Glass: Symphony no 5 (Choral): Requiem, Bardo, Nirmanakaya

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Along with being perhaps the best-known contemporary classical composer, Philip Glass is also one of the most intensely prolific--almost frighteningly so. Scarcely a season seems to pass without a major premiere--and, as Glass himself probably would be the first to admit, this factory level of productivity can lead to disappointingly uneven results. His music in particular requires an effort to separate the wheat from the chaff. The Symphony No. 5 began life as a commission from the Salzburg Festival to celebrate the new millennium. Glass took the occasion to reflect on the "process of global evolution," and culled texts from the gamut of world religions and cultures; these are set for various combinations of five vocal soloists, large chorus, and children's choir in a 12-movement work that lasts nearly 100 minutes--all of which is scored with a brilliant orchestral palette. The symphony's subtitle ("Requiem, Bardo, Nirmanakaya"), with its mix of Western and Buddhist terms, reflects Glass's multicultural ambitions, as well as the work's tripartite passage: from the past and stories of creation through consideration of death and a state of expectation to enlightened rebirth in the future. Together with familiar Bible verses are texts from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Koran, Hindu scriptures, Rumi, a Bulu creation story, and much more.

It all could have made for an embarrassingly muddled, New Agey smorgasbord. Actually, however, it's one of the more thoroughly convincing works that Glass has created; it builds bit by bit, mosaic by mosaic, in a cumulative effect that becomes especially powerful in the stark contrasts of the final movements, which include a depiction of paradise that calls to mind the Klimt-like heaven of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand." Glass returns to some of the motifs from the CIVIL warS project, and the orchestral scope and vocal styling recall the grandiloquence of that period. But there's an even greater sense of play with timbral coloring, and a notable preoccupation with the quieter regions of the dynamic spectrum, as well as fascinating moments of harmonic complexity. Glass veteran Dennis Russell Davies led the Symphony's 1999 world premiere, and manages to maintain a similar level of excitement in the studio; he gives the score a sense of expanse and space to unfold, and masterfully aligns Glass's various layerings of musical forces. For all of the inevitable comparisons that might be made with that touchstone of humanistic choral symphonies, the Symphony No. 5 suggests not so much a contemporary take on Beethoven's Ninth as his Missa Solemnis--a cosmic testament that's full of gestures both grand and intimate. --Thomas May

Tracks:

Rondo in C, K.617 - Vienna Volksoper Ens/Peter Maag
Sinf in D, 'The Peasant's Wedding': V. Finale: Molto Allegro - Karl-Heinz Schickhaus
Vars On 'Ah Vous Dirai-je Maman', K.265 - Janos Sebestyen
Lodron Night Music, K.247: IX. Allegro Assai - Capella Istropolitana/Wolfgang Sobotka
Ser No.10 in B, K.361 'Gran Partita': Theme With Vars - German Wind Soloists
Ser No.10 in B, K.361 'Gran Partita': Romance And Adagio - German Wind Soloists
Ser No.3 in D, K.185: II. Andante - Salzburg CO/Harald Nerat
Ser No.3 in D, K.185: V. Andante Grazioso - Salzburg CO/Harald Nerat
Ser No.4 in D, K.203: II. Andante - Salzburg CO/Harald Nerat
Divert in D, K.205: III. Adagio - Capella Istropolitana/Richard Edlinger

Customer Reviews:

Great first step to Mozart .......2006-11-08

This cd is a great way to introduce your baby to Mozart. My son loves it.

I'm a fan of slow songs in latter half.......2006-03-25

I prefer the slow songs, they seems to be a better fit for my baby. I also bought The Mozart Effect: Music For Babies: Nighty Night which I like a lot. The performances are well played by talented musicians. (I have a degree from Peabody so that's a true compliment)

Average customer rating:

One of my most-played CDs
One of the best sets of organ works
Mystic!
By All Means Get This CD
To be fair...

