Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance (1982)

Philip Glass, Godfrey Reggio: Koyaanisqatsi - Life Out of Balance (1982)

Film concert featuring the Philip Glass Ensemble

Classical Music, Opera, Theatre

It was in 1982 that the experimentally minded American director Godfrey Reggio created his film Koyaanisqatsi, which went on to gain cult status among audiences receptive to new concepts. In the language of the Hopi Indians, the word means ‘Life Out of Balance' - which, translated into various languages, was the title used when it was distributed in Hungary and other countries at the time. The work suggestively depicts the absurdity of modern societies turning away from nature and the ancient balance of life - with neither plot nor text, but accompanied by the music of Philip Glass, which is an inseparable part of the work. The Müpa Budapest audience will now get to see and hear all this in an authentic performance by the Philip Glass Ensemble, with the Cantemus Mixed Choir, the Budapest Academic Choir Society and the Budafok Dohnanyi Orchestra also taking part.

Program and cast

Conductor, music director:

Michael Riesman 

Philip Glass Ensemble:

sound:

Dan Bora 

saxophone:

Peter Hess 

onstage sound:

Ryan Kelly 

keyboards:

Mick Rossi 

saxophone, flute:

Sam Sadigursky 

flute, piccolo:

Andrew Sterman 

Guest musician:

keyboards:

Feico Deutekom 

Featuring:

Budapest Academic Choral Society (choirmaster: Ildikó Balassa) 

Budafok Dohnanyi Orchestra 

Cantemus Mixed Choir (choirmaster: Soma Szabó) 

Creators:

music

Philip Glass 

written and directed by

Godfrey Reggio 

Philip Glass Ensemble production manager

Michael Amacio