Philip Glass at 90: Brooklyn Rider – Quartets
Brooklyn Rider performs four of Philip Glass’ string quartets, tracing his musical voice from early minimalism to later richness.
Pioneering New York-based quartet Brooklyn Rider have worked closely with Glass for two decades, performing his music from their earliest concerts and later recording the complete cycle of his string quartets.
Their concert brings together four quartets written across more than 30 years. The Seventh Quartet, from 2014, cast in a single movement, pares music back to its essentials, creating a direct and reflective sound-world.
The Second Quartet, drawn from music for Samuel Beckett’s Company, distils Glass’ early style into a sequence of spare, lyrical ideas.
The Fourth Quartet (Buczak) is more expansive and personal. Written in memory of artist Brian Buczak, it unfolds with a sense of quiet intensity, balancing flowing lines with moments of stillness.
Finally, the atmospheric Third Quartet (Mishima), came out of the soundtrack that Glass wrote for Paul Schrader’s 1985 film about the life of author, playwright and political activist Yukio Mishima.
Together, these works offer a rounded portrait of Glass’ perceptive writing for string quartet, performed by four of his closest collaborators.
Performers
Brooklyn Rider
Repertoire
Philip Glass: String Quartet No.7; String Quartet No.2 (Company); String Quartet No.4 (Buczak); String Quartet No.3 (Mishima)
Need to know
Reviews
‘A string quartet of boundless imagination’NPR
‘True untouchables in the world of string quartet playing’InReview
For your visit
This event is held at the Queen Elizabeth Hall Southbank Centre
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
Plan your visit
The Queen Elizabeth Hall is home to both our second-largest auditorium and the Purcell Room.
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Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
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All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.