Tonight, the LA Philharmonic juxtaposes romanticism, opera, and minimalism in compositions by Philip Glass and Edward Elgar. The program begins with pieces from Glass' the CIVIL warS: a tree is best measured when it is down, a dramatic, avant-garde opera initially written for the 1984 Olympics. It is followed by Glass' 1987 Violin Concerto, a piece rich with the patterns, repetitions, and haunting, solo violin that have since become his signature. The concert concludes with Elgar's breakthrough composition, Enigma Variations. Originally written in 1899 to entertain his wife, the piece is broken into 14 parts, each one a musical sketch of one of their close friends.