Glass: Glassworks [Import]

Track Listings

1. Opening

2. Floe

3. Islands

4. Rubric

5. Facades

6. Closing

Tracks:

Glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks
Glassworks
In The Upper Room
In The Upper Room
In The Upper Room
In The Upper Room
In The Upper Room

Customer Reviews:

He works magic in film........2007-03-25

Perhaps it is true that the work of Phillip Glass has been of ambiguous nature; many different subconsciousness that would be drawn to his music and many alike would be pulled back in similiar impact or just simply stand in plain confusion. His music works perfect for the medium of film, not because there is another medium 'filling up the void' in his style, but it's the commentary that it makes on the story while the film runs on its own. This music leaves much to the imagination of those filled with it, to tell their own story. It can handle almost anything one throws at it; irony, contradiction, pain, relief, comedic, anything, it will almost seem to work out well perfectly for certain individuals. Minimalism is a common label on this music, however it is precisely minimalism that leaves the mind to explore on its own. Classical greats like Bach, although in a similiar vein, still lay down the scenery in a more conspicuous manner than Glass. After all, this is contemporary art; and it will not work out well for those who do not have the audacity to create their own mental scenes but rather rely more on music for a more solid comprehension to come through.

Glassworks is an amazing album.......2006-11-12

Although I'd heard of Philip Glass I was quite unaware of his music until I attended a performance of The Upper Room by the Washington Ballet in October 2006. The music is by Philip Glass and the choreography by Twyla Tharp. It was one of the most memorable artistic experiences of my life. It was incredible.

I subsequently purchased Glassworks and find the music to be extremely powerful. I recommend this album absolutely. I find most of the pieces on the album to be profoundly moving. The last movement from "The Upper Room" is especially powerful and significant.

Great experiment of questionable musical value.......2006-01-30

Yes, arpeggios are great! Thank you, Philip. That is called harmony. But there also exists such thing as melody, you know. Maybe, you've heard of it. It's what some composers are famous for. I see that you know what it is. But you should definitely use it more often!

Let's start again... I absolutely love Opening. It's emotional, it's haunting, it's beautiful, and it's atmospheric. But what follows next... Really, Philip Glass could be a great etude composer. When I'm playing piano etudes, I'm always reminded of Glass' music. Some people say it's atmospheric, I say it's repetitive and boring. Hints of melody and style pierce the arpeggiated clouds on Island and Facades. But that's it.

If you want some good atmospheric minimalism, listen to Harold Budd or Brian Eno. If you want good post-modern influenced compositions, buy James Newton Howard's The Village score. You may want to buy Philip Glass' Glassworks if you can't live without the opening theme or want to find out what his music is about. I've found out. But right now I don't want to go any further...

Love - Hate Relationship.......2006-01-17

Simply, the question is of the following: Is P. Glass one of the 20th century's most creative artists, lending a sublte poignancy to his pieces; or, on the other hand, is Glass merely the most overrated hack in classical music today, utilizing almost endlessly repeating arpeggios to the chagrin of the listener's ear (not to mention, patience)?

From my rating, I clearly fall into the first camp. However, the pleasure you will derive from this CD is undoubtedly personal and subjective, based upon both experience and taste. No doubt, the arguments on both side of the question are passionate and entrenched. I suggest, instead, that you listen to the tracks that Amazon provides. This will give you a sense as to whether you will love or hate the music.

As for my experience with the music, I agree with several fellow reviewers: Glass's methodology is wholeheartedly expressive, providing the composer with ample space to slowly build and play on different moods within the work, making the listener conscious of individual notes, instruments, and rhythms within the ensemble. The only thing I can think to compare this with is, perhaps, flavors. Either you can eat a piece of chocolate hurriedly and grasp the totality of its flavor; or you may calmly savor it and, perhaps, find a nice caramal center, unmask the interplay of various textures, and discover satisfaction in its simplicity.

