It’s not often you have the oppertunity to see an artist you truly admire and respect. Philip Glass is one such artist, whose film compositions have been my favourite of the last decade or two. From The Truman Show to Fog of War, Koyaanisqatsi to Kundun, The Illusionist to The Hours, this is one man who can place something truly enthralling onto the screen – and dare-I-say… original.
You know a Glass score the minute you hear it – and so to get to hear one live last night, supported by conductor Michael Riesman and his oft-collaborators Kronos Quartet, for the 1931 film Dracula, this was something I absolutely could not pass up. And the fact they were screening the thing at Midnight made it all the cooler. Throw all this together with a room full of “Vampires” (plenty used the night as an excuse to dress up), and this will easily be the highlight of the 2011 Sydney Festival program.
While the show battled a few sound balancing issues at the beginning – where the orchestra would outplay the film – once we got into the swing of things, you couldn’t take your eyes of the screen. Their music became exactly what you’d expect of a Glass soundtrack: a perfect accompaniment to some beautiful imagery. This was a film drenched in the influences of the Gothic horror movement (see Dr. Caligari), and while many of the ‘frights’ now bring laughter, this 1931 film holds up surprisingly well today. It’s a simple but entertaining take on the classic tale, with Bela Lugosi’s stare remaining as emblematic as the character of Dracula itself.
By the time the film reached its climax, the music had built to one of its own, quite literally sending goosebumps down my spine. The stage was drenched in red light by this point and the true power of Glass’ music was put on display. One might use the word “magical” here. Of course we can’t forget to mention the beauty of the Kronos Quartet, too. They brought just as much to the sound as did Glass; their strings providing an often haunting accompaniment to Glass’ iconic keyboard medleys.
It was an absolute privilege to see the master at work, and I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. If only their were more performances!
