Philip Glass pulls out of Kennedy Center – and buys a loaf of bread
Composer Philip Glass, 89, is apparently not a Trump fan:
Composer Philip Glass announced Tuesday that he is withdrawing his symphony from the Kennedy Center, pointing to the arts center’s values and leadership.
“After thoughtful consideration, I have decided to withdraw my Symphony No. 15 ‘Lincoln’ from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,” Glass announced in a statement posted to X.
“Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony,” he continued. “Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership.”
Really? I was unaware of Trump’s support for slavery, or his advocacy of the South’s defiance of the federal government (seems the opposite, actually).
And I wonder whether Glass is aware that Lincoln met with many accusations similar to those against Trump: that he was a tyrant who didn’t respect the law. For example:
“What shall we call him? Coward, assassin, savage, murderer of women and babies? Or shall we consider them all as embodied in the word fiend, and call him Lincoln, the Fiend?”
So wrote Virginia’s Richmond Enquirer of the President of the U.S. in 1862. It was not unusual. Caught up in the passions of the era, the Northern Copperhead papers no less than the Southern press called Abraham Lincoln names that for venomous variety have been unsurpassed before or since in editorial tirades against a President—”The Ape,” “Simple Susan,” “Kentucky Mule,” “Illinois Beast,” “traitor,” “lowborn, despicable tyrant,” “cringing, crawling creature.” …
Thus the Illinois State Register (Springfield), taking Lincoln to task for his “assumed clownishness,” charged that his “buffoonery convinces the mind of no man, and is utterly lost on the majority of his audience.” The Chicago Times, one of his angriest foes, sneered that “he cannot speak five grammatical sentences in succession.” One of Lincoln’s greatest speeches, the second inaugural (“with malice toward none”) was dismissed by the Times as “slipshod” and “puerile.” …
Of his assassination, the Dallas Herald wrote: “God almighty ordered this event.” Houston’s Tri-Weekly Telegraph crowed: “From now until God’s judgment day, the minds of men will not cease to thrill at the killing of Abraham Lincoln.”
Then again, Philip Glass actually is a loaf of bread. If you’re unfamiliar with Glass’s work, the following parody may not make sense. It’s from a favorite play (or rather, series of short plays) of mine by David Ives, called All In the Timing:
Disappointing about Glass, but not unexpected. He has lived all his life in the NYC-avant-garde bubble. The bubble has been bery, bery good to him. (SNL reference.)
I still love Glass and his works. Always essential listening for me.
BTW, “Philip Glass Buys a Loaf of Bread” is a parody of Glass, no direct connection to Glass himself. As I hear the piece, it is in the style of Glass’s “Einstein on the Beach.”
Regarding “States Rights” , Trump seems to be somewhat down the middle. Such as it is with right leaning populist from New York.
I have been saying for a long time – I don’t care if the President is Republican or Democrat – we need a Constitutional Amendment for line item veto to have some shot at getting spending under control.
huxley:
Yes, as I wrote, it’s a parody by Ives. And yes, I think in the style of the Einstein work. The Ives plays are from the 1990s.
Such delicate sensibilities, these artists.
I have no idea who he is, and by his actions, I don’t want to know who he is.
What Shirehome said.
neo:
I wasn’t sure what you meant by “Philip Glass actually is a loaf of bread” — whether that meant he would appear somehow as a loaf of bread.
Plus I had once seen “Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe” in which Herzog actually did appear as the result of a bet he made that Errol Morris would never make one of the films he talked about.
—“Werner Herzog Eats His Shoe” (1980)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGcWTIWYDMQ
With this move Glass shows us that is he just another in a long list of self-important “artists” making a bold statement of opposition to the man – Trump in this case. I heard at a dinner gathering last night that Neil Young has boldly gifted his music to Greenland and pulled it from Amazon. , is that all you’ve got?
As Laura Ingraham said oh so many years ago, “Shut up and sing”.
I recall a great story Philip Glass told in a NPR interview. While he was a struggling composer in NYC, he worked as a handyman. He once showed up at an appointment and the client said, “My god, you’re Philip Glass.”
He said, “Yes, I’m here to fix your sink.”
Anyway that was part of Glass’s point that he knew plenty of brilliant artists in New York. He didn’t believe he was that much more special than the rest of them.
Most people don’t know Glass by his classical works — classics of minimalism — but they might from the soundtracks to “Mishima,” “Kundun,” “The Thin Red Line,” and “The Truman Show.”
He also collaborated with Paul Simon. Those who know Simon’s underrated “Hearts and Bones” album might recall the mesmerizing coda to “The Late Great Johnny Ace.”
–Paul Simon, “The Late Great Johnny Ace”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJra4plhU54
Neil Young is still sentient? It doesn’t look like it.
Maybe he could gift the Danes by moving to Thule. Walrus need music too, as do Polar Bears. But then Greenlanders already have a serious suicide problem that Neil wouldn’t ameliorate.
Coward. Afraid his friends won’t like him anymore. What a punk.
My favorite Glass album is “Philip Glass: Solo Piano.” Very special. I listen to it when I need a high level of concentration.
Here’s Glass performing the second cut which he is using as the opening to a new album:
_______________________________
Philip Glass performs Opening, celebrating his new piano album, Philip Glass Solo, on his 87th Birthday. Filmed in Brooklyn, NY, 2021.
—Philip Glass, “Opening (Official Video)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nBE9U7q1Uc
_______________________________
It’s really quite gorgeous and magnificently photographed. I suspect most commenters here would appreciate it, if they gave it a chance.
All due respect @huxley, citing the quality and beauty of Glass’s music is a non sequitur. What I and others are criticizing is the performative nonsense of Glass pulling his music from the Kennedy center, not the inherent quality of his work.
