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What is Einstein on the Beach? i. Not technically an opera, but not a musical either. ii. Einstein on the Beach can be explained in its simplest form as an avant-garde non-conventional opera, which includes four acts separated by five interludes, which spans five hours long without intermission. iii. It is the collaborative work of theatrical director/producer Robert Wilson and minimalist composer Philip Glass. iv. It contains no traditional plot or story, but is an abstract portrait of Albert Einstein. v. Written for 2 female actors/dancers, 1 male actor and one child (speaking roles); SATB Chamber chorus (16) with solo soprano and solo tenor; Ensemble of flute (doubling piccolo and bass clarinet), flute (double as soprano sax), tenor sax (double as alto sax), 2 synthesizers/electric organs; and solo violin. vi. The only text to accompany every singing part of the opera consists of only numbers and solfege syllables. vii. Text is read over the music throughout (see section III. Text) viii. First of Glass Portrait Trilogy followed by Satyagraha about Gandhi and then Akhenaten about the pharaoh of the same name. The three paint pictures of men who transformed the thinking of their time. Brief History i. Premiered in France on July 25, 1976 ii. Was very well received by audiences throughout Europe, making the work a sensation, selling out every opera house. iii. After an almost year-long run they were invited to perform the work at The Met in New York. iv. The American premier did surprisingly well, selling out just as surely as it did overseas. Though apparently there were some who stormed out, but not many as the house was still packed by the end of both nights. v. They had to stop production while it was still very much in demand due to what would for years to come be known as the Einstein Debt for Wilson and Glass. vi. Despite having a continuously sold-out show that was considered a big hit, they still became $90,000 in debt, due to the cost to produce and pay cast and crew, which took years to pay off. vii. The first revival took place in 1984, which included many of the original cast members. viii. There was a second revival in 1992 ix. In early 2012 the work was premiered again in France (with preview shows in Ann Arbor, Michigan) Under the careful supervision by Glass and Wilson and choreographed by the original female lead, Lucinda Childs. This version will run through early 2013. Text

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i. The text, such as every other aspect of the work, is incoherent blathering, however not meaningless. ii. Most of the text was written by a 14-year-old poet with a neurological disorder named Christopher Knowles, with whom Wilson often worked iii. There is one short piece written by female lead Lucinda Childs. Prematurely Air-Conditioned Supermarket during act three, scene one (trial/prison) iv. There are two longer pieces of text by male lead Samuel Johnson. The first to be read during act one, scene two (trial I) referred to as Paris City Lights This text was replaced by another Johnson piece called All Men Are Equal in the 1984 revival version. The second piece by Johnson, Lovers on a Park Bench, which can be heard in the final Knee Play V. Meaningfulness and How it Relates to Albert Einstein i. Glass: Its not a question of what Einstein means; its that its meaningful. ii. Wilson: We come into the theatre sharing something. In a sense we dont have to tell a story because the storys already been told. The more you know about Einstein the man, the better. iii. While it doesnt tell a story, per se, it does paint a very real portrait of Albert Einstein. iv. The rhythmic structures and constant counting makes the piece very mathematical. v. Every movement is calculated and counted meticulously with the music. vi. Two passing trains depict the theory of relativity. vii. Progression from train to spaceship is a meditation on Einsteins life from beginning to end. viii. There are continual references to threes and twos within the work as well as a strong strinking visual representation of geometric shapes, such as triangles, circles, rectangles, angles and lines. ix. These things only scratch the surface of the Albert Einstein references within Einstein on the Beach. The Music i. Around this time Glass was rather obsessed with the idea of creating a work based on rhythm as opposed to harmony and melody. Graduating after finishing Music in Twelve Parts onto Another Look at Harmony, which includes not only a rhythmic base, but also how they relate to harmony, just before writing Einstein. ii. The music of Einstein employs what Glass describes as Additive/Subtractive processes and cyclic structure. iii. A musical grouping or measure of, say, five notes is repeated several

times, then is followed by a measure of six notes (also repeated), then seven, then eight, and so on. A simple figure can expand and then contract in many different ways, maintaining the same general melodic

configuration but, because of the addition (or subtraction) of one note, it takes on a very different rhythmic shape. [Music by Philip Glass] Example from the solo violin part from Act one, scene two, Trial I.

iv. rhythmic cycles (repeating fixed rhythmic patterns of specific lengths) to

create extended structures in my music by superimposing two different rhythmic patterns of different lengths. Depending on the length of each pattern, they will eventually arrive together back at their starting points, making one complete cycle.
Example from Act One, Scene One, Train I.

