Music in

Similar

Motion

Music in Similar Motion is one of the first minimalist works by composer Philip Glass. He wrote it in 1969 for his own Philip Glass Ensemble. The title already hints at what happens: the musical lines all move in the same direction, but not always exactly in unison. The piece is built from short melodic building blocks – “cells” – that are repeated over and over. Only when one of the musicians gives a small cue does the ensemble move on to the next cell.

Because the harmony, tone color, dynamics, and tempo change very little, the listener’s attention is naturally drawn to what does shift: the rhythm. Glass was inspired in this by Indian music. In Western music, rhythm often arises from fixed patterns and recurring accents. Glass took a different approach: he built his music from small rhythmic units that he strung together into larger structures. “In Western music we divide time, as if slicing a loaf of bread. Indian music takes small units – ‘beats’ – and strings them together to form longer time values,” says Glass.

Especially for the Spotlight Festival, the The Hague-based ensembles Klang and HIIIT will once again perform this beautiful work together on the stepped landscape of Amare. The concert is free for everyone to attend!