''Symphony No. 6'', also known as the ''Plutonian Ode Symphony'', is a symphony composed by Philip Glass. It is based on the

poem Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...

'' Plutonian Ode'' by

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

, parts of which are sung by the soprano soloist in the work. The symphony was commissioned by Carnegie Hall in honor of Glass' 65th birthday and as a vehicle for the talents of soprano Lauren Flanigan. The symphony premiered on February 2, 2002, at Carnegie Hall with

Dennis Russell Davies Dennis Russell Davies (born April 16, 1944 in Toledo, Ohio) is an American conductor and pianist, He is currently the music director and chief conductor of the Brno Philharmonic. Biography Davies studied piano and conducting at the Juilliard Sch ...

conducting the American Composers Orchestra. The symphony is in three movements, based on the three parts of the poem itself.

References

06 Philip Glass albums 2002 compositions Glass 06 Music commissioned by Carnegie Hall {{symphony-stub