To understand Passages , one must understand the long intertwining history of its creators. Philip Glass has often cited Ravi Shankar as a pivotal influence on his artistic development. In the early 1960s, a young Glass, working as a composer for film, was tasked with transcribing Shankar’s music for Western musicians. The task proved maddening. Glass, trained in the Western conservatory tradition, was baffled by Shankar’s time signatures.
The album opens with "Offering," composed by Ravi Shankar. It begins with a serene, almost hesitant woodwind melody that feels like a prayer at dawn. True to its title, the track serves as a gesture of peace. The arrangement is lush, but the emphasis remains on the spiritual quality of the melody. Here, Glass’s touch is invisible but felt in the way the orchestration supports Shankar’s sitar without cluttering it. It establishes the meditative tone that permeates the record, suggesting that this will be an inward journey rather than a performative display. Philip Glass and Ravi Shankar - Passages
: A fast-paced track that blends three distinct themes—two by Shankar and one by Glass—into a rhythmic finale. To understand Passages , one must understand the
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Composed by Shankar and orchestrated by Glass, "Sadhanipa" is arguably the rhythmic heart of the album. It is a complex, driving piece that showcases the fascination both composers had with mathematical cycles. The title refers to a specific set of notes, but the experience of the track is kinetic. The task proved maddening
While recorded in 1989-1990, the album did not receive its first complete live performance until the BBC Proms in 2017. This historic concert at London's Royal Albert Hall featured Ravi Shankar's daughter, , on sitar.