Einstein on the Beach

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com essential recording
Although Einstein on the Beach is by definition an opera, Philip Glass's most famous work also transcends traditional music categories. Glass avoided all vestiges of plot in the piece and dug deep into his quiver of repetitions to create an artfully unnerving five hours of brilliance. The instrumental ensemble never exceeds five members, playing electric keyboards, saxophones, flutes, and a single violin. Furthermore, the music congregates around the upper registers, often darting through its loops at seemingly incredible paces. The chorus bears huge chops, creating a dense, if silkenly staccato, series of juts, and a powerful array of higher-register annunciations that ring with the aural power of leaping, blurring filaments. This 1993 version of Einstein truly supersedes its predecessors, stretching to around 190 minutes over three CDs. There is a strong current of postmodern collage throughout the piece, with rafts of pop culture references. But Einstein, after all, is indeed based loosely on Albert Einstein and ends with booming allusions to nuclear annihilation and mathematics. --Andrew Bartlett

Tracks:

Knee Play 1
Act One: Scene 1: Train
Act One: Scene 2: Trial
Knee Play 2
Act Two: Scene 1: Dance 1
Act Two: Scene 2: Night Train
Knee Play 3
Act Three: Scene 1: Trial/Prison
Act Three: Scene 2: Dance 2
Knee Play 4
Act Four: Scene 1: Building
Act Four: Scene 2: Bed
Act Four: Scene 3: Spaceship
Knee Play 5

Customer Reviews:

Original 1976 recording reissued.......2006-08-07

This is a budget-priced reissue of the original CBS Records Masterworks release, which contains the original booklet with libretto and copious liner notes. The only differences are the cover artwork and price. Definitely a complete and utter steal! If you're at all curious about Einstein on the Beach, this is a must purchase.

4-CD set packaged in jewel case with slip cover.

Glass: Einstein on the Beach (1993 Recording)

Average customer rating:

"...it could be very fresh and clean."
Hard to fault
unironic, inferior to original recording
"...and I wasn't tempted to buy one..."
Freakish

Glass: Einstein on the Beach (1993 Recording)
Robert Wilson , and Michael Riesman
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Glass: Akhnaten
Music in Twelve Parts
Philip Glass : Les Enfants Terribles
Glassworks
Satyagraha

ASIN: B000005J28
Release Date: 1993-09-28

Tracks:

Einstein On The Beach: Knee 1
Einstein On The Beach: Train 1
Einstein On The Beach: Trial 1: Entrance
Einstein On The Beach: Trial 1: 'Mr. Bojangles'
Einstein On The Beach: Trial 1: 'All Men Are Equal'
Einstein On The Beach: Knee 2

Tracks:

Einstein On The Beach: Dance 1
Einstein On The Beach: Night Train
Einstein On The Beach: Knee 3
Einstein On The Beach: Trial 2 - Prison: 'Prematurely Air-Conditioned Supermarket'
Einstein On The Beach: Trial 2 - Prison: Ensemble
Einstein On The Beach: Trial 2 - Prison: 'I Feel The Earth Move'

Tracks:

Einstein On The Beach: Dance 2
Einstein On The Beach: Knee 4
Einstein On The Beach: Building
Einstein On The Beach: Bed: Cadenza
Einstein On The Beach: Bed: Prelude
Einstein On The Beach: Bed: Aria
Einstein On The Beach: Spaceship
Einstein On The Beach: Knee 5

Amazon.com essential recording

Although Einstein on the Beach is by definition an opera, Philip Glass's most famous work also transcends traditional music categories. Glass avoided all vestiges of plot in the piece and dug deep into his quiver of repetitions to create an artfully unnerving five hours of brilliance. The instrumental ensemble never exceeds five members, playing electric keyboards, saxophones, flutes, and a single violin. Furthermore, the music congregates around the upper registers, often darting through its loops at seemingly incredible paces. The chorus bears huge chops, creating a dense, if silkenly staccato, series of juts, and a powerful array of higher-register annunciations that ring with the aural power of leaping, blurring filaments. This 1993 version of Einstein truly supersedes its predecessors, stretching to around 190 minutes over three CDs. There is a strong current of postmodern collage throughout the piece, with rafts of pop culture references. But Einstein, after all, is indeed based loosely on Albert Einstein and ends with booming allusions to nuclear annihilation and mathematics. --Andrew Bartlett