In A Quiet Cathedral

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Organ Favorites
The Music of St. Paul's Cathedral
A Vaughan Williams Hymnal
Bach: Great Organ Works
The Great Organ at Methuen - Bach: BWV 540, 542, 582, 643, & 737

ASIN: B0000006Z0
Release Date: 1994-08-02

Tracks:

Op. 122, No. 5: Chorale Prelude: Schumcke dich, o liebe Seele
Air
Prelude On The Welsh Hymn Tune 'Rosymedre'
Pastorale On 'Forest Green'
Prelude In E-Flat Major
BWV 731: Chorale Prelude: Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier
Adagio (For Glass Harmonica) K. 356
Sonata I in F Minor, Op. 65: Adagio
BWV 647: Choral Prelude: Wer nur den lieben Gott lasst walten
Cantata No. 147: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Aria
Lotus (Lotus Blossom)
Irish Air From 'County Derry' (Londonderry Air)
Jerusalem, My Happy Home
Suite in D: Air On The G String
Adagio In E Major
The Good Shepherd
Op. 18, No. 10: Magnificat I
Symphonie Gothique, Op. 70: Andante sostenuto

Tracks:

Fiori Musicali: Toccata per l'Elevazione
Chorale Prelude: Meine Seele erhebt den Herren
Prelude And Fugue In F Minor, Op. 7, No. 2
Canon In B Major, Op. 56, No. 6
Pieces de Fantaisie, Op. 53: Clair de lune
Vocalise
Pieces en style libre, Op. 31: Berceuse
Strings, Op. 11: Adagio
Meditation
Sonatina: Very Slowly
Trois Paraphrases Gregoriennes: Ave Maria, Ave Maris Stella
Chant de Paix (Song Of Peace)

Customer Reviews:

One of my most-played CDs.......2005-10-13

This is one of my most frequently played CDs. I find it perfect background music for meditation, prayer, reading and other tasks, as well as a good CD that doesn't disturb people at work.

This is not intended to be organised as a church service or a concert performance per se, but rather, as the co-producer Carol Rosenberger states, 'this album is meant to recreate an experience many of us have treasured: slipping inside the doors of a cathedral and finding oneself alone in a vast, quiet space with light streaming through stained glass windows. The organist begins to play gentle music, and one is lost in contemplation...'

As a churchy person, I've often had the experience of working or sitting in an empty church while the organists or their students practiced. This recording in many ways reminds me of that experience. Of course, our organ is a far cry from the pipe organ in Atlanta's Cathedral of St. Philip, with over 5000 pipes (and our church does not have a 5-second delay reverberation, either), 4 manuals and 96 ranks. This Aeolian-Skinner organ is a genuinely stunning instrument, but as with any instrument, it takes the right performer to bring out the fullness of the sound from it.

Todd Wilson is just such a performer. His playing is solid and well-suited for this task, with occasional flashes of brilliance. Mozart's 'Adagio', Bach's 'Jesu, Joy of Many's Desiring', and Barber's 'Adadio for Strings' (here arranged for the organ) are truly wonderful pieces. The programme here is a diverse collection of pieces from Baroque, Renaissance, and later pieces, including folk tunes and a few modern compositions. Todd Wilson is a church organist and music director at Church of the Covenant in Cleveland, Ohio (a city with not insignificant music resources and life), and is also head of the Organ Department at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has had an international performance and recording career.

I applaud the decision to make this a double-disc set - the producer writes that there was just too much good music to limit the selection. Thus, there is a method to the organisation, given the availability of two discs. The first disc has more simple pieces, easily recognisable melodies and well-known hymn/sacred pieces. The second disc has a bit more complexity of music.

There is a booklet that is particularly designed for young people, so that they may become more familiar with the organ as an instrument, and this type of music.

This is a truly wonderful recording.

One of the best sets of organ works.......2005-02-20

This is a superb set of organ works. Strongly recommended.

