Glass Archive
Best of the Year Discs for 2016
Best of the Year Discs for 2016 = The 12 Multichannel Hi-Res Discs of the Month for 2016 CLASSICAL (incl. HI-RES), CLASSICAL REISSUES, CLASSICAL VINYL & PURE AUDIO BLU-RAY KATI AGÓCS: The Debrecen Passion – BMOP Sound 1046 American First Piano Sonatas – Licad, p. – Danacord * ”For the Beauty of […]
Overtures to Bach (GLASS, IYER, SIERRA, DU YUN & Others) Incl. BACH: Cello Suites – Matt Haimovitz, cello – Pentatone
Matt Haimovetz, cello – “Overtures to Bach” – composed by PHILIP GLASS, VIJAY IYER, ROBERTO SIERRA, DU YUN, LUNA PEARL WOOLF plus The Six BACH: Cello Suites (Preludes only) – Pentatone multichannel SACD PTC 5186 561, 75:48 (9/9/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: 6 unique takes on the Bach Cello Suites plus Bach. Overtures to Bach […]
“Martha Argerich & Friends Live from Lugano 2015” – Emphasis on piano works incl. 3 pianos – Warner (3 discs)
The piano dominates the 2015 Lugano Festival, the convocation of fine chamber music performances. “Martha Argerich & Friends Live from Lugano 2015” = BRAHMS: Horn Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40 (arr. Viola); Scherzo from F.A.E. Sonata; Clarinet Trio in a minor, Op. 114; SCHUMANN: Six Canonic Studies (arr. Debussy), Op. 56; SCHUBERT: Variations […]
“Filament” = Works of DESSNER, MUHLY, LUX & GLASS – eighth blackbird – Cedille vinyl & CD
Fear not minimalism or new music—hear this with joy and gratitude. “Filament” = BRYCE DESSNER: Murder Ballades; NICO MUHLY: Doublespeak; SON LUX: To Love; This is My Line; PHILIP GLASS: Two Pages – eighth blackbird – Cedille CDR60000 157, vinyl & CD, 49:10, (7/08/16) [Distr. by Naxos] ****: Chicago based Eighth Blackbird is absolutely one of […]
KATI AGÓCS: The Debrecen Passion & other works – Soloists/BMOP/Rose – BMOP
KATI AGÓCS: The Debrecen Passion; Requiem Fragments; By the Streams of Babylon; Like Treasure Hidden in a Field; Vessel – Kati Agócs, sop./Lisa Bielawa, sop./Katherine Growdon, mezzo-sop./Margot Rood, sop./Sonja Tengblad, sop./ Lorelei Ensemble/Boston Modern Orchestra Project /Gil Rose – BMOP Sound 1046, 57:00 multichannel SACD (2/02/16) ****: More outstanding vocal work from this emerging contemporary […]
Francesco Di Fiore, “Pianosequenza – Piano Music in Film” – Music by NYMAN, DI FIORE, GLASS, TIERSEN & SUSMAN – Zefir
Very pleasant and uncomplicated; you may want to go discover the films.
Michael Nyman – Make It Louder, Please!, Blu-ray (2014)
A double-billing: a live concert by Nyman’s band plus a documentary “portrait” of the minimalist composer.
PHILIP GLASS: String Quartets No. 2 “Company”, No. 3 “Mishima”, No. 4 “Buczak” & No. 5 – The Dublin Guitar Quartet – Orange Mt. Music“Sax Allemande – MENDELSSOHN & Friends” – 22 Songs Without Words (Arr. for sax trio & violin/cello/horn trio) – Farao Classics
Two of my personal favorite same-instrument groups on two discs.
PHILIP GLASS: String Quartets No. 2 “Company”, No. 3 “Mishima”, No. 4 “Buczak” & No. 5 – The Dublin Guitar Quartet – Orange Mt. Music“Sax Allemande – MENDELSSOHN & Friends” – 22 Songs Without Words (Arr. for sax trio & violin/cello/horn trio) – Farao Classics
Two of my personal favorite same-instrument groups on two discs.