Customer Reviews:

"...it could be very fresh and clean.".......2007-04-18

Einstein On The Beach was first performed in 1976 and the first recording was released in 1979. This version of Einstein was release in 1993. To date, these existing reviews span a period of 8 years - which to me, is a testament to the significance of this masterwork.

And in the same spirit as another reviewer, I too must confess that I prefer the original recording over this revised, modified and re-recorded version. I will say that this version is not at all "bad" - it is excellent. But to me the heart of the music lies with the original recording. I can understand the desire to release a "newer" version of this recording, but unfortunately in it's more polished form, it has lost a great deal of charm and, as has been mentioned, humor. Oddly the readings in this new recording sound very affected and almost pretentious. The music here played with a digital perfection has a sense of more mechanicality and a less human feel than the previous release. Between the two versions, I think there is about 20 additional minutes on this re-recording than the earlier one, but for my taste this does not really add anything of startling consequence to the piece overall.

It is said that all music is mathemetics. And since we all know about Einstein and his love for the violin, it was an incredible intelligent choice to merge the two into a singular revolutionary concept. As the reader is aware: it is now generally recognized as one of the most significant contributions to late 20th century music and performance, and simultaneously re-defined the potential of opera.

So why buy this edition over the other? Honestly, I can't give you one solid reason. Both have positives and negatives. Get both. But listen to the earlier one first!

Hard to fault.......2007-04-13

Before this, I'd only really heard Glass's solo piano music. Where I found his repetitive figures unmoving in that context, here - fleshed out with vocals and synths - they become something else, something hypnotic, beguiling and quite beautiful. Even over 3 hours, it is hard to tire of the gradually shifting rhythms, which move at break-neck speed.

It is hard to grasp the effect the music has by listening to the samples above, and you shouldn't think, 'well, this is fine - but for 3 hours?!' - as it is much more than the sum of its parts. That effect is akin to a visual illusion on an epic scale. Only musical, if you will.

This edition is hard to fault: it's very well recorded, despite the set being 14 years old and it's all very attractively packaged. The booklet is thorough, although I would have liked to see some colour photos from the performance, not just the badly reproduced black & white ones we are provided with. That aside, well worth the money.

unironic, inferior to original recording.......2006-03-01

Einstein on the Beach is one of the great works of music/theatre (as opposed to opera, or even traditional "musical theatre") of the 20th century, but the rerecording suffers from the bloated, cheap pretentiousness that characterizes almost all of Philip Glass's later work. Dilettantes criticize the original for the "artificial" timbre of the synthesizers, ignorant of the idea that the sound of the synthesizers are part of the piece as a historical text, or that the grating sound of the original recording actually emphasizes the formal qualities of Glass's minimalism. Utterly lacking in the irony and wit that made the first not only fascinating, but a pleasure to listen to, the rerecording is just dull.

"...and I wasn't tempted to buy one...".......2006-02-26

I seem to be in the minority, but I prefer the original recording. What this version gains in performance and sonics, it loses in bite and immediacy. I came to Glass from rock music. The earlier recording had attitude and human energy. This one is fine art. I guess it depends what you're in the mood to hear.

The text has been altered quite a bit. I can live with everything except the new "Mr. Bojangles"; for some reason, Glass decided that the speaker should EMOTE in an odd self-conscious way. It doesn't work. The deadpan humor is gone.

The new sax line in "Building" (formerly "Building/Train") seems to have wandered in from a different universe. We're zooming through a mathematical soundworld ... and there's Kenny G. This piece has been extensively revised. The old version suggested a train at full throttle. This version is much slower, with muted organ and a meditative vibe.