Mystic!.......2003-12-28

The Æolian-Skinner organ in St.Philip's Cathedral, Atlanta is the finest example on Earth of eclectic organ...and the last- really-marvellous instrument erected by this firm. Flutes and Erzählers speak directly from Heaven...and the organ, despite electric, seems to have tracker action! Listen to Bach's BWV 731 and 648: they sound like played on a Silbermann instrument!
Todd Wilson is a delicate musician, a poet of the organ and a genius in the choice of the stops.
Buy also the other recordings of this Æolian-Skinner by Robert Delcamp (Naxos) and Alan Morrison (Gothic)...and don't forget that Michael Murray recorded in St.Philip's Cathedral for Telarc the finest rendition of Poulenc's "Concerto in sol minore per organo, archi e timpani" under the direction of the late Robert Shaw.

By All Means Get This CD.......2003-09-06

I found this wonderfully relaxing CD above and beyond my expectations. Do you enjoy organ music, then listen and explore the sacred music of J.S. Bach. This music will relax you: keep your muscles relaxed as you work on a time deadline for a large project, or doing some casual items around the house.

To be fair..........2003-04-04

The hiss that one reviewer refers to is undoubtedly the organ's wind supply. The wind can be heard on most organ recordings.

Average customer rating:

Executive Party
Great Album
Preston's Tocata IS the Tocata!
Finally!!!
Finally!!!

Rollerball

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Rollerball
2001: A Space Odyssey - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1996 Reissue)

ASIN: B000065V8J
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Tracks:

Bach: Toccata In D Minor
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8: First Movement
Previn: Glass Sculpture
Previn: Executive Party
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5: Third Movement
Albinoni: Adagio
Tchaikovsky: Sleeping Beauty Waltz
Previn: Executive Party Dance
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5: Fourth Movement

Amazon.com

Director Norman Jewison's original 1975 Rollerball was an odd mix; half action thriller (about a future blood sport that crossbred the most violent aspects of roller derby and hockey), half futurist cautionary tale (about the dangers of all-encroaching corporate power and the decadent elite who wield it). In retrospect, it was all too prescient on both counts. It also marked one of the last major Hollywood forays of conductor-composer Andre Prévin, who conducted the film's pastiche of Bach (the ominous if clichéd Toccata and Fugue in D Minor served as the game's theme), Albinoni (the Adagio is the film's main theme), Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich. The soundtrack was produced in the wake of Kubrick's epochal uses of classical music in scoring his near-future epics 2001 and A Clockwork Orange, and the inspiration and intent here is obvious. Previn added three brief cues of his own (the evocative, modernist "Glass Sculpture" and the kitschy funk-exotica of "Executive Party" and "Executive Party Dance"). With the London Symphony under his baton, the veteran Previn produces an effective version of the Adagio and wrings appropriate drama from the Russian works as well. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Executive Party.......2004-10-07

I bought this album for the psychedelic lounge "Executive Party" and "Executive Party Dance" tracks. Everything else is classical soundtrack fodder. Two cool tracks does not a cool album make.

It's almost worth having in your collection just for the sake of being odd (a classical album with spiked-gauntlet roller derby warriors in the liner notes?), if that's your thing. Just don't expect to listen to it.

If somebody knows of albums that capture the sound of the two tracks I mentioned above... THAT album would be golden.

Great Album.......2004-05-06

Previn scored a superb psychedelic funk track in "Executive Party Dance". Sparse, with great wah guitar and analogue synth, pick up this album for that track alone!!!

Preston's Tocata IS the Tocata!.......2002-06-28

I've loved Rollerball since I was 10 years old. It's one of my favorite movies of all time and a 70's Sci-Fi classic - truly underrated! I have the DVD and I watch it regularly and it grips me everytime. The Jewison commentary is awesome!

I managed to get a vinyl copy of the album a couple years ago. It was badly scratched, but I did not care.

Why I like the album is one simple reason - Preston's rendition of Tocatta & Fugue in D Minor. In my opinion, it IS the Tocata. No other version by any other artist compares. It was worth the whole album just for that.

It also teaches me that there is good in every situation. Although the re-make of the movie was not received well, without the re-make, I don't know if this CD would ever have been re-released.

