Symphony No. 1 (Glass)

Symphony No. 1 "Low"
Other name	"Low" Symphony
ISWC	T-010.865.755-1
Style	Postmodern, minimalist
Form	Symphony
Composed	1992 (1992)
Publisher	Dunvagen Music Publishers
Duration	42 minutes
Premiere
Date	30 August 1992 (1992-08-30)
Location	Munich, Germany
Conductor	Dennis Russell Davies
Performers	Junge Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie

Symphony No. 1 "Low", also known as the "Low" Symphony, is a symphony by Philip Glass based on David Bowie's album Low.

In 1996, Glass based another symphony on David Bowie's following album "Heroes".

The symphony

The symphony was composed in 1992 and scored for full orchestra with 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, E-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion, harp, piano and strings (including 8 first violins, 6 second violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos and 2 double basses).

The symphony has three movements:

• I. Subterraneans
• II. Some Are
• III. Warszawa

Glass did not base the second movement on the original album, but rather a remastered version with the track "Some Are", which did not feature on Bowie's original recording.

Recordings

The first recording of this work was released in 1993 under the title Low Symphony. It was performed by the Brooklyn Philharmonic orchestra under the batons of Dennis Russell Davies, principal conductor, and Karen Kamensek, assistant conductor. Philip Glass allowed ideas of Bowie and Brian Eno, who worked together on Low, to influence how he worked on the music.

1. Subterraneans (15:11)
2. Some Are (11:20)
3. Warszawa (16:01)

See also

• Symphony No. 4 "Heroes"