La Belle et la Bête
An opera for ensemble and film (1994) 92'

Music by Philip Glass. Libretto (French) by the composer.

CAST:

2S, Mz, 2Bar, 2 Bbar 1(pic).0.1.bcl.ssx.asx.1/ 3.0.1.btrb.0/ 1 perc (tgl, cym, glsp, tubular chimes (Ab-flat, B-flat), marimba/ hp/ syn/ str

PREMIERE:

June 21, 1994 in Gibellina, Italy, by the PGE conducted by Michael Riesman

NOTES:

A subtle reflection on the life of an Artist, Philip Glass' second opera based on works by Cocteau, in its original version performed in conjunction with the projected film (with the original version soundtrack eliminated entirely). Presented as a simple fairy talem it soon becomes clear that the history has taken on a broader and deeper subject - the very nature of the creative process. Through an extraordinary alchemy of the spirit, the ordinary world is transformed into a world of magic. The power of the creative and the raw world of nature, represented respectively by Beauty and the Beast, finally emerges and allows the world of imagination to take flight.

PUBLISHER:

Dunvagen Music Publishers

AVAILABLE SCORES:

• La Belle at la Bête at ChesterNovello.com

RELATED RECORDINGS:

• Philip Glass Film Scores on Orange Mountain Music
• GlassJukebox on Nonesuch
• La Belle et la Bête on Nonesuch
• Philip on Film on Nonesuch
• Philip Glass: Up Close on Orange Mountain Music

RELATED FILMS:

• Beauty and the Beast by Jean Cocteau
• Looking Glass by Éric Darmon

CATEGORIES:

Film, Opera, PGE