Finally!!!.......2002-05-26

After hoping what seemed to be a pointless hope the soundtrack for the mid-70's masterful movie of the same name has reappeared out of nowhere. So Norman Jewison and others finally realized that movie soundtracks like this are hardly released anymore owing an exceptional quality to the enormous use of classical masterpieces on here? Once one knows the movie one relives the accompanying scenes upon playback. Bach's Tocatta in D minor played at nearly perfect pace( the piece is often sped up by organists the world over leaving out the reverberating omniscience of the chords), one imagines the clean silent rollerbal track before speed, blood, and power have been ridden over it. The soundtrack is worth it for this track alone. Several of Shostakovich's works, some more beautiful than others, as well as two seveties party-funk pieces composed by Andre Previn showing that the composer's talents were not only limited to the classical convervatorium of music, but that he also had a keen ear for the contemporary. One can imagine the decadent drugged out rollerballers and their girlfriends mingling with the executives in tuxedos with no-back dresses. The soundtrack is at once a homage to the tragedies of violence and power and their existential effects. The choice of music carries the sheer might of the game scenes as well the quiet reflections that pervade James Caan's character throughout the film.

Finally!!!.......2002-05-26

Glass: Symphony no 5 (Choral): Requiem, Bardo, Nirmanakaya

Average customer rating:

Glass at the Millennium
Powerfully emotional and thought provoking
One of His Best
Transcendential
beautiful work of art

Glass: Symphony no 5 (Choral): Requiem, Bardo, Nirmanakaya
Dennis Russell Davies , Denyce Graves , Michael Schade , Ana Maria Martinez , Eric Owens , Albert Dohmen , Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra , Morgan State University Choir , and Hungarian Radio Children's Choir
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Philip Glass : Symphony No. 8
Philip Glass: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3
Glass: Akhnaten
Philip Glass/Robert Wilson - the CIVIL warS, a tree is the best measured when it is down
Symphony No. 6, Plutonian Ode

ASIN: B00004YR68
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Tracks:

SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: I - Before The Creation
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: II - Creation Of The Cosmos
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: III - Creation Of Sentient Beings
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: IV - Creation Of Human Beings
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: V - Love And Joy
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: VI - Evil And Ignorance

Tracks:

SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: VII - Suffering
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: VIII - Compassion
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: IX - Death
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: X - Judgement And Apocalypse
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: XI - Paradise
SYMPHONY NO. 5 - REQUIEM, BARDO, NIRMANAKAYA: XII - Dedication To The Merit

Amazon.com

Along with being perhaps the best-known contemporary classical composer, Philip Glass is also one of the most intensely prolific--almost frighteningly so. Scarcely a season seems to pass without a major premiere--and, as Glass himself probably would be the first to admit, this factory level of productivity can lead to disappointingly uneven results. His music in particular requires an effort to separate the wheat from the chaff. The Symphony No. 5 began life as a commission from the Salzburg Festival to celebrate the new millennium. Glass took the occasion to reflect on the "process of global evolution," and culled texts from the gamut of world religions and cultures; these are set for various combinations of five vocal soloists, large chorus, and children's choir in a 12-movement work that lasts nearly 100 minutes--all of which is scored with a brilliant orchestral palette. The symphony's subtitle ("Requiem, Bardo, Nirmanakaya"), with its mix of Western and Buddhist terms, reflects Glass's multicultural ambitions, as well as the work's tripartite passage: from the past and stories of creation through consideration of death and a state of expectation to enlightened rebirth in the future. Together with familiar Bible verses are texts from the Tibetan Book of the Dead, the Koran, Hindu scriptures, Rumi, a Bulu creation story, and much more.

