The Hours

In this recording made at Canada's famous Glenn Gould Studio at the CBC in Toronto, conductor and Philip Glass champion Anne Manson leads pianist Michael Riesman and her own Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in a tour de force performance of Glass's Oscar nominated music from The Hours and a virtuosic performance of Glass's Symphony No.3. Riesman, conductor and pianist on the original soundtrack recording of The Hours, was commissioned in 2002 to create a concert piece based on the score. Glass's third symphony was written in 1995 for the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and is one of the composer's most performed and accessible concert works. This recording shows off the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra's versatility, especially in the quick paced second and fourth movements, as well as the ensembles silky interpretation of the many-layered voices of the third movement, all under the precise direction of Manson.

There are no doubts about it. Alma Micic (Mee-cheech) is a first rate jazz singer. On her debut album, Introducing Alma (CTA, 2004), she opened some doors with her seductive style working the Great American Songbook. Giving no hint of what was to follow, the release of The Hours raises the bar, leaving no hesitation about where this vocalist is headed. The Hours is far from the type of breakthrough bestseller that one might intimate.

In 2002 Philip Glass composed the soundtrack score to the Stephen Daldry film "The Hours". The film went on to receive 9 Acadamy Awards nominations, including one for ‘best score’. At the beginning of the film, Daldry depicts the timelessness of small daily events, how the real elements of life are patterns that repeat across time. The movie opens with three women from three different eras intercut, all doing similar things. There's Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) in 1923, a troubled young mother (Julianne Moore) in 1951 and a woman (Meryl Streep) in 2001 making preparations for a party later that evening. In one location flowers are bought, in another displayed, in another discarded. Philip Glass' score intensely underlines the images with a sense of strangeness and sympathy. Michael Riesman, Mr. Glass’ longtime musical director and producer of the film score recordings, created solo piano adaptations of the original score and has been performing them in concert.

Cutting-edge pianist meets trendsetting composer: Valentina Lisitsa, whose artistry has bewitched thousands of followers on YouTube, is releasing a double album selection of the most special pieces for solo piano by Philip Glass, whose brand of minimalism has made him one of the most influential composers of our time. Valentina Lisitsa plays Philip Glass brings together two artists with enormous followings, a truly winning combination. Minimalism has never been so big. Richly harmonic, this collection of definitive Glass is a deeply evocative listening experience, with revelatory performances from Lisitsa.

Since their first encounter in May 2011, Lavinia Meijer has worked with some frequency with Philip Glass, even though he has never written solo works specifically for the harp. However, many of his piano works and piano transcriptions, after minor adjustments, prove to be well suited to the modern pedal harp. Initially, Lavinia Meijer added Glass's five movement Metamorphosis to her repertoire, on the instigation of the undersigned, the Amsterdam gallery owner Robert Malasch and the American composer himself. After a first and successful performance (in the composer's presence) in the Amsterdam 'pop temple' The Melkweg, a first official recording was made for Channel Classics in June 2011 in the Dutch town of Schiedam. Since this recording was exclusively intended for a brief national marketing campaign, it has now been followed up by this complete Glass CD for international distribution. Lavinia Meijer is recognized worldwide as one of the most successful rising stars. Besides performing the standard harp repertoire Lavinia Meijer is very keen on playing modern music.

A fictionalized account of what may have happened when John Lennon and Brian Epstein went on holiday together to Spain in 1963.

A fictionalized account of what may have happened when John Lennon and Brian Epstein went on holiday together to Spain in 1963.

A fictionalized account of what may have happened when John Lennon and Brian Epstein went on holiday together to Spain in 1963.

A fictionalized account of what may have happened when John Lennon and Brian Epstein went on holiday together to Spain in 1963.