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Structure i. Consists of Four acts separated by 5 Knee Plays ii. Three central themes Train, Trial and Field-with-spaceship. iii. Einstein is separated two equidistant dance pieces : Act Two, Scene One Dance one, (Field/Spaceship.) and Act Three, Scene Two Dance Two (Field/Spaceship) iv. These two dances break the opera into three equal parts. v. The central themes appear in all different combinations in each act vi. In act one we see themes 1 (train) and 2 (trial), in act two themes 3 (field/spaceship) and 1 (Train), in act three themes 2 (Trial) and 3 (Field/Spaceship). The final act is an accumulation of all three themes in transmuted form. Theme one (Train) becomes a building, Theme two (trial) becomes a bed and theme three (field/spaceship) becomes a spaceship and/or time machine. vii. Glass says that there are truly only three acts, with the fourth one acting as a review of the first three. viii. The full structure of the piece is as follows: Knee Play 1 Act 1, Scene 1 - Train Act 1, Scene 2 -Trial Knee Play 2 Act 2, Scene 1 - Dance 1 ("Field with spaceship") Act 2, Scene 2 - Night Train Knee Play 3 Act 3, Scene 1 - Trial/Prison Act 3, Scene 2 - Dance 2 ("Field with spaceship") Knee Play 4 Act 4, Scene 1 - Building Act 4, Scene 2 - Bed Act 4, Scene 3 - Spaceship Knee Play 5 Available Recordings i. The first recording was released in record form under The Tomato Music Company in 1979 (TOM-4-2901). The label soon went bankrupt causing the recoding to be picked up by CBS Masterworks (M4K 38875) Which can still be purchased as a four-CD set. ii. A recording on the Nonesuch label (79323-2) released in 1993, which is essentially the 84 revival version. They also offer an abridged version.

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Einstein on the Beach: The Changing Image of Opera full documentary: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xph2hm

2012-2013 Tour Schedule: JANUARY 20-22, 2012 (Previews) Presented by: University Musical Society of the University of Michigan Venue: The Power Center ANN ARBOR, MI MARCH 16-18, 2012 (World Premiere) Presented by: Opra et Orchestre National de Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon Venue: Opera Berlioz Le Corum MONTPELLIER, FRANCE MARCH 24-25, 2012 Presented by: Fondazione I TEATRI di Reggio Emilia Venue: Teatro Valli REGGIO EMILIA, ITALY MAY 4-6, 9-13, 2012 Presented by: The Barbican Venue: The Barbican Theatre LONDON, ENGLAND JUNE 8-10, 2012 Presented by: Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity Venue: Sony Centre for the Performing Arts TORONTO, CANADA SEPTEMBER 14-16, 19-23, 2012 Presented by: Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Venue: Opera House BROOKLYN, NY OCTOBER 26-28, 2012 Presented by: Cal Performances University of California Venue: Zellerbach Hall BERKELEY, CA NOVEMBER 9-11, 2012 Presented by: The National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA)Venue: Teatro del Palacio de Bellas Artes MEXICO CITY, MEXICO JANUARY 5-7, 10-12, 2013 Presented by: De Nederlandse Opera/The Amsterdam Music Theatre Venue: Het Muziektheater AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS MARCH 6-8, 2013 Presented by: Hong Kong Arts Festival Venue: Hong Kong Cultural Centre Grand Theatre HONG KONG, CHINA More information on this tour at pomegranatearts.com/project-einstein/tour.html