The "Bed" aria is technically flawless (a definite "improvement"), but it doesn't have the plaintive, haunting feel of the first recording. This singer has a strong, formal, "operatic" style.

Someone was wondering why the earlier version was a 4-CD set. The reason is, it was originally a 4-LP box. At the time, 4 vinyl records meant 4 shiny compact discs. CDs were still a strange new medium for rich people. It took a while for the public to demand longer discs and lower prices.

Freakish.......2006-02-12

Philip Glass will always be the finest when it comes to Classical Minimalism. Just listen to this 3-disc set of Einstein on the Beach. It's dazzling, dizzying, and menacingly addictive to hear. Definitely gets fives stars from me.

I'd also recommend Glass's film score to the movie "Koyaanisqatsi." It's as bold as Einstein on the Beach.

Average customer rating:

cream of the cream
Gorgeous and lush!
Strange and wonderful avant-garde opera
One of the best
Real live electric combustion

Songs from the Trilogy

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Philip Glass - Songs from Liquid Days
Satyagraha
The Photographer
Glass: Akhnaten
Itaipu

ASIN: B0000026Y7
Release Date: 1989-08-07

Tracks:

Protest (Satyagraha)
Evening Song (Satyagraha)
Hymn To The Sun (Akhnaten)
Trail/Prison (Einstein)
Akhnatin And Nefertiti (Akhnatin)
Kuru Field Of Justice (Satyagraha)
Knee I (Einstein)
Tolstoy Farm (Satyagraha)
Window Of Appearances (Akhnatin)
Bed (Einstein)
Epilouge (Akhnatin)
Knee 5 (Einstein)

Customer Reviews:

cream of the cream.......2006-01-20

The three operas comprising Glass' trilogy are something special, but this disc of arias from those three operas is even better. The selections themselves, the pacing of the sequencing, and absolutely top-drawer performances make this a standout disc. It's a great introduction disc for those seeking to learn more about Philip Glass's operas without having to invest in the full length recordings, although Akhnaten especially is a masterpiece and more than worthy of the price for the complete opera. I've given this disc to many friends and received only grateful raves, even from those already familiar with Glass' music. Douglas Perry's singing deserves special mention; his singing of Evening Song from Satyagraha is perfect in every way, with immaculate phrasing and a kind of passion of restraint that is mesmerizing. Glass' intentions are deceptive to the ear; he is master of a simplicity that keeps giving. The selections from Einstein on the Beach are richly complex; even after years of listening, new directions continue to appear in the score, each time revealing another dimension, an idea not really noticed before will suddenly become clear and engaging, creating a wonderfully familiar listening experience. Beautiful stuff. The melismatic Bed aria from Einstein on the Beach is a joy, heartbreaking as it is. Milagro Vargas contributes passionate singing in the Window of Appearances, and some marvelous ensemble singing is generously spread throughout the entire disc. Glass' best work may be found in his opera scores, and this disc presents the cream of the cream. Check it for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Gorgeous and lush!.......2004-06-02

This album is my favorite Philip Glass album. I remember the discordance of "Glassworks" in the early 1980s when Philip Glass became more well known with Steve Reich, John Adams, and other "minimalist" composers. Somewhere along the line, Glass has lost a lot of the real shocking discordance that he used to express energy. Some individuals cannot stand Glass's music and lament about its repetitive (and therefore boring) nature. Repetition is the real seed of this music. The repetition by itself can be a simple and beautiful thing, just like a fugue. Then it grows and blossoms out into various new and unexpected ways. I think that Glass really stuns the listener by using the speaking voice as an instrument. Voices read at times. The importance is in the sound of the voice, not the meaning of what is being read. It's an intellectual exercise as well as a lush and beautiful garden of sound and movement. Listen to it and experience its simple beauties. This is not country music. This is not "traditional" opera. It's a work of creativity and sensitivity. Shut your eyes and enjoy.

Strange and wonderful avant-garde opera.......2001-05-08

Man . . . how the hell do I start?