Re: citing the quality and beauty of Glass’s music is a non sequitur.
steve walsh:
Not to me.
I’m sure that is Glass’s poorly informed, bubble opinion. I”m sure he doesn’t consider himself poorly informed or in a bubble.
We all have to weigh our concern for an artist’s personal or political actions versus the art.
What is your point in this context of noting the quality and beauty of his art? None here have so far questioned that. The performative part is done by Glass for his fellow bubble occupiers, so perhaps you and I are in agreement on the actions, if not the descriptors.
huxley,
Glass didn’t compose the music for “Thin Red Line,” that was done by Hans Zimmer.
Glass DID compose the music for “Hamburger Hill.”
“I’m sure that is Glass’s poorly informed, bubble opinion. I”m sure he doesn’t consider himself poorly informed or in a bubble.” huxley
“The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant. It’s just that they know so much that isn’t so.” Ronald Reagan – “A Time for Choosing” Oct. 27, 1964
IrishOtter49 :
Sorry. That would be “The Thin Blue Line.”
He has just broadcast to the world that he values his politics more than he values his music. Okay, then.
I mean, as a composer I think he has a unique musical character. I thought the score to Koyaanisqatsi was very interesting and well done, and parts of it were recycled in The Truman Show, which I didn’t think took anything away from it. But having taken this position, he has devalued his work. I wouldn’t bother attending it somewhere else now.
@Aggie: He has just broadcast to the world that he values his politics more than he values his music. Okay, then.
How is it not performative to bash Glass because he won’t perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after Trump got involved?
Note that Glass didn’t declare Trump to be Hitler and his followers to be Nazis. He just opted out of a performance because he doesn’t find Trump aligned with Lincoln and said so publicly. Is that not allowed?
Ultimately the politics/art discussion comes down to one’s opinion about what goes too far.
SEE the movie “Tarr” from couple years back.
Critically acclaimed film about a lesbian conductor with the Berlin Philharmonic — ie, the first woman at the top post in classical music world — caught up and made a victim of Believe All Women nonsense!
It definitely dances a fine line between conductor Tarr as heroic victim and devious egotistical opportunist. Bold. Brave fictional story telling.
It’s long, but worth your time.
Glass has definitely even off my radar for a couple decades. Thanks for the link to his solo piano, huxley.
“Ultimately the politics/art discussion comes down to one’s opinion about what goes too far.“ — Huxley
Um, K? Meaning, an election that changes national government might be alright with Glass. But changing the governance of the Washington, DC center serving the arts of music —- THAT’s just too far!
These ego struck icons do strike me as lacking in discernment — either that, or else I’m too much of a troglodyte to grasp his nuance and good judgement. I’m definitely OK with that.
Oddly enough, I used to think I was among his fans.
Glass shattered to learn people see through his stunt.
Hi, huxley. I’d never listened to Glass before – that ‘Opening’ selection was nice. Thanks for it.
@huxley, I’m not sure I understand your comment: “How is it not performative to bash Glass because he won’t perform at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts after Trump got involved?”
Who cares if it’s performative? Critics are gonna be critics. I wasn’t bashing Glass, and I wouldn’t call it ‘performative’ if someone decided not to buy a ticket either – for whatever reason. I don’t care whether Glass performs his piece or not. But I think he’s a fool for the reasons he’s given, and I think his music is simplistic and repetitive. But that doesn’t mean I don’t accept it as an art form.
After the democrats win back everything in a couple years, maybe the white commentariat of this blog will understand what it is to live under the yoke of slavery when the likes of Hakeem Jeffries and Ilhan Omar hold the whip and the power. Yee haw!
Aggie:
I was reacting to an earlier comment condemning Glass for being performative in his refusal not to perform at the Kennedy Center, perhaps unfairly to you.
However, your claim: “He has just broadcast to the world that he values his politics more than he values his music” still strikes me as one-dimensional reduction of Philip Glass.
If you wish to declare Glass a tool, it’s fine by me. I disagree. My point stands:
Ultimately the politics/art discussion comes down to one’s opinion about what goes too far.
TJ:
Meaning that unless one is an absolute purist that everyone who is not 100% for my positions is against me, one must grant that:
Ultimately the politics/art discussion comes down to one’s opinion about what goes too far.
If I were to boycott every artist whose politics don’t align with mine, I might as well purge half my music collection, including works of composers whose views are a lot more “problematic” — to use a term of the Left — than Mr. Glass’. Richard Wagner comes to mind.
I agree with Huxley and tend to keep the art and the politics separated.
Sbppeppar can’t even remember the glorious days of the FJB junta and his autopen. The quality of our lefty trolls and their yearning for another 1000 year Reich is truly pathetic.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-says-kennedy-center-will-close-two-years-renovations-rcna256982
So that’s the end of the Kennedy Center until there is a new president.
Shaking up a closed, sclerotic, and often unthinkingly leftist artistic community? Good. Building a board of todies so cowed by the dear leader that they illegally re-name the venue after him? Not good. Not good at all. That’s how you lose people. And the cost of losing people right now is exactly what Abigail Spanberger is getting ready to do to Virginia.
It occurs to me that the second Trump administration is the second time in my adult life time that the right will have committed hari kari. The first time, it was over the Iraq war and bringing democracy to the middle east. This time, its over Donald Trump’s ego.
The first time as tragedy, the second as farce. Indeed.
CC™:
And I was wondering how your twelve step program was going.
Total fail.
VDH (who is back at it again, fortunately) wrote an interesting article this weekend on the Lincoln/Trump comparison . . .
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/02/01/the_nullification_dilemma_690620.html