It all could have made for an embarrassingly muddled, New Agey smorgasbord. Actually, however, it's one of the more thoroughly convincing works that Glass has created; it builds bit by bit, mosaic by mosaic, in a cumulative effect that becomes especially powerful in the stark contrasts of the final movements, which include a depiction of paradise that calls to mind the Klimt-like heaven of Mahler's "Symphony of a Thousand." Glass returns to some of the motifs from the CIVIL warS project, and the orchestral scope and vocal styling recall the grandiloquence of that period. But there's an even greater sense of play with timbral coloring, and a notable preoccupation with the quieter regions of the dynamic spectrum, as well as fascinating moments of harmonic complexity. Glass veteran Dennis Russell Davies led the Symphony's 1999 world premiere, and manages to maintain a similar level of excitement in the studio; he gives the score a sense of expanse and space to unfold, and masterfully aligns Glass's various layerings of musical forces. For all of the inevitable comparisons that might be made with that touchstone of humanistic choral symphonies, the Symphony No. 5 suggests not so much a contemporary take on Beethoven's Ninth as his Missa Solemnis--a cosmic testament that's full of gestures both grand and intimate. --Thomas May

Customer Reviews:

Glass at the Millennium.......2006-04-06

Philip Glass was commissioned by the Salzburg Festival to write a work for the Millennium, a work that would somehow bring all the peoples of the globe together in a musical statement. What resulted is this magnum opus for large orchestra, chorus, children's chorus, and five soloists, a work covering the creation through the 'past' as represented by the Requiem to the in-between to the manifestation of enlightened activity - a major undertaking in anyone's mind! But while Glass does not stray far from his much loved and respected minimalism, his Symphony No. 5 embraces far more extensive excursions into complex harmonies and melodies. As Glass stated 'Besides being a compendium of reflection on the process of global transformation and evolution, I hope that the work will serve as a strong and positive celebration of the millennium year.' And this recording certainly succeeds in guaranteeing that hope.

Recorded in 2000 in several phases the 94-minute work is majestic and awe-inspiring. The many texts from Greek, Hebrew, Sanskrit, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and indigenous languages are translated into English and it s to the credit of Glass and the performers that the texts are completely understandable. Dennis Russell Davies conducts the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Morgan State University Choir, the Hungarian Radio Children's Choir, and soloists Ana Maria Martinez, Denyce Graves, Michael Shade, Eric Owens, and Albert Dohmen in a completely stunning performance. This is Glass work that calls for a bit of patience on the part of the listener the first time through, but the music is so hypnotic that doubtless repeated hearings will make the work among Glass' most loved.

The packaging by Nonesuch Records is artistic and informative and creates the atmosphere of a very major work even before the music is heard. All of the many texts are provided by sections to follow the twelve sections ('movements') of the symphony. This is a fine recording of a work by Philip Glass that deserves wide attention. Recommended. Grady Harp, April 06

Powerfully emotional and thought provoking.......2005-11-03

I performed this piece in the fall of 2001 under the baton of Dante Anzolini with maestro Glass in the audience (Choral Arts society of Washington/Kennedy Center).

It will live in my memory as an extremely powerful performance that brought the audience to their feet as if lifted by a giant hand as the finale's last notes drifted from the stage. There are precious few performances that can create the deep emotional bonding between performer and audience. Mr. Glass nailed it with his 5th Symphony!

I continue to play this recording regularly and it continues to reveal a nuance and sensitivity to the worlds cultures and faiths.

This is truly one of my treasured musical experiences and will continue to be for years to come.

One of His Best.......2005-06-11

Philip Glass' "Symphony #5" is a rather ambitious choral symphony in 12 sections, with texts from most of the major religious traditions (Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Amerindian, etc.) It starts with Creation and winds up with Judgement Day.

Musically, it's typical Glass de-dot-de-dot. He sets the texts at only one note per syllable, which does restrict his melodic possibilities (no melisma for that fellow!) At least his technique makes it easy for the listener to understand the words.

The text, even more than the music, is the point of this composition. It flows very emotionally and movingly from beginning to end, and evokes the essential sympathy ("feeling together") of all people, whatever our cultural backgrounds and differences, as we face the ultimate questions of life and death together.

