Philip Glass Festival primer

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Once asked by Allen Ginsberg if he had ever experienced a writer’s block, the composer Philip Glass looked at the poet, with whom he collaborated with on a number of occasions, with incredulity. Glass writes and writes, and he has been doing so nonstop for half a century.

So the Philip Glass Festival this month in L.A. and Orange counties cannot possibly get beyond the Glass surface of an extensive and genre-breaking catalog of works.

Still, there will be a lot to take in, with major projects from Pacific Symphony (including a performance of the oratorio “The Passion of Ramakrishna” this week) and Long Beach Opera (the West Coast premiere of “Akhnaten” next week) along with ancillary events at various cinemas, UCLA, LACMA and elsewhere.

For a concise Glassery of his concert music, music theater and film music, click here.

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