THE Lime Tree Theatre will host the Crash Ensemble on Tuesday October 15 for a performance of Philip Glass’ iconic Glassworks in full as part of the Crash Ensemble’s national tour.
Philip Glass from Baltimore, USA is widely regarded as one of the most renowned living composers.
The 87 year old is celebrated for his ground breaking contributions to both classical and film music. With over 60 albums released, his scores have enhanced films like The Hours, Candyman, and The Truman Show, while his operas, such as Satyagraha and Akhnaten, have captivated audiences worldwide.
Glass has worked with iconic figures such as David Bowie, Brian Eno, and Ravi Shankar.
As a pioneer of minimalism, his signature style marked by repetitive, evolving patterns has left a lasting impact on classical music, electronic genres, and popular culture, firmly embedding itself in today’s musical landscape.
Glassworks is a six-movement album written as a studio recording and was released in 1982 as an LP and cassette on CBS. Designed to introduce a broader audience to his minimalist style, it marked a more accessible and compact departure from his larger, more experimental works.
With its combination of repetitive structures and melodic motifs, Glassworks blends classical and contemporary influences, featuring both instrumental and electronic elements. The LP and cassette had their own separate mixes, the LP for home listening and the cassette with a headphone specific mix and was Glass’s successful attempt to create a more pop-oriented ‘Walkman-suitable’ work.
Notable tracks like ‘Opening’ and ‘Facades’ showcase Glass’s signature use of layering patterns and subtle changes over time.
The album became a pivotal entry point for many listeners, cementing Glass’s place in modern music and expanding the reach of minimalist composition.
Limerick Post chatted on the phone with Artistic Director Kate Ellis who has been playing cello with Crash Ensemble since 2002.
Ellis is a visionary known for blending multi-disciplinary art forms. She has collaborated with renowned artists like Bryce Dessner, Nico Muhly, and David Lang, commissioning new works for Crash Ensemble.
A versatile performer, Kate is also a member of groups such as Martin Hayes’ Common Ground Ensemble and Fovea Hex. She has worked with composers like Steve Reich and performed with a wide range of musicians, including Bobby McFerrin, Ye Vagabonds and Rhiannon Giddens.
Ellis continues to push musical boundaries, exploring and performing new music across genres.
Crash Ensemble is a small group of brilliant musicians who play some of the newest, most exciting music of today. The ensemble, which includes seven musicians, first performed ‘Glassworks’ in 2023.
“We performed it for the first time in 2023 at a festival running in Dublin, and we actually played it over three nights. And it was a very, very special experience for us and for the audiences that came to that as well. So we wanted to bring it around the country so that people would have the opportunity to hear the piece in full. It’s a really beautiful, beautiful piece to listen to.”
“Philip Glass’s career spans decades and decades and his output is huge. His work is sort of a fusion of minimalism and pop, and has sort of lots of infectious hooks.
“He’s a classical composer, but he successfully bridged that gap between classical music and a broader spectrum.”
Crash Ensemble perform at Lime Tree Theatre this Tuesday October 15. Tickets from www.limetreebelltable.ie.
