Book of Longing

Musical setting by Philip Glass based on Poetry and Images of Leonard Cohen

Book of Longing

1. "Prologue--I Can't Make the Hills" LC voice over with music

2. "I Came Down from the Mountain" Images added. Male vocal

3. "A Sip of WIne" Female vocal solo plus 3 for 'chorus'

Interlude: solo cello

4. "Want to Fly" female vocal solo

5. "The Light Came Through the Window"

6. "Puppet Time" faster tempo, more energy, all 4 vocals, images of LC in Nazi/German uniforms

7. "G-D Opened My Eyes" female images

8. "You Go Your Way" LC Voice over with no music

9. "I Was Doing Something"

10. "Not a Jew" LC voice over with no music

Interlude: oboe solo with image that says 'Life is a drug that stopped working'

11. "How Much I Love You" male/tenor solo

12. "Babylon" [See notes for more]

Interlude: Violin solo [instrumental solos include some of the Glass trademarks but also feel like traditional/Romantic lyrical lines; moments of bravura and cres...]

13. "I Enjoyed the Laughter" LC voice over with no music

14. "The Morning I Woke Up Again" images with WOW-red background. [Note: female images all nude: adored yet objectified]

[Many images include the traditional red stamp of Chinese arat but LC uses a star of David instead]

15. "I Want to Love You Now"

[Often unclear who LC's "you" is, even when he tries to distinguish between "You" and "you" in previous song: woman, women, God, spirit, world, listener.

16. "Don't Have the Proof" LC Voice Over in silence

Interlude: Saxophone solo

17. "The Night of Santiago" [cello has turned back around]

18. "Mother Mother" image of woman was face only

19. "You Came to Me This Morning" Highly choreographed with movement of singers and some musicians, including Phillip Glass; singers sit in chair and stand: part of choreography. included a short violin "cascade"; lush harmonies; simple vocal lines

Interlude: Bass solo with glass in swivel chair facing the attractive young female bassist dressed in red dress, with breasts embracing the bass; high register; loveliest bass line I've ever heard; musician leaning over the instrument in order to paly high notes; highly sensual image;

20. "I Am Not Able" LC voice over with "My heavenly seat" visual image that looks like the chair that Glass was sitting in in #19.

21."Roshi's Very TIred"

22. "Epilogue--Merely a Prayer" images: series of self-images. Beautiful closing.