Wednesday 30 October 2024

Anthem by Philip Glass

My post today is a favorite piece of music that has fascinated me ever since I heard it back in the early 1990s. It’s actually a selection from the soundtrack of a film called ‘Powaqqatsi’ with music by the American composer Philip Glass. Just listen to the whole piece which lasts 8 minutes and I hope you feel exhilarated as I did the first time, and every time I hear it. Powaqqatsi means "life in transformation," and it is a sequel to the first film called Koyaanisqatsi which focused on modern life in industrial countries. There is no dialogue in either film and this movie Powaqqatsi, focuses more on the conflict in Third World countries between traditional ways of life and the new ways of life introduced with industrialization. This film came out in 1988 directed by Godfrey Reggio, a sequel to  Koyaanisqatsi, which came out in 1982, and which was followed by a third in the Qatsi trilogy called Naqoyqatsi of 2002. All three have the mesmerizing soundtrack by Philip Glass, and the entire movie is a selection of clips from news, and various scenes from around the world.

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