Transcendential.......2003-01-10

I heard about this symphony after reading a book about Glass, and was excited by the possibilities of using religious texts with the music. Listening to this cd was simply transcendential. The music is something else and having collected most of Glass's recordings, I feel it is up there with the best. The texts chosen are inspirational, ranging from the Sufi poet Rumi to Tibetan Buddhism (the last piece Dedication is very moving). Essential.

beautiful work of art.......2001-11-22

This is deeply moving, brilliant, and innovative. This is not only for someone interested in the music of Philip Glass - which it certainly is - but it's also for anyone interested in the world's great spiritual traditions. This is for anyone interested in Huston Smith or Joseph Campbell, or...really this is for simply anyone, anywhere. This is the spiritual heritage of humanity, well researched and set to beautiful original music.

Average customer rating:

Delightful recording of some truly creative music
Philip Glass orchestral works
Stunning symphony no.2
A Mesmerizing Symphony & Lighthearted Concerto
Glass: Symphony No. 2

Symphony No. 2: Interlude From Orphee

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Symphony No. 3: Music From: The Voyage/The Civil Wars/The Light
Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 5, etc.
Panorama: Jean Sibelius
Panorama: Sergey Prokofiev
Philip Glass: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3

ASIN: B000006E4I
Release Date: 1998-04-21

Tracks:

Symphony No.2: Movement I
Symphony No.2: Movement II
Symphony No.2: Movement III
Interlude From Orphee (Act II, Scene 5)
Concerto For Saxophone Quartet And Orchestra: Movement I
Concerto For Saxophone Quartet And Orchestra: Movement II
Concerto For Saxophone Quartet And Orchestra: Movement III
Concerto For Saxophone Quartet And Orchestra: Movement IV

Customer Reviews:

Delightful recording of some truly creative music.......2005-02-02

I bought this recording on a whim and began listening to it during a long, lonely drive alongside the rocky flatirons of Colorado. Symphony No. 2 very much caught me off guard. What a sparkling, playful, and beautiful work! There are times when the music does things that you would not expect it to do at all (giving it the "atonal" quality that other reviewers refer too), but upon the second listening you will likely already be smiling when you encounter the various twists of the music. (One of the twists, by the way, is a mind-stretching change in time signature and extreme syncopation in the third movement...on my first listening, I honestly thought the disc was scratched.) The symphony is ever colorful and the strings are lush and very pleasing to the ear. Given minimalism's reputation, I was particularly pleased with how melodic the symphony is. If you are at all familiar with minimalism, you'll "get it" fairly quickly. If not, this is a delightful and particularly beautiful introduction to the subgenre.

I am a glutton for the Symphony form, so my enjoyment of the Saxophone Quartet was a pleasant surprise. I've certainly never heard anything like this before, the closest thing being a jazz ensemble. The crisp and full tone of the saxophones was the first thing I noticed. Again, this is very creative music.

Whether you are a minimalist connoisseur or not, you'll find this recording remarkable for both its performance and sound. I do love sharing this album (legally sharing of course) :-) Enjoy!

Philip Glass orchestral works.......2004-05-07

Glass is certainly deserving of his place as one of America's pre-eminent composers. He has made contributions in so many different media. His concerto for saxophone quartet (on this recording) is well worth listening to. Glass does seem to have quite a talent for composing concerti (see his Violin Concerto or the Concerto for Saxophone Quartet). However, I'm not sure that his musical processes work well for symphony orchestra. This is certainly not his best work. It was a disappointment.

Stunning symphony no.2.......2002-06-05

If you not think philip Glass can do symphonies listen to this...

This is, in its futuristic, motor rythmic way. beutiful minimalist music but it has its roots in the 30:ies-40:-ies (Villa-Lobos, Milhaud, Honegger et al). Anyway it is amazing and the concerto for saxophone (its one of Glass most played/performed and loved pieces) is also great but in another way. The short "bagatelle" in the middle from his Orphee opera is also typical Glass and good music too. I think you get Glass at his best on this one.

