A wondrous moment in the experimental 1983 film Koyaanisqatsi arrives when a propulsive montage of urban life, with frenetic images of traffic jams and heaving machinery of factories, segues into slow and eerie nocturnal aerial footage of a vast metropolis.
The passage is called The Grid, named after the haunting score by US composer Philip Glass.
Directed by Godfrey Reggio, the non-narrative film and associated soundtrack are viewed as pioneering feats of their respective forms. The film set a new bar of how sound and vision work together to create a visceral and emotional viewing experience.
That powerful fusion can be experienced in Thursday’s cine-concert of Koyaanisqatsi by the Philip Glass Ensemble at NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Centre.
While named after the composer, the group often performs his work without him.
Speaking to The National, conductor Michael Riesman explains that the meticulous editing of Koyaanisqatsi means there is no room for error during performances.
“It is technically demanding because you are a slave to the speed of the film and its events, therefore you don't have the freedom to just play the music,” he says.
“We have to focus a good deal of attention on where we are during the film and try to be in sync as much as we can.”
The chance of the group being off beat is slim, as the ensemble is intimately familiar with the work.
Riesman was invited by Glass – whose career was honoured with the Abu Dhabi Festival Prize in 2017 – to join the collective nearly 50 years ago, and he is one of the original members to record the Koyaanisqatsi score.
“We never thought about how important or influential the music would become,” he says. “As an ensemble we made demos from sketches that Philip would make on just a synthesiser and organ to give us an impression of what the music would be like.
“What I immediately picked up on is how orchestral it all sounds because the chorus and big brass section play an important role here.”
These elements prevail in The Grid, which Riesman promises will be played loud and proud.
“We are going to have a big sound system so it will sound powerful,” he says. “I find that at the end of playing The Grid, people almost have their breath taken away, so there is nothing you need to know about it ahead of time.
“It's immediate, harmonic and rhythmically exciting. It's like rock 'n' roll but with no drums, guitars and lyrics.”
The track also challenges some of the prevailing perceptions regarding Glass's work. Viewed as a leader of the minimalist music movement in the 1960s, focusing on repetitive patterns and elongated melodies, Riesman says Glass’s oeuvre is more rounded than generally perceived.
“The work that he did seeped into popular musicians such as David Bowie and the group Talking Heads who were all listening to Glass,” he says. “But I think the term is more applicable to his earlier pieces because over the decades he has been adding all these orchestral and operatic elements to his work.
“What really binds them together is that they are listenable and powerful."
Koyaanisqatsi Live by the Philip Glass Ensemble is on at the NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Centre on Thursday, 7.30pm. Tickets are priced Dh52.50 and available on nyuad-artscenter.org
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct to Kolkata from Dh1,504 and Dh1,450 return including taxes, respectively. The flight takes four hours 30 minutes outbound and 5 hours 30 minute returning.
The trains
Numerous trains link Kolkata and Murshidabad but the daily early morning Hazarduari Express (3’ 52”) is the fastest and most convenient; this service also stops in Plassey. The return train departs Murshidabad late afternoon. Though just about feasible as a day trip, staying overnight is recommended.
The hotels
Mursidabad’s hotels are less than modest but Berhampore, 11km south, offers more accommodation and facilities (and the Hazarduari Express also pauses here). Try Hotel The Fame, with an array of rooms from doubles at Rs1,596/Dh90 to a ‘grand presidential suite’ at Rs7,854/Dh443.