This is a collection of pieces from three operas scored by Philip Glass: "Satyagraha," "Akhnaten" and "Einstein on the Beach." They're about spiritual and moral pioneers: Ghandi in South Africa, the Egyptian leader who introduced monotheism and, well, Einstein.

I haven't seen these; I'm not sure if I'd like them. But some of these pieces are so stunningly beautiful and profound that I feel like looking up the full scores.

Not for everybody, especially the bits from Einstein, which consist of barely audible and repetitive muttering to the accompanyment of a chorus chanting numbers. Damn cool.

One of the best.......1999-12-01

I would say this is Mr. Glass' best work. The songs are simply beautiful. The orchestration is rich and complex, yet gives a tranquil quality. I highly recommend this album.

Real live electric combustion.......1999-01-25

Alright people listen up... This is Dusty Tex Tumbleweed of the American Funboys and I have a thing or two which I would like to share with all the Philip Glass fans out there regarding this here album. At first I was'nt quite sure what to make of it - I was a little hesitant because of the weird-looking artwork on the cover { I usually pick out my music based on several criteria - one of which is album cover art... I only see in pinks and browns so some album cover art makes my eyes hurt } When I saw this album it immediately made me feel sick to my stomach, but when I listened to it I was pleasantly surprised. Philip Glass went out on a limb by combining monotonous keyboard riffs and bizarre electronic chirrups { made my girlfriend Shawangtang have a kiniption fit on my red leather sofa.. } Anyway, I found that the more I listened to this album the more I liked it - at one point about seven minutes into the first movement you can distinctly here the sound of a dozen or so camouflage parrots sqwaking in time with the simple yet extremely tedious keyboard noodling of this great boring composer Philip Glass... simply ear spliting. I'm going to wrap up this album review by saying that Philip Glass is an amazing gentleman with an ear for really live electric sounding combustion... Peace, I'm out { Shawangtang and I are taking our manager Sir William Buorbonaugh out for raisin corndogs and chocolate ice water... and keep an eye out for me and the rest of the funboys this summer on the Tab sodapop steam-engine jetski tour }

Average customer rating:

Decisions, decisions.
Einstein as it originally was.
buy the other Einstein recording
Sharp
A masterpiece

Philip Glass: Einstein on the Beach

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Philip Glass : Analog
Glassworks
Philip Glass : Les Enfants Terribles

ASIN: B0000025W6
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Einstein On The Beach: Knee Play 1
Einstein On The Beach: Act 1, Scene 1: Train
Einstein On The Beach: Act 1, Scene 2: Trial

Tracks:

Einstein On The Beach: Knee Play 2
Einstein On The Beach: Act 2, Scene 1: Dance I
Einstein On The Beach: Act 2, Scene 2: Night Train
Einstein On The Beach: Knee Play 3

Tracks:

Einstein On The Beach: Act 3, Scene 1: Trial - Prison
Einstein On The Beach: Act 3, Scene 2: Dance 2
Einstein On The Beach: Knee Play 4

Tracks:

Einstein On The Beach: Act 4, Scene 1: Building - Train
Einstein On The Beach: Act 4, Scene 2: Bed
Einstein On The Beach: Act 4, Scene 3: Spaceship
Einstein On The Beach: Knee Play 5

Amazon.com

Phalanxes of woodwinds, organs, and voices pulse through Philip Glass's most famous opera like nothing so much as a migratory flock engaged in acrobatics overhead. There is no center to the kinetic activity; the down beat might shift, in split-second hindsight, to the up beat, and the synthesizer might suddenly upstage the libretto of nonsense syllables. The exuberant cacophony of overlapping scripts makes the term "counterpoint" seem inadequate, antiquated. Such was Glass's hope, of course, when on the 200th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. he consolidated influences as diverse as raga, minimalism, and progressive rock to produce one of the few canonical works of late-20th-century opera. The title subject might be taken as a pretext for mathematical reverie, but as much as this is "experimental" music; it is a work of art, not science. The ostensible absence of narrative--despite strong voice-over-like recitatives, written in part by the vocalists--is made up for by the lengthy work's dramatic setting, staged by Robert Wilson, and the intense forward momentum of Glass' composition. --Marc Weidenbaum

Customer Reviews:

Decisions, decisions........2005-08-04

I remember I bought this CD when there was no other option available. I, therefore, have no real way to compare the two available recordings.

