Michael Riesman Philip Glass Ensemble - Philip Glass Glassworks (11 tracks) +Album Reviews

"Glassworks" Remastered!!!

Louie Bourland | Garden Grove CA | 05/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Composer Philip Glass broke new ground with his 1982 work "Glassworks". Besides being his debut for Sony Music (then CBS Records), "Glassworks" also became one of his best known compositions and is still his overall best-selling recording.
There is a variety of mood and texture heard throughout "Glassworks" six movements. "Opening" is a pure solo piano piece which segues effortlessly into the second part "Floe" performed by Philip Glass's ensemble consisting of various keyboards, woodwinds and horns. Both "Floe" and "Rubric" (the fourth movement) are chock full of Glass's trademark fast-paced arppegiated rhythms, dense harmonics and consistantly shifting time signatures. The third and fifth parts ("Island" and "Facades" respectively) feature beautifully scored string sections aided by woodwinds along with slow repeated phrases. The "Closing" movement is simply a reprise of the opening except that it is scored for ensemble as opposed to solo piano.
The remastered edition of "Glassworks" features superb sound quality and adds a renewed freshness to the original recording. There are also five bonus "Dance" pieces from Glass's 1986 work "In The Upper Room". These Dances also feature the composer's trademarks as well as great orchestration (especially "Dance IX" which features triumphant themes and variations).
Overall, if you are familiar with the music of Philip Glass, you'll know exactly what to expect with this CD. For those unfamiliar and looking for a place to start, "Glassworks" is an essential introduction.
Definitely Classic Minimalist Music at its Finest!!"

An Essential Recording for MINIMALIST fans

smokeyj628 | Decatur, GA USA | 12/13/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The orginal version of this CD is one of my very favorite Philip Glass Cd's, and I was excited to see it remastered. The remastering job is quite good....the levels of the instruments are much louder, and more importantly, you get much better separation of the instruments. I listened to it in the car and you could hear instruments coming in from every direction. In other words, a sonic improvement over the orginal.As for the songs themselves, "Opening", "Facades", and "Islands" are my favorites. In fact, I own a copy of the score of this album, and in it you see the intricate weaving of the instruments, the subtle building of Facades and Islands, and the excellent use of unorthodox chord choices. The music is unsettling on one level, and yet relaxing. It's fantastic.Philip Glass (especially during this early 80's era and before) does use repetition and slow buildups in his music. Although I can't imagine someone knowing of Glass and NOT associating him with such music, I advise anyone with a revulsion to minmalist music to steer clear. That being said, anyone with a taste for "modern" music, unusual chord choices, and wanting to learn more about Glass's style should pick up this CD. It's a good introduction. The bonus tracks (originally released on a separate CD) also give a taste for his writing for strings.And if you don't take my word for it, note that the original Glassworks CD is listed as an Amazon.com Essential Recording."

The best Glass has ever sounded.

Joel Henderson | Portland, OR United States | 08/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It came as a bit of a shock that I should stumble over a remastered version of one of my favorite Philip Glass pieces a mere month after I bought the original cd. Digital technology has progressed greatly since 1982 and Glassworks benefits greatly from it. Notable hiss on the Opening is now non- existant and Jack Kripl's flute is no longer harsh.

Fans of Glass's later works on the Nonesuch label may notice that Glassworks is also much louder than any of those recordings. Terrific!"

Love - Hate Relationship

Amol Shelat | Chicago | 01/17/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Simply, the question is of the following: Is P. Glass one of the 20th century's most creative artists, lending a sublte poignancy to his pieces; or, on the other hand, is Glass merely the most overrated hack in classical music today, utilizing almost endlessly repeating arpeggios to the chagrin of the listener's ear (not to mention, patience)?

From my rating, I clearly fall into the first camp. However, the pleasure you will derive from this CD is undoubtedly personal and subjective, based upon both experience and taste. No doubt, the arguments on both side of the question are passionate and entrenched. I suggest, instead, that you listen to the tracks that Amazon provides. This will give you a sense as to whether you will love or hate the music.

As for my experience with the music, I agree with several fellow reviewers: Glass's methodology is wholeheartedly expressive, providing the composer with ample space to slowly build and play on different moods within the work, making the listener conscious of individual notes, instruments, and rhythms within the ensemble. The only thing I can think to compare this with is, perhaps, flavors. Either you can eat a piece of chocolate hurriedly and grasp the totality of its flavor; or you may calmly savor it and, perhaps, find a nice caramal center, unmask the interplay of various textures, and discover satisfaction in its simplicity.

Bear in mind, however, I approached Philip Glass after having a large exposure to Ravi Shankar and 'classical Indian' music. Some, not all, of the music is rhythmically repetitive. This experience, I think, predisposed me to liking Glass's compositions."

Glassworks is an amazing album

K. Bliss | Washington, DC USA | 11/11/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Although I'd heard of Philip Glass I was quite unaware of his music until I attended a performance of The Upper Room by the Washington Ballet in October 2006. The music is by Philip Glass and the choreography by Twyla Tharp. It was one of the most memorable artistic experiences of my life. It was incredible.

I subsequently purchased Glassworks and find the music to be extremely powerful. I recommend this album absolutely. I find most of the pieces on the album to be profoundly moving. The last movement from "The Upper Room" is especially powerful and significant."

Search - Michael Riesman, Philip Glass Ensemble :: Philip Glass: Glassworks

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	Michael Riesman, Philip Glass Ensemble Philip Glass: Glassworks Genre: Classical Track Listings (11) - Disc #1 Opening Floe Island Rubric Facades Closing Dance I [] Dance II [] Dance V [] Dance VIII [] Dance IX [*]
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