Two X Four = BACH: Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043; CLYNE: Prince of Clouds; GLASS: Echorus; LUDWIG: Seasons Lost – Jennifer Koh, violin/ Jaime Laredo, violin/ Curtis 20/21 Ensemble/ Vinay Parameswaran – Cedille
Jennifer Koh extends her hegemony in violin matters contemporary by teaming with mentor Jaime Laredo in homage of the two-violin concerto ensemble.
GLASS: Galileo Galilei (complete opera) – Richard Troxell & other soloists/ Portland Opera Orch./ Anne Manson – Orange Mountain Music (2 CDs)
Glass’s 2002 opera is given the royal treatment in Oregon.
Keith Jarrett, organ – Hymns; Spheres – ECM (2 CDs)
A testament to the amazing musical creativity of Keith Jarrett, no matter the keyboard instrument.
“Meanwhile” = MISSY MAZZOLI: Still Life with Avalanche; PHILIPPE HUREL: a mesure; ROSHANNE ETEZADY: from Damaged Goods; STEPHEN HARTKE: Meanwhile: music to imaginary puppet plays; PHILIP GLASS: Music in Similar Motion; THOMAS ADES: Catch – eighth blackbird – Cedille BENJAMIN BROENING: “Trembling Air” = like dreams, statistics are a form of wish fulfillment; Dark Wood; Traces (i); Nocturne/Doubles; Traces (ii); Arioso/Doubles; Changing Light – eighth blackbird – Bridge
Two great discs, six amazing musicians, seven interesting composers – eighth blackbird does it again!
Modern Mandolin Quartet – “Americana” [TrackList follows] Sono Luminus (audio-only Blu-ray + CD)
This may be the way to get audio-only hi-res surround Blu-ray to be a successful format!
PHILIP GLASS & MICHAEL NYMAN Works for Saxophone Quartet = GLASS: String Quartet No. 3; Sax Quartet; NYMAN: Songs for Tony – sonic.art Sax Quartet – Genuin Classics NYU STEEL Plays PHILIP GLASS – Etudes Nos. 1 – 10 – NYU Steel/Josh Quillen – Orange Mt. Music
Two entirely different instrumentations of Philip Glass works.
“A Second of Silence” – SATIE: Gymnopédie I & II; GLASS: Company; SCHUBERT: Gretchen am Spinnrade; Des Baches Wiedenlied from Die Schöne Müllerin; Symphony No. 3; Symphony No. 8 in b, “Unfinished”; MORTON FELDMAN: Madame Press Died Last Week at Ninety – The Knights/ Eric Jacobsen – Ancalagon
A chamber orchestra of great quality presented in a sterling package.
Primakov in Concert, Vol. 2 = MENDELSSOHN, BACH, GLASS & DEBUSSY – Bridge
Four new composers added to the Russian pianist’s discography.
PHILIP GLASS: Kepler (complete opera) (2011)
The latest in the composer’s fascination with science and religion; a mixed success.
GLASS: The Concerto Project Vol. III = Concerto Grosso; Concerto for Saxophone Quartet – Beethoven Orch. Bonn/Dennis Russell Davies; Rascher Sax Q. – Orange Mt.GLASS: Symphony No. 7 “Toltec” – Bruckner Orch. Linz/Davies – Orange Mt.
Two Philip Glass gems from Orange Mountain.
Gavin Bryars, Petr Nalich, Sergey Taneyev: Season of Mists Soundtrack – GB Records
I guess you have to see the movie.
Life Force, The Music of Joel Harrison= JOEL HARRISON: Go Toward the Light for solo cello; Life Force for violin & cello; My Father’s Violin; Winter Dances; Epilogue – Wendy Sutter, cello/Tim Fain, violin – Orange Mountain Music
Solo string music given astonishing performances of almost rock-like intensity!
PHILIP GLASS: Orphée (complete opera) – The Portland Opera /Portland Opera Orchestra/ soloists/Anne Mason, conductor – Orange Mountain
One of Glass’s best operas pays homage to Cocteau as well as to Greek mythology.