On his return to New York in 1967, Glass continued to develop his interest in Indian music, studying with tabla player Alia Rakha . He began composing a series of pieces that combined Indian rhythms with a minimalist approach. His works were stronger and louder than those of other minimalist composers, and his Music in Fifths (1968), performed by his own amplified ensemble, had the energy of rock music.
Glass wrote his first opera, Einstein on the Beach, in 1975. It was...