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World Tibet Network News Thursday, June 10, 1999

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2. Glass Works

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Local musicians offer rare performance of Philip Glass' Madrigal Opera

The Paper. June 10-16
Grand Rapids, Michigan USA
By Maris Brancheau

They've done it in Canada, Bloomington, Ind., and Detroit, and now Grand
Rapids musicians Christina Fong and Glenn Freeman bring their adaptation
of Philip Glass' second opera to their hometown.

"The State of the Tibetan Nation -- A Madrigal Opera" is Freeman's
remaking of an open-ended chamber opera composed by Glass. Glass,
well-known for film scores, originally wrote the opera for six voices,
violin, and viola.

Freeman's interpretation is for two musicians. He plays
electro-percussion using operatic voices and Fong stars on her electric
violin and viola.

"A Madrigal Opera" has never been recorded by Glass, and the chance to
hear it live is rare.

While the duo held four benefit shows in Detroit, just one is slated for
Grand Rapids.

Proceeds will benefit the Gaden Tehor Tibetan Buddhist
Monastery-in-exile. The opera is accompanied by a slide show and
narration which focuses on the struggle of Tibetans against Chinese
occupation of their country. While a recent rehearsal isn't exactly what
the crowd will get inside The UICA Theatre on Friday, June 11, it's easy
to see why this work was over a year in the making.

Fong, associate concertmaster for the Grand Rapids Symphony and an
instructor in violin at GVSU, gives it her all in what she calls a
"marathon of sorts."

Fong creates a sound that's both enchanting and eerie as slides project
images of poverty and spiritual struggle in Tibet. The slides progress
as the music gets more urgent and Glass' minimalist style climaxes at
several points throughout the opera in a balanced yet manic frenzy. Just
when you think Fong's strings will burst she's joined by Freeman on his
electro-xylophone. Freeman softly pounds out the operatic voices just as
Glass' composition dictates, with their angelic voices flowering Fong's
theme just snippets at a time.

Glass intended this opera to be re-worked and routinely adapted, and
with his score for the movie "Kundun," he demonstrated how his music can
often reflect a spiritual side.

Freeman says he first thought of adding the slides and narration when
the two were invited to perform the piece at the Tibetan Cultural
Center. Freeman and Fong are avid supporters of the Tibetan people and
advocate a renewal of Tibetan culture, inside Tibet.

"I'm happy to have the piece be more education and to have awareness
value as well as musical value," says Freeman.

But that's not to say the music doesn't have a message of it's own. The
opera has a meditative feels as though the pulsating vibrations take
hold, commanding the listener to at least feel something, anything, if
not the urgency of the Tibetan struggle.

Fong is reluctant to place meaning on the sound she creates.

"Playing Glass is like meditation after you've done it enough," says
Fong.

"It's not like I'm thinking about what I'm playing or I would get
screwed up."

But both Freeman and Fong have tagged their music onto the Tibetan cause
with the hope that the audience will act.

"I hope they will be inspired to take action," says Fong. "Not just with
Tibet but with anything where there is human rights abuse."

Just as Glass' music takes action without imposing, the messages in the
performance are sometimes slight and sometimes as harsh as the images of
Tibet on the movie screen.

While Fong and Freeman, as well as Glass, say this opera could be placed
with anything dramatic. It seems to fit perfectly with the symbols of
both protest and prayer found in the visual and narrative elements. The
hour and a half performance has two halves, each which begin with a solo
by Fong. She draws in the listener at the start, urging a state of mind
that's ready to absorb both the strong political message and the more
subtle emotions brought forth by the swipe of her violin bow. You'll
want to close your eyes and let Fong's electronica tell Glass' secrets.
Glass is so predictable to a point, the sudden changes in the opera
shock the audience and then brings them back as the rhythmic melody
comes back to the theme.

Fong and Freeman's rendition of Glass' work hints toward a sacred state
of consciousness -- emanating Tibetan Buddhism itself -- as its
simplicity draws you into a place you had forgotten existed.

"The State of the Tibetan Nation -- A Madrigal Opera." 8 p.m. Friday,
June 11 at UICA, 41 Sheldon SE. Tickets are $11 ($7 for UICA members).
All proceeds benefit the Gaden Tehor Tibetan Buddhist Monastery.

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Articles in this Issue:

1. Director Secretly Filmed In Tibet
2. Glass Works

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