A Mesmerizing Symphony & Lighthearted Concerto.......2001-02-10

Symphony No. 2 is one of those works that you might not like on the first hearing; there is a dissonant atonal quality that persists throughout the work. However, by the second or third playing, you will be completely mesmerized by this music. It is easily one of his greatest works. The first and second movements are absolutely stunning! The third movement has much more complex rhythms but is equally beautiful in its own way.

The Saxophone Concerto is a lighthearted work, and quite different in mood from the symphony. These two works are best listened to separately, otherwise you may not appreciate the lighter tone of this concerto. This music is reminiscent of that excellent CD of Stravinsky's lighter music called "Shadow Dances". If you like Shadow Dances, you will like this concerto.

The only flaw on this otherwise perfect album is to be found on the album's liner notes: the short interlude sandwiched in the middle between the symphony and the concerto is too short! The album notes say it is 6'30" long, however is only 2'30".

Glass: Symphony No. 2.......2000-09-28

There is an unspeakable fear in this music - there is a vision of humanity which I have heard nowhere else. On the first few listens, this piece may sound strangely dissonant. Persist - I've had aural orgasms to this one. One of my favorite Glass pieces.

Average customer rating:

Delos compilation

Made In The USA

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00000071H
Release Date: 1992-12-14

Tracks:

Rodeo: Buckaroo Holiday (Excerpts)
Symphony No. 3, Second Movement: Symphony No. 3, Second Movement (Excerpts)
Symphony No. 4, Second Movement
Through The Looking Glass: Introduction (Excerpt)
The School For Scandal: Overture (Excerpts)
The Lement For Beowulf: The Lement For Beowulf (Excerpt)
Symphony No. 4, 'Requiem,' Fourth Movement, 'Lux Aeterna': Symphony No. 4, 'Requiem,' Fourth Movement, 'Lux Aeterna' (Excerpt)
New England Triptych: Chester
Music To Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet: Juliet And Her Nurse
artita For Flute, Violin And Strings, Second Movement, 'Sarabande': Partita For Flute, Violin And Strings, Second Movement, 'Sarabande'
Serenata: Serenata, Third Movement ('Con Spirito')
Merry Mount: Love Duet From The Suite From The Opera Merry Mount
Symphony No. 3, Third Movement
Grande Canyon Suite: On The Trail
An American In Paris: An American In Paris (Excerpt)
Bacchanale

Customer Reviews:

Delos compilation.......2006-08-06

This is a compilation CD of extracted movements and selections from other Delos CDs. Unless you are looking for a sampler, you may want to seek out the original Delos disc for the complete version of the various works.

The Music Fantasies Of Charles Griffes & Deems Taylor

Average customer rating:

Delightful

The Music Fantasies Of Charles Griffes & Deems Taylor

Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000006XL
Release Date: 1992-05-22

Tracks:

Through The Looking Glass: Dedication
Through The Looking Glass: The Garden Of Live Flowers
Through The Looking Glass: Jabberwocky
Through The Looking Glass: Looking Glass Insects
Through The Looking Glass: The White Knight
The Pleasure-Dome Of Kubla Khan
The White Peacock
Poem For Flute And Orchestra
Three Tone Pictures: The Lake At Evening
Three Tone Pictures: The Vale Of Dreams
Three Tone Pictures: The Night Winds
Bacchanale

Customer Reviews:

Delightful.......2002-01-12

One of the nicest classical albums I've listened to in many a year. This CD always lifts my spirits.

