New Music

Who is László Klangfarben, and what is a Schick Machine? Those were the two burning questions on the minds of audience and protagonist alike during Schick Machine, a theatrical and musical work commissioned by Stanford Lively Arts and premiered Saturday evening at Stanford’s Dinkelspiel Auditorium.

Walking into Paul Dresher’s studio, a casual observer might think it was a rehearsal space, an experimental sound lab, or an inventor’s workshop. It’s actually all those things, and Dresher, the award-winning composer, musician, instrument maker, and founder of the acclaimed Paul Dresher Ensemble, presides over each aspect with the eyes and ears of a Renaissance master.

Music in Twelve Parts, written in 1974, was a breakthrough work for Philip Glass, a giant summing-up of his style and musical explorations to that point. The Philip Glass Ensemble, with the composer on keyboards, comes to San Francisco for the first live West Coast performance of this four-hour landmark in late-20th century music.