I will say this: I listen to and enjoy Einstein every time. I realize that synth technology has advanced ages beyond what was available in the late 70's when this version was originally recorded. I realize this, and actually find myself wanting to defend the original based on that. The old synths have a different feel to them. Some would lable this as "primitive", however, and they are welcome to their judgements.

The chief objections I do have to this version are in regards to the techincal job done editing the CD. For starters, why 4 CDs? Was the original release 4 records (or sides)? Since there was more freedom to seperate distinct scenes/tracks with the CD version, why didn't they?

If you place alot of value on "originals", this may be the version to buy. However, given that there are options available now, it might be a good idea to shop around.

Einstein as it originally was........2003-01-06

The consensus seems to be in and that is to go with the Nonesuch recording. This Sony recording was the origninal one, performed when Einstein on the Beach was still "hot from the oven." I agree and disagree with the reviewers below. While the title and concept are the same on these two recordings, they are, virtually speaking, two different operas!

If you are a first timer, new to Glass and Wilsons mammoth opera, get the other recording. The musicians are more "fluent in the language," the tempo and feel is smoother throughout and the mix is superior. One problem, the Nonesuch recording, in all its technical ease, is just less exciting. This Sony recording was recorded in the late seventies, when Einstein was new, fresh, and revolutionary. The tempos are generally faster (most noticably in "knee play 3 and and "Building/Train").

Also, I fear that Ashley Pomeroy's review below is misleading. The music IS NOT the same. Quite a bit of reorchestration and rewriting occured between these two recordings. "Building/Train" was originally scored with organ as the main insturment, not violin. Much of the spoken text is different as is Richard Peck's solo in the "Building/Train" scene. The experienced listener will also be able to detect NUMEROUS rewrites (most conspicuous to me was the 9ths and 7ths played by the flute in the "Train" scene giving an otherwise mechanized (and frankly, rather dull) scene a dreamy, cushioned feel.

All in all though, the sudden drop-outs of insturments, the lack of a click-track and the annoying four disc (with no track breaks for the "Trial", Trial/Prison" and "Bed" scenes forces me to give this three stars. Still, if you love Einstein like I do, you will want both recordings.

buy the other Einstein recording.......2002-04-03

The 3 stars here do not reflect my feelings about Einstein on the Beach, an incredible work of art which forever changed the face of Western music. My rating reflects only the quality of this CD. Presumably, if you're reading this, you're shopping for one of the two Einstein on the Beach recordings and trying to pick between the two. This is the vastly INFERIOR disc. The improvement in synthesizer capabilities in the decades between this recording and the later one are notable from the beginning of Disc 1, Track 1. The early organs here have a sort of nasal, anemic sound, as opposed to the warm full sound of the other performance. Recording technology also improved, and the overall result on the other disc is better tone, better clarity. Fulkerson's violin playing is more soulful than Zukovsky's, and his huge sound is far more appropriate in much of the passagework. The other recording provides far greater accuracy and superior tone and clarity throughout in the other instruments as well, in particular the piccolos, and the choir there is simply better. In addition, apparently for time issues, there are disturbing cuts in the piece, particularly the second half of Knee Play 5, the final coda. Finally, the price tag here is substantially more discouraging.

If you like Einstein on the Beach, absolutely get a recording. If you are curious about Philip Glass and want a representative sample of his best music, absolutely get a recording. Just get the other one.

Sharp.......2000-05-19

The original recording, this is shorter, less 'smooth', and punkier than the subsequent re-recording. The cut-down length isn't really noticeable, although you'll be annoyed that it comes on four CDs when it could easily have fitted onto two.