Average customer rating:

Music for Meditation (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Ent. Media Partners
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Etudes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Lullabies & Berceuse | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

Average customer rating:

Excellent Overview of the Life of Mozart

Life & Works
Mozart
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Instructional | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

The Life and Works of Ludwig van Beethoven
Life & Works of Bach
The Life and Works of Frédéric Chopin
The Life and Works of Joseph Haydn
The Life and Works of Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky

ASIN: B000069HGJ
Release Date: 2002-11-19

Tracks:

Leopold Mozart: Sinfonia Di Caccia
Minuet In G, K. 1
A Miracle Exported
Molto Allegro In G, K. 72a
Prodigy And The Child: At Home And Abroad
A Musical Joke, K. 522
A Prodigy At Home
Cassation In G, K. 63
The Grand Tour
Symphony No. 1 In E Flat, K. 16 (Mvt. I)
Salzburg's Ambassadors
Piano Concerto No. 3 In D, K. 40 (Finale)
Italian Investments
Allegri: Miserere
A Dream Come True
Ascanio In Alba, K. 111 (Act I, Scene I)

Tracks:

Mozart As Eternal Child
'Riconosci In Questo Amplesso' From 'The Marriage Of Figaro', K. 492
Leopold And The Eternal Child
Piano Concerto No. 5 In D, K. 175 (Finale)
Dashed Hopes Of Escape
Symphony No. 25 In G Minor, K. 183 (Mvt. 1)
The Composer Comes Of Age
Symphony No. 29 In A, K. 201 (Finale)
The Genius Emerges Fully Fledged
Piano Concerto No. 9 In E Flat, K. 271 (Mvt. II)
Fired By The Archbishop, Mozart Seeks His Fortune Elsewhere
Violin Concerto No. 3 In G, K. 16 (Finale)
Sexual Awakening
Piano Concerto No. 8 In B Flat, K. 238 (Finale)
Mozart, Love And Filial Obedience
piano Sonata No. 7 In C, K. 309 (Slow Mvt.)

Tracks:

To Paris Under Protest
Concerto In C For Flute And Harp, K. 299 (Finale)
An Unexpected Triumph
Symphony No. 31 In D, K. 297 ('Paris' Finale)
Death, Deception, And Grief
Piano Sonata No. 8 In A Minor, K. 310 (Slow Mvt.)
Recrimination And Capitulation
Mass In C, K. 317 ('Coronation' Kyrie)
Liberation In Vienna
Clementi: Piano Sonata In B Flat, Op. 24 No. 2 (Mvt. I)
variations On 'Ah, Vous DiraiJe, Maman', K. 265
Love, Marriage... And Leopold
Overture To 'The Abduction From The Seraglio, K. 384

Tracks:

A Miraculous Outpouring
Serenade In B Flat For Thirteen Wind Instruments, K. 361 (Mvt. 6: Romanze)
On The Cadge
Concerto Rondo In D For Piano And Orchestra, K. 382
Reunion, Parenthood, Grief Resilience
Horn Concerto No. 1 In D, K. 412 (Rondo)
Father, Father-Figure, And Friendship
String Quartet No. 19 In C, K. 465 ('Dissonance' Mvt. I)
Destiny Versus Popularity
piano Concerto no. 20 In D Minor, K. 466 (Last Mvt.)
Prague, Figaro, And Celebrity
'Se Vuol Ballare' From 'The Marriage Of Figaro', K. 492
Don Giovanni, Death And Desolation
Symphony No. 40 In G Minor, K. 550 (Slow Mvt.)
Despair And Recovery
Cosi Fan Tutte, K. 588 (Act II, Finale)
Genius In Adversity
Adagio In C For Glass Harmonica, K. 356
Decline, Death And Immortality
Piano Concerto No. 25 In C, K. 503 (Finale)

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Overview of the Life of Mozart.......2006-12-21

"Life & Works" is an excellent telling of the life of Mozart that primarily uses his letters, the letters of his family and friends, and his excerpts of his music. It is a rich combination that avoids many of the cliches of other biographical pieces (such as not ending with the Requiem)and gives a freshness and vibrancy to his life. The narrator was charming and quite entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed "Life & Works" and recommend it to Mozart lovers and those new to his work!

Average customer rating:

Engineer's Choice
Bela Bartok , David Diamond , Ottorino Respighi , Falla, Manuel de , Ravel, Maurice , James DePreist , Schwarz, Gerard , Wagner, Roger , Shifrin, David , and Davidovich, Bella
Manufacturer: Delos Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music