Philip Glass at 90: Music in 12 Parts
Riot Ensemble becomes only the third ensemble in history to perform Philip Glass’ wild four-hour work, an epic recap of minimalist style.
On the eve of Glass’ 90th birthday, Riot Ensemble becomes only the third ensemble in history to perform Music in 12 Parts, which Glass himself called ‘the end of minimalism’.
The four-hour precursor to Music for 18 Musicians, it has been performed outside the Philip Glass Ensemble exactly once.
True to their commitment to finding the cutting edge of music from every decade, Riot Ensemble is proud to revive the work in Glass’ 90th year.
Written between 1971 and 1974, Music in 12 Parts is Glass’ encyclopedic summation of everything minimalism could do followed by its deliberate demolition.
It began as a single piece; a friend’s misunderstanding of the title convinced Glass to write 11 more parts over three years.
The result is a four-to-five-hour evening-length event for nine players: keyboards, winds, saxophone and voice. Simultaneously gentle and ferocious, methodical and playful, the work is already a complete table of contents of Glass’ signature style.
The work marked Glass’ transition from austere early minimalism into a far wider range of expression, ending audaciously with a 12-tone row, as though Glass had invented a system, written through it, and come out the other end.
Performers
Riot Ensemble
Repertoire
Philip Glass: Music in 12 Parts
Need to know
This is a standing/roaming performance, where audiences are invited to move throughout the space. A limited number of seats are available for those with access requirements. Please contact us for more information on [email protected]
For your visit
This event is held at the The Clore Ballroom Southbank Centre
The Clore Ballroom is open six days a week.
Tuesday, 10am – 6pm*
Wednesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
*If we’re hosting a performance, the building will stay open until the event ends.
Plan your visit
The Clore Ballroom is located inside our Royal Festival Hall on Level 2.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
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.
There is step-free access to The Clore Ballroom, Level 2, Royal Festival Hall, via a ramp.
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
Next to The Clore Ballroom is our Ballroom Cafe where you can grab a coffee and a piece of freshly made cake. Also on Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace.
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.