Philip Glass: La Belle et la BeteThe musical cast features mezzo-soprano Janice Felty as La Belle and baritone Gregory Purnhagen as La Bete, accompanied by the seven-member Philip Glass Ensemble - brass, woodwinds and keyboards - with numerous guest musicians, conducted by Michael Riesman.
Of the French filmmaker and his works, Glass has said, "For me, Cocteau has always been an artist whose work was central to the 'modern' art movement of the 20th century. More than any artist of his time, he again and again addressed questions of art, immortality and the creative process..."Orphee," "La Belle et la Bete," and "Blood of a Poet" are all extremely thoughtful and subtle reflections on the life of an artist. Of these three, "La Belle" is the most openly allegorical in style. Presented as a simple fairy tale, it soon becomes clear that the film has taken on a broader and deeper subject - the very nature of the creative process."
With its marriage of mystical romance and modern sounds, "La Belle et la Bete" has been proclaimed by TIME MAGAZINE "Glass's best work in years, an exhilarating and original ride... Remarkable not only in conception but also in execution, brimming with freshets of melody and surging with Wagnerian power in conjuring up a magic kingdom."
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