Musically there's no real difference between this and the follow-up - the performers here are the original cast, and the organs and so forth are a lot more artificial-sounding, but that adds to the atmosphere. Apart from the truncated ending, it's hard to notice the different lengths, and the performances seem more 'real' and less rehearsed here, although the players have obviously been trained to within inches of their lives.

Which one to buy? The sleeve-notes are copious and useful in both cases, the packaging is equally solid (although this is in a hard plastic case, whereas the follow-up is in card), the weights and chemical compositions are roughly equivalent, so it's best to go by price and availability, really.

A masterpiece.......2000-04-27

Unlike other commenters, I think it is a meaningless gesture to compare this work to that of other composers with both different styles and different artistic goals. That's a matter of taste, not criticism. Taken on it's own merits, this work is not only Glass' masterpiece, but one of the most important operas of the century. "Einstein" and Meredith Monk's "Atlas" completely rewrote the rules of operatic narrative, to the advantage of composers and audiences worldwide. The music is beautiful, fascinating, powerful, surprisingly dramatic. On this Sony recording, the monologues are mixed up a little higher, a bit easier to separate from the music, but that's not necessarily Glass' intention. This recording is also longer, with more contents, but is less of a value than the Nonesuch version, so one less star. But the music itself? If opera is important to you, if contemporary music is important to you, if great music is important to you, you must have this.

Average customer rating:

Highly Recommended
For those interested in the Glass selection...

Music of the Human Spirit

Manufacturer: Azica
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00006AFKC
Release Date: 2002-07-16

Tracks:

Esordio
Scherzo
Canto
Finale
Grave
Comodo
Misterioso
Cantando
Part One: The Tune
Part One: Variation I
Part One: Variation II
Part One: Variation III
Part One: Variation IV
Part One: Variation V
Part One: Variation VI
Part Two: Variation I
Part Two: Variation II
Part Two: Variation III
Part Two: Variation IV
Part Two: Variation V
Fourth Knee Play
Serenade
Sarabande
Like A Distant Shower Of Silver
Rollicking
Allegretto
Melancholy
Rapid, Like Raindrops
Loud And Fast And Dry
Brisk - Maestoso

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended.......2003-10-07

I, too, bought this album specifically to hear the Glass piece. I had no idea the rest of the album would be such a treat! Leisner makes "Fourth Knee Play" sound as though it was originally written for the guitar, and there isn't a single bad cut on this album. If you buy this one, don't overlook the liner notes. What's really important about this album is that all of the composers are 20th century composers, and Leisner knew all of them personally, save for one. He explains, for instance, that he met Philip Glass on the subway. Lastly, be sure to listen for the most important thing about this album- if you play it loudly enough, and listen very closely, you can hear the guitar's repertoire expanding.

For those interested in the Glass selection..........2003-04-03

I confess that I haven't spent much time with any of the tracks on this disc apart from Philip Glass' Knee Play 4, so let this review serve only as a review of that piece.

As is indicated by the significant difference in length between this version of the popular Einstein on the Beach segment and any of the original opera recordings, this version contains new material. Actually, the new material really just represents one other violin passage from the opera that wasn't originally performed within Knee Play No. 4. The performance of the piece on this recording is nice but isn't quite everything I was hoping it would be. The recording quality is very professional, but the performance somehow lacks the vigor of the original.

Product Description

DISC 1 1.knee play.2.act l,scene 1:train 3.act l,scene 2:trial DISC 2 1.knee play.2.act ll,scene 1:dance 3.act ll,scene 2:night train 4.knee play DISC 3 1.act lll,scene 1:trial/ prison 2.act lll,scene 2:dance 3.knee play DISC 4 1.act lV,scene 1:building/train 2.act lV,scene 2:bed 3.act lV,scene 3:spaceship 4.knee play

Average customer rating:

Short timing but interesting material, not always easy listening

Cadenzas and Variations

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

English | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000030G3
Release Date: 1995-10-20

Tracks:

Flowing
Poetic, Somewhat Mournful (Attracca)
Lively, With Bounce
Violin Solo Music From Einstein On The Beach
Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 31: Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 31 I
Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 31: Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 31 II
Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 31: Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 31 III
Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 31: Sonata For Violin And Piano, Op. 31 IV
Cadenzas And Variations II (For Violin Alone)

Customer Reviews:

Short timing but interesting material, not always easy listening.......2007-04-26

Other than a text copyright date of 1981, the notes give no information as to when the recording of these pieces took place. Anyway this disc was first published on LP in the early 1980s (it makes its appearance in Schwann catalog somewhere in 1982). This is the 1995 CD reissue and with 49 minutes the timing is detrimentally short by CD standards. But it presents interesting material that, for some of the pieces, can hardly be found elsewhere.

