By David Famiano

Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. Glass!

It’s an exciting time in San Francisco. All the burners are back from you know where feeling either pissed off or bummed out. All the gays are getting ready for Folsom Street Fair and Castro Street Fair. The straights are preparing for their big Love Fest (formerly Love Parade). Meatless Moz is in town. The list goes on and on.

But, things are about to get even more exciting and, thankfully, more cultured.

San Francisco and the Bay Area are getting ready to throw a big (albeit somewhat belated) celebration for Philip Glass’ 70th birthday with concerts all over the place and, of course, the premier of Glass’ new opera Appomattox.

And the kick-off is this Friday night with a very special and rare intimate recital courtesy of San Francisco Performances. Mr. Glass will be playing several of his pieces with cellist Wendy Sutter and percussionist Mick Rossi at Herbst Theater.

Seriously, folks. This is a BIG deal. The last time Glass was here was in back in 2004 when he and his amazing Philip Glass ensemble performed at Davies Symphony Hall. Concerts like this don’t come around too often and there are some real gems on the program—things that will rock your “I’m too cool for this kind of shit” world—including the very new “Songs and Poems for Cello” which Glass himself describes as the best piece he has ever written and part of the Naqoyqatsi soundtrack that didn’t make it into the film.

The (belated) birthday boy was a little too busy to chat with us, but we had a fantastic conversation with Wendy Sutter (who, yes, is distantly related to California’s own Gold Rush John Sutter).

Sutter met Glass when he was touring as a guest with the Bang on a Can All Stars (of which Sutter is a member). Glass was so impressed with Sutter’s playing that he told her he wanted to write a piece for her.

“I thought it was too good to be true,” Sutter recalled, “but sure enough about a year later he called me up and said that he had a piece that he would like to sketch out.”

The piece was originally written to accompany a short film and was scored for cello and voice. Glass wanted to create a solo cello piece out of that by taking the vocal part and incorporating it into the solo cello part through double stops and other techniques. But as Glass and Sutter met and worked on the piece together, it began to evolve into the final version, “Songs and Poems for Cello” that we will hear this Friday—a very moving and personal solo cello suite in seven movements.

"You’ll definitely recognize that it’s Philip Glass, but it’s incredibly chromatic and dark and extremely tragic. For me it’s really moving music. When you have one instrument—one voice telling a story there is something so personal and so moving about that."

Sutter premiered the piece in New York City this past February at a similar recital with Glass and had to play the piece on a loaner no less-- as if playing the world premier of a Philip Glass piece written especially for you wasn’t nerve-wracking enough. Ruth Felt, President of San Francisco Performances, was so impressed with the concert that she asked Glass to repeat the concert in San Francisco. Glass excitedly agreed and decided to add Mick Rossi, a percussionist with his Philip Glass Ensemble, to expand the program a little more.

"We’re like a new Philip Glass trio," Sutter jokes.

So as San Francisco and the Bay Area bows down to the awesomeness that is Glass by throwing a big birthday bash, Glass one-ups us and gives us a one of a kind recital that will not be heard anywhere else. Ivory tower, my ass, folks!

Complete Program:

“Songs and Poems for Cello” (solo cello)

“Tissues” from the film Naqoyqatsi (cello and percussion)

Metamorphosis II, II, IV (solo piano)

Etudes II and X (solo piano)

“The Orchard” (cello, piano and percussion)

“Closing” from the CD “Glassworks” (cello, piano and percussion).

And as an added bonus, Glass will comment briefly on the pieces from the stage.

Philip Glass playing his own music with amazing performers in your own back yard? You are an idiot for missing this.

The concert is nearly sold-out, so we recommend getting while the getting’s good. For tickets call 415.392.2545 or order online here. Tickets are $45 or $30 (that’s a major steal, people!).

And if you miss Wendy Sutter this Friday night, be sure to check her out at the Stanford Lively Arts when she plays Glass’ Book of Longing on October 9th and 10th. Yes, that Book of Longing. And be sure to visit Wendy’s site in the near future to find out when her recording of “Songs and Poems for Cello” will be released.