I found the staging very interesting as well as some of the music. However, it was also an exercise in tedium. Glass does not know when to quit. The first dance number was interesting, but the second was dull and very repetitive. Both were composed of patterns without the dancers ever touching one another. I wonder what the connection with Einstein was — other than the violinist.

Hmm…yes, that does make sense. I think that for me, with something like Einstein, where the “meaning” is so open for interpretation, trying to lasso the experience into words or concrete thoughts lessens the effect it has…although I do believe one might tag down portions of it, instead of being unsatisfied attempting to construct logical, solid meaning from it all, it should be ok to find a meaning of sorts from any aesthetic reactions, as you put it. I think this sort of meaning, that comes from a resonance with your heart, soul, and even unconscious, is longer lasting and more powerful. I definitely agree that there is a reluctance to allow something to simply “be,” without a definite, understandable purpose. Very interesting.

Just saw the show last night and still reflecting on it and taking it all in. Did anybody else notice the conch shell and think of Lord of the Flies? LotF was published in the wake of WWII and was likely a powerful presence in the post-war mentality that saturates much of Einstein on the Beach. In Lord of the Flies, the conch shell represents reason and civility. I’m hesitant to draw too simple of a parallel between the two works but am interested to see if this was an intentional reference on the part of Wilson and Glass. Thoughts?

I flew up from Georgia to see Einstein on the Beach on Friday night at the Power Center.   The event itself was very well run, having garage parking available next to the theater was very considerate, particularly during a snow storm.   Delaying the start of the show by 30 minutes in light of the weather conditions was also helpful.

As for the show itself.   I was very impressed by the musicians, the chorus, the dancers and the props.   It takes some real endurance to perform in those roles for four and a half hours.   I also was amused by the subtle gestures made by performers towards the “fourth wall” (audience).

I like Philip Glass music and have listened to the album version of Einstein on the Beach numerous times.  One distinction I found between the experiences is that one can listen to Einstein in segments on their headphones, then push stop and pick it up later.     In the live theater one does not get that opportunity of course.     The creators recognize this and allow for the “come and go as you wish” seating policy.

From my perspective, some sections  of Einstein have an unnecessary exaggerated length.   The dances and knee plays were beautiful and creative with their variation, but they seemed padded.     Not that it should be cut down in any way nor am I suggesting it be retuned to short attention spans.    It was an enjoyable and certainly unique experience to finally to go see this.

One nitpick – the opening “Knee Play” should have started only after the people in the venue had finished sitting.   I could hardly hear the opening dialogue over the crowd and folks walking down the aisle ways to their seats blocked the view.

Thanks for hosting this UMS!  

Last night’s performance reminded me of being a kid and hearing my parents talk, knowing it was about something important, but not able to quite understand what or why. Everything in the 4+ hours was clearly deliberate–all the choreography, stage effects, everything. Usually when we see a large group of people being very deliberate about what they do, it means something important, but, last night, what did it all mean? It took a while to get to sleep last night, as it was all still in my head; I think my brain was trying to sort through everything I had seen and make sense of it. Even though it seemed like so many things were abstract, and hard to define, I felt like I was able to connect with the performance, partially since I knew the why there were so many trains and clocks (if you don’t, go read Einstein’s book on his theory of special relativity), and also because I could see, in this opera without a plot, an overall exploration into different ways we perceive time, you know, how sometimes it seems like your watch stops and time pauses in space, and other times it merely seems to slow down, and the rest of the time we don’t really notice it at all. It seemed to me that the opera was largely about exploration into space and time. I still want to ask “what does it all mean?” but maybe that’s not the right question. If it was meant to be a story, it would have had a plot. It didn’t. It was more like a poem, a poem that’s not about rhyme and meter but about the sound of the words, only not just about the sound of the words, but the effect of choreography and colors of music. This means that some people will likely find it inaccessible, but for me, it was understandable enough to appreciate, and I wish I had a ticket to go see it again tonight. Thank you UMS for helping to bring “Einstein on the Beach” to Ann Arbor.

I’m writing this from Dallas, TX, where I am eagerly and avidly following your posted comments re: the Einstein previews this weekend. I’ve been a Wilson-Glass devotee for 30 years and am currently trying to help find a way to bring Einstein here to Dallas, as I’m sure that the artistic underground and performing arts culturati here are ready for it and would eat it up with a spoon.

Please describe more about how the abstraction of the piece affected you. Did you have to go through an initial period of boredom or confusion before you experienced any sort of transcendent epiphany while experiencing the piece and if so, how long did any boredom or confusion last? Did you feel that there were too many longeurs in the piece where your interest level was too difficult to sustain, or no? Did you experience any kind of transcendent epiphany at all? Did you think that the whole thing was overblown, overhyped, a waste of money-time, etc.?

Personally, I’m totally psyched by the positive comments thus far, so Let ‘Em Fly, Comrades. Inquiring Minds In Dallas Want To Know. And Thank You Very, Very Much.