Riot Ensemble becomes only the third ensemble in history to perform Philip Glass’ wild four-hour work, an epic recap of minimalist style.

On the eve of Glass’ 90th birthday, Riot Ensemble becomes only the third ensemble in history to perform Music in 12 Parts, which Glass himself called ‘the end of minimalism’.

The four-hour precursor to Music for 18 Musicians, it has been performed outside the Philip Glass Ensemble exactly once.

True to their commitment to finding the cutting edge of music from every decade, Riot Ensemble is proud to revive the work in Glass’ 90th year.

Written between 1971 and 1974, Music in 12 Parts is Glass’ encyclopedic summation of everything minimalism could do followed by its deliberate demolition.

It began as a single piece; a friend’s misunderstanding of the title convinced Glass to write 11 more parts over three years.

The result is a four-to-five-hour evening-length event for nine players: keyboards, winds, saxophone and voice. Simultaneously gentle and ferocious, methodical and playful, the work is already a complete table of contents of Glass’ signature style.

The work marked Glass’ transition from austere early minimalism into a far wider range of expression, ending audaciously with a 12-tone row, as though Glass had invented a system, written through it, and come out the other end.

For more info visit the Southbank Centre website