I Need Some Philip Glass Recommendations...

So, though I have known of Philip Glass for awhile, I have only recently sat down and really listened to some of his music. It started a few days ago with re-watching the 1931 Dracula but with Philip Glass' musical score performed by the Kronos Quartet. Though it had it's meh moments, it's best parts were unbelievably fantastic. I bought the soundtrack from iTunes the same night. Compelled to hear more of his work, I then went online and checked out his Metamorphoses for piano and his violin concerto. Awesome. Because I kept reading about his scoring of the film Koyaanisqatsi I also listened to that. Hated it only because I hate synthesizers.

So, my question is what Philip Glass instrumental music can you recommend to me that is acoustic and has no electronic elements? Also, is there a recording by a noteworthy pianist (rather than Glass himself) of Metamorphoses? I don't think he is the greatest of pianists.

Thanks.

Glass is a hack. Everything else is the the Dracula score

Glass is a hack. Everything else is the the Dracula score

I know from your other comments that you don't like Glass, so I don't care what you have to say.

Glass is overrated, in my opinion. Go listen to something that sounds good instead....

Glass is overrated, in my opinion. Go listen to something that sounds good instead....

Thanks for that convincing opinion.

So, my question is what Philip Glass instrumental music can you recommend to me that is acoustic and has no electronic elements? Also, is there a recording by a noteworthy pianist (rather than Glass himself) of Metamorphoses? I don't think he is the greatest of pianists.

Thanks.

It wouldn't make a difference if a noteworthy pianist did play Glass.

It wouldn't make a difference if a noteworthy pianist did play Glass.

Alright. I'm done with this forum. Completely useless....

Alright. I'm done with this forum. Completely useless....

Ignore them, you're just asking about a composer whose work provokes some strong reactions.

...

Re: Glass,

Check out his symphonies - I've heard Nos. 2 and 3 and they're really quite interesting.

OK. I'll try to actually offer you some helpful advice unlike some guys on here.

All of the works you have mentioned are very good indeed Dracula, Koyanisqatssi,Violin Concerto, Metamorphasis (that one I saw him play live :) :P ) , you listed many of my favourites actually, so you obviously are well on your way to being a glass head.

I'm loving his Concerto for two timpanists and orchestra at the minute, explosive in parts, tender and poignant in others. Thats probably my favourite concerto of his,, along with the one for Saxophone quartet. Those are the two I'd go for in terms of orchestral works. Maybe "Songs from Liquid Days" too. Very nice ;)

Stay away from his operas.. he has severl operas, I've got Einstein on the Beach and The Juniper Tree,, they don't really do it for me,, too wacky, really bizarre stuff, and it totally goes over the head without the action on stage. Plus, he's got plenty of synths in them, so I doubt they would do anything for you either.

He's got a lot of Études for piano that are very interesting, I forget what he called them but he played some of them at the concert he gave and I remember liking them a lot =)

Those are my suggestions. If you fancy going for a total wildcard, get the album he wrote with Ravi Shankar- "Passages" Fusion of minimilism with Indian classical music. I think its great stuff but I get weird looks sometimes from people,, Worth it though! :)

Hope that helps! ;)

OK. I'll try to actually offer you some helpful advice unlike some guys on here.

All of the works you have mentioned are very good indeed Dracula, Koyanisqatssi,Violin Concerto, Metamorphasis (that one I saw him play live :) :P ) , you listed many of my favourites actually, so you obviously are well on your way to being a glass head.

I'm loving his Concerto for two timpanists and orchestra at the minute, explosive in parts, tender and poignant in others. Thats probably my favourite concerto of his,, along with the one for Saxophone quartet. Those are the two I'd go for in terms of orchestral works. Maybe "Songs from Liquid Days" too. Very nice ;)

Stay away from his operas.. he has severl operas, I've got Einstein on the Beach and The Juniper Tree,, they don't really do it for me,, too wacky, really bizarre stuff, and it totally goes over the head without the action on stage. Plus, he's got plenty of synths in them, so I doubt they would do anything for you either.

He's got a lot of Études for piano that are very interesting, I forget what he called them but he played some of them at the concert he gave and I remember liking them a lot =)

Those are my suggestions. If you fancy going for a total wildcard, get the album he wrote with Ravi Shankar- "Passages" Fusion of minimilism with Indian classical music. I think its great stuff but I get weird looks sometimes from people,, Worth it though! :)

Hope that helps! ;)

Thanks for the actual replies relevant to my question. I've been met with criticism the last few times I asked questions to forumites and I have been getting a bit frustrated.

Listen to Branka Parlics live concert on youtube and you'll hear a lot of his good pieces. The metamorphoses, OST from the movie "hours" and the opening from glassworks.

Hated it only because I hate synthesizers.

You're painting yourself up in a corner. Immerse music instead of repell it. Great music is great music no matter the soundsource. Glen Gould said that Walter Carlos was the greatest Bach interpretor. What did she have? A synthesizer.... broaden your horizons - it might even help you

Yeah, I shouldn't done that. It's was just too easy to play along. If you like glass you check out other minimalist about postminimalist composers like Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, John Tavener, Louis Andriessen, Henryk Górecki, and John Adams. Probably in that order.

Funnily enough, some of the only pieces I like by Glass are his operas. Some of his synthesized stuff is pretty bad though:

His 5th Symphony is really good. Much more in line with his operas than with his other stuff, with some great text painting.

look at the operas not as minimalism, but as maximalism :)

i would recommend the piano etudes, i think they are great pieces of work and incredibly varied in their musical material! i was quite struck by them when i heard them, even though i was already familiar with much of his work.

I reccommend 'Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts'

You can win free copies of the DVD here:

'Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts

I like his saxophone quartet concerto over his violin concerto. But both are fine. Better than the symphonies imho. But this is because I heard the violin and sax-quartet concerti before the symphonies, and it is more of the same...

BTW: Do not ignore negative advise, only because it's negative. Advise you don't like still can be very helpful :P

Music in the Shape of a Square is the only Piece I've really liked by him. There's a CD by Alter Ego, which is one of those highfalutin colleges' groups. It seemed a bit more playful, less straightforward. Though I finally listened to (about half of) Einstein on the Beach. I kind of liked the idea, but maybe its frequent copycats have dulled the original.