Glass Symphony 9

In honor of Philip Glass' 70th birthday, Sony has devoted two CDs to 18 short works and movements of larger works, from recordings in its archive. The set provides a useful introduction to the composer's work from a relatively brief span in his long career, from 1976 to 1988. It was an exceptionally productive period for Glass; works written during that period include his three large-scale portrait operas – Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, and Akhnaten – all represented here, as well as two very popular albums of short pieces: Glassworks and Songs From Liquid Days.

Recordings of all the Beethoven symphonies with their chief conductor are always a milestone in the artistic work of the Berliner Philharmoniker. So it was with Herbert von Karajan and Claudio Abbado, and expectations are correspondingly high for this cycle conducted by Sir Simon Rattle. Where does the special status of these symphonies come from? Simon Rattle has an explanation: “One of the things Beethoven does is to give you a mirror into yourself – where you are now as a musician.” In fact, this music contains such a wealth of extreme emotions and brilliant compositional ideas that reveal the qualities of the orchestra and its conductor as if under a magnifying glass.

In 1985, Philip Glass composed a 'dance-theater' work based on Edgar Allen Poe’s 1841 short story 'A Descent into the Maelstrom' as one of the last pieces written for the original Philip Glass Ensemble (keyboards and woodwinds.) A few years ago Norwegian filmmaker Jan Vardøen decided to make a film about the Poe’s story which is set in the Arctic Circle near the Lofoten archipelago in northern Norway. At the same time, Vardøen discovered Philip Glass Ensemble recording of the work. As part of his film, Vardøen conscripted the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra and arranger Alexander Waaktar to adapt the music for full symphony orchestra, voice, and synthesizer, all under the baton of Tim Weiss. The result is a dramatic new interpretation of a little known major Philip Glass work. This new recording from Orange Mountain Music marks the first recording of this dynamic piece in this new orchestral form.

A few decades from now, someone will put together a series of recordings devoted to “the greatest tenors of the 21st century”. Will Ben Heppner be featured on one of these? Most likely more than one. What other conclusion can you reach after hearing these splendiferous performances of French arias, presented as the Canadian singer’s debut under his new, exclusive DG contract? To begin with, there’s nothing really typical about this recital, from the choice of repertoire–extended arias from some of the less-traveled operatic territory–to this revered label’s confirmation of big-budget stature on an artist who’s neither a “three tenor” nor a singer under the age of 14. No, this is really grown-up stuff, and Heppner proves not only a seasoned and commanding presence, but an artist of the highest magnitude, with the vocal equipment and musical intelligence to at once rivet an audience to its seats and compel it to spontaneously rise in a collective ovation.

Leave it to Christoph Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony to deliver one of the more impressive classical discs of 1999: a pairing of the violin concertos of John Adams and Philip Glass. Hearing the works of these two American music mavericks side-by-side is a study in contrasts: Adams's postmodernist composition from 1993 is filled with spooky overtones, as the violin threads its way through the piece, always at the forefront.