5 Facts About Einstein on the Beach’s 1976 Premiere

It premiered at the Avignon Festival on July 25, 1976. The opera debuted at the Théâtre Municipal in Avignon, France.

Philip Glass composed the music. The opera is one of his most famous works.

It broke traditional opera conventions. There is no plot, and the libretto consists of numbers and solfège syllables.

The performance was nearly five hours long. There were no intermissions, though audiences could come and go.

Robert Wilson directed and co-wrote the piece. Wilson’s avant-garde staging was as influential as Glass’s score.