalist excess.

I am amused.

figure glass: Happy Happy Happy, Everybody Happy.

Extra! Extra! Glass opera doesn't suck!

David Stabler, of the Oregonian, has written many reviews that I've enjoyed. He's a good writer and has some interesting things to say on occasion. But, where in the world did this come from...?

Portland Opera takes us to hell and back

If you think all Philip Glass music sounds the same – rush-hour traffic for the ear – Portland Opera would like you to meet "Orphée," a French twist on the Orpheus myth.

Okay, a common criticism of Glass...I'd usually let this slide.

Glass' operatic riff opened at the Keller Auditorium on Friday in a stylish production that will almost make you take back those awful things you said about him.

I don't care how good his opera is, I'll never apologize until he apologizes for The Hours! (there's 2 hours I'm never getting back again)

Oh...you mean 'you', as in all of us reading your review. Does Glass' dog crap in all of their yards too?

And really, why bring this up here...? Is common knowledge that everyone dislikes Glass and finds his music awful? Is there some club that I should know about? A support group for those damaged by the music of Philip Glass?

Where are you going with this?

Surprise, surprise, "Orphée" isn't horrible.

That is a...surprise?

It's not wretched or dreary. It's not Novocain. The evening took a while to heat up, but when the visual, musical and dramatic elements came together, it carried an emotional and dramatic charge.

Jebus...tell us what you really think.

The pensive score, shot through with honky tonk bits and seesaw harmonies, kept the ear engaged.

The rest of the article reads fine. So why this, "surprise, surprise, something by Glass doesn't suck" routine?

This attack seems so unprepared and without cause, that I'm really left a bit speechless. Am I missing something, or has the music-loving world just agreed that Glass writes crappy, uninteresting music?

Any thoughts?