 Philip Glass 's Fifth Symphony , completed in 1999 and subtitled " Requiem , Bardo and Nirmanakaya " , is written in 12 movements to fulfill its programmatic intent . Glass writes , " My plan has been for the symphony to represent a broad spectrum of many of the world 's great ' wisdom ' traditions " , synthesizing " a vocal text that begins before the world 's creation , passes through earthly life and paradise , and closes with a future dedication " . Glass writes that he considered the millennium at the beginning of the 21st century to be a symbolic bridge between past , present and spiritual rebirth . 
