ARTS
Friday, November 6, 1987

The Michigan Daily

Page 7

Glass

to

play

'Koyaanasquatsi'

By Avra Kouffman
One of the most eagerly
anticipated event in Ann Arbor this
weekend is the Philip Glass
performance at the Michigan Theatre
tomorrow night. Glass and his
ensemble will perform the
soundtrack to Koyaanasquatsi, the
Godfrey Reggio film. This multi-
media event is a repeat performance;
last year's show garnered outstanding
reviews and a number of new fans
for Glass.
The Michigan Theatre show
promises to be interesting on two
counts: the showing of
Koyaanasquatsi itself, and the live,
participation of Philip Glass. Glass
is a very well-known a n d
controversial musician. His credits
include collaborations with dancers
and musicians as diverse as Molissa
Fenley and Suzanne Vega. He wrote
the music for Paul Schrader's film,
. Mishima, as well as the opening
and closing themes for the 1984
summer Olympic Games. He also
composed the famous trilogy of
"Portrait" operas consisting o f
Einstein on The Beach, Satyagraha,
and Akhnaten.
Glass, now in his mid-40's, has
many other other projects planned.
He intends to work with the
Cleveland Orchestra, and he may
compose the film score for The all
of the House of Usher. Another
project in the works is War of the
Worlds, adapted from the H.G.
Wells novel.

Glass has just completed the film
score for Powaqquatsi, the second
Godfrey Reggio film in the "Quatsi"
trilogy. Powaqquatsi is currently in
post-production and will be released
by The Cannon Group soon. It was
filmed over a period of six months
and it includes footage from ten
countries on five continents.
Its predecessor, Koyaanasquatsi,
was shot in 14 states and took seven
years to complete. This 87 minute
film is void of dialogue, traditional
plot lines, and characters. Its title is
taken from a Hopi Indian term
meaning "life out of balance," and
the film explores the ways that the
earth's natural beauty is being
destroyed by technological
"advances." The film opens with
shots of beautiful, serene
Southwestern landscapes. Then man
appears, technology intrudes, and...
suffice it to say, things go downhill
from there on in.
Koyaanasquatsi touches on
problems that are universal to
mankind, and the fact that it presents
no language barriers gives it special
international appeal. Since its release
in 1983, the film has been shown in
more than 40 countries across the
world. It has received numerous
awards and marks of distinction.
Koyaanasquatsi resulted from a
collaboration between many
outstanding artisans. Director
Godfrey Reggio spent 14 years as a
priest in New Mexico before

Education. This non-profit group is
based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and
it researches social issues that are
relevant to the people of the
American Southwest. The I.R.E.
contributed funds towards the
making of both Koyaanasquatsi and
Powaqquatsi.
Finally, credit must go to Philir
Glass for his score. Glass' music is
famous for evoking extreme
reactions in its listeners. The score
to Koyaanasquatsi is no exception.
It consists of minimalistic, tonal
music. Certain phrases are repeated
frequently with slight variations.
This irritates some people, while
others find the effect hypnotic.
Simply put, Koyaanasquatsi's

film score does not evoke moderate
responses. People tend to either love
it or hate it, and more people love it
than not.
Koyaanasquatsi is worth seeing
just for its novelty value. It is a very
original film. The added attraction of
live orchestral accompaniment will
probably serve to make tomorrow
night at the Michigan Theatre a
spectacular event.
Philip Glass and his ensemble
will perform the film score
accompanying
KOYAANASQUATSI tomorrow
night at the Michigan Theatre. The
7:30 p.m. show is currently sold
out, but a 10 p.m. show has been
added. Tickets are $16.50.

JOSTENS
GOLD RING SALE
IS COMING! _

Advertise in
The Michigan Daily
&OPSe and WJZZ present
a night of Brazilian jazz with
Flora Purim & Airto
Saturday, November 7
8:00 pm anpd 10:30 pm
The Ark, Ann Arbor
To order tickets by phone:763-TKTS
Tickets also available at:
The Michigan Union Ticket Office
Schoolkid's Records
P.J.'s Used Records
The Ark the night of the show
Made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts

Philip Glass will bring his Ensemble to the Michigan Theatre for two
performances tomorrow night that will accompany the film, 'Koyaanasquatsi,'
for which he wrote the score.
conceiving Koyaanasquatsi, his first with motion control for time-lapse
film. Cinematographer Ron Fricke and special effects.
both photographed and helped edit Another important force behind
the film. He has since developed a the making of Koyaanasquatsi was
large format 65mm Imax camera the Institute for Regional
ICOMEDI [lI1TZMi
at the Heidelberg . 215 N. Main, Ann Arbor
Appearing: I
Fri 8:30 & 11 pm I
* Reservations Sat 8:30 & 11 pm I
I 995-8888 $6
Improvisational Comedy Competition!!
® "GET TO KNOW US" SPECIAL
Admission $3
Fri. 11/6 & Sat. 11/7 ONLY
IM= M iriiiii1W W W ® ® M

U

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PRESENTS:
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