Philip Glass, Michael Riesman, Philip Glass Ensemble Einstein on the Beach: Knee Play 5 (1979)
“Linas” he called them tenderly. Albert Einstein owned a series of violins—and he loved them. In fact, it was a rare occasion to see him at university without his violin case. On the one hand, playing the violin helped him distract himself to come up with his truly innovative ideas like the theory of relativity. On the other hand, Einstein simply enjoyed playing the instrument. In an interview he once said: “I cannot tell if I would have done any creative work of importance in music, but I do know that I get most joy in life out of my violin.” Avant-garde composer Philip Glass referred to the physicist’s passion in his first opera called Einstein on the Beach. The work, which premiered at the Théâtre Municipal in Avignon in 1976, is, according to Glass and director Robert Wilson, a portrait of the scientist. Yet, the opera, which clocks in at 4.5 hours, doesn’t have a plot and the only specific reference to Einstein is a solo part for violin, which was played by a musician dressed as the Nobel laureate. A recording of the opera, played by the Philip Glass Ensemble and conducted by Michael Riesman, was published in 1979. Its highlight: the closing track “Einstein on the Beach: Knee Play 5”.
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