Not so with Copland's Duo for Violin & Piano. A late work, it originated in 1971 as a Duo for Flute and Piano and was arranged by the composer in the present form in 1979. It is a highly accessible work, couched in Copland's most pastoral and "prairie" style. I am one to regret that Copland abandoned his earlier, more demanding (but, I find, rewarding) style of the 30s, to (by his own admission, though he would not use this admittedly somewhat disparaging expression) pander to the wider American public's tastes.

I bought this disc for Ornstein's Violin & Piano Sonata, of which it is still today the only recording. Born in Russia in around 1893 (the exact date is unknown), Ornstein studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory but moved to the United States in 1907 to escape antisemitism. From about 1910 he developed into one of the most original and daring "maverick ultramodernists", so typical of the US scene in those times (Ives, Cowell, Rudyard and Antheil are other representatives) - a current that would be later stifled by the depression and lack of public understanding, as efficiently as Stalinist Academism stifled the early modernist trend in Soviet Union. By the mid-1920s he retired from concretizing and disappeared from the public eye - and memory. Incredibly, he lived until 2002 and was still composing in the age of Boulez, Xenakis, Stockhausen and the likes (but in a, by then, rather backward-looking, impressionistic language).

The Sonata dates from 1913 and is a tough nut to crack, much less easily appealing than Ornstein's masterpieces for solo piano of the period (see Piano Music: Suicide on an Airplane / La Chinoise). It is couched in an atonal and thorny language reminiscent of Berg and Schoenberg at their starkest (Schoenberg's Fantasy for violin and piano and Violin Concerto and the tensest passages of Berg's - all compositions from the late 30s and 40s), with much tension and hardly a moment of repose, while the piano part bears Ornstein's trademarks - thick chordal writing with many clusters - except for the daredevil seductiveness. It reminded me of Ives' at HIS thickest and most unseductive. Ornstein admitted to that much, aknowledging that with this piece he had "brought music just to the very edge", beyond which "lies complete chaos". Of course, the 1950s and 60s went way beyond - and some would argue: in complete, albeit highly organized, chaos, but that is another story. Incredibly, many Ornstein scores are available for free download on the amazing website maintained by his son, Severo. Fulkerson and Feinberg play with remarkable precision and the violinist realizes the remarkable feat of maintaining fine tone throughout Ornstein's thorny textures.

It was a good idea to have excerpted the 11-minute violin solo part from the 1975 Phil Glass-Bob Wilson "Einstein on the Beach" collaboration. It would be overstating its value to say that it is a modern, repetitive version of Bach's Violin Sonatas, but, with the Folk-music like tune that it develops and repeats, it is effective, seductive and appealing in its own right - and easy to listen. It sounds as a harbinger of the World-music that ensembles such as the Kronos or Balanescu Quartets would publicize in the 80s and 90s.

Richard Wernick's 9-minute Cadenzas and Variations II for Violin alone is a much sterner piece, composed in 1970. I would describe its language as post-Bartok Solo Violin Sonata, but with some coloristic effects produced by playing techniques that do not belong the classical canon (try 3:39 for instance).

As always with New World records the liner notes are remarkably informative and include performer's bios plus bibliography and discography on the composers - but, other than one bibliographic reference for Wernick, these appear not to have been updated since first publication, so what you get is an LP discography. Fortunately Ornstein's discography in particular has been beefed up since 1981 - though not nearly as much as this essential composer deserves.

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