Bear in mind, however, I approached Philip Glass after having a large exposure to Ravi Shankar and 'classical Indian' music. Some, not all, of the music is rhythmically repetitive. This experience, I think, predisposed me to liking Glass's compositions.

A Few Words on Glassworks.......2005-12-21

In a joke email about the Mozart effect that a friend of mine recieved, the effect of several other composers' music on children was discussed as if it had an effect on the children like Mozart's music does. In "The Glass Effect", "a child tends to repeat him or herself over and over and over and over and over and over and over again." This is true, Glass's music, "Glassworks" in particular, is alarmingly repetitive. The reason that most people knock this set of pieces is because they are totally missing the point. Glass's music has been categorized in the realm of "minimalism." The point of minimalism is to do as much as possible with the least amount of music. Glass executes this agenda quite well with "Glassworks." Most people don't exactly realize what Glass is doing by repeating himself over and over again.

First of all people have to realize a few things about this music. Philip Glass did not intend on having this music being played in the background at your next dinner party. Leave that up to Bach and Mozart. What Glass did want with this piece was for mature listeners to realize what he has done with texture and simplicity. Also, Glass's works are not about melody. They are about texture and mood and atmosphere. Each piece has its own shape little additions keep the piece from becoming overly monotonous. I think that Glass has made a great musical statement with his set of pieces that should be carefully digested with an open mind.

For the most part, Glass's concept works. However, the second movement "Floe" could probably be axed or revised. This is the only movement that seems to get unbelivably monotonous. It's also a lot to digest at the beginning of the suite. If it came more towards the end before the closing as opposed to after the opening where it functions as more of a rhythmic pie in the face. Some of the movements could also stand to use a little more variation but for the most part, Glass keeps the pieces interesting.

I cannot say much about the other work, "In the Other Room" that appears on this album, because I own the original Glassworks album. I just wanted to clear up some of the misconceptions that many have about this different music. It's hard to say whether or not Glass's music will stand up to the same test of time as the music of the greats like Mozart's and Bach's, but things are not looking good for Glass, not because the music isn't good, but becuase too many ignorant people immediately dismiss it as garbage. It seems that if people openly knock this music like they do, the same people that put those parental advisory stickers on CDs might want to instigate a separate rating system. This one should be stickered with: "CDMA: Mature Audiences Only."

Average customer rating:

Pure Genius
Poor People's Steve Reich
Painful
Minimalism as it should be...And Was
Elegant chamber music, but still chambral

Glassworks

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Minimal Techno | Techno | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Philip Glass - Songs from Liquid Days
Best of Philip Glass
Philip Glass: Symphonies Nos. 2 & 3
Itaipu
Glass: Violin concerto

ASIN: B0000025MW
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Opening
Floe
Island
Rubric
Facades
Closing

Amazon.com essential recording

Glassworks remains Philip Glass's bestseller from the middle period of his career, the recording by means of which many listeners familiarized themselves with his music. Conceived as a thematically whole instrumental studio album taking advantage of the promotional and marketing capabilities of what was then Glass's new major label (CBS, now Sony Classical) and targeted at consumers intrigued with his newfound notoriety, Glassworks features six parts (three per side on the original LP and cassette), alternately meditative and frenetic, that have since broken free and developed lives of their own.

The most frequently rearranged and recorded part, "Facades," is an outtake from the score to Godfrey Reggio's film Koyaanisqatsi, which before editing had spent more time panning across the flat modernist surfaces of New York City skyscrapers, imparting a sense of alienation and despondency. Glass frequently performs the first part, "Opening," in solo piano recitals. When his ensemble performs the second part, "Floe," in concert, he adds a female voice where, in the recording, the horns perform the Sibelian accompaniment of stately rising and falling crotchets. Throughout, Glass popularizes his earlier idiom of relative rhythmic and harmonic stasis by enriching the instrumentation as well as modulating quickly and even--as in the case of "Rubric"--at a vertiginous pace.

This album was one of the first by a contemporary composer to be recorded digitally, and it has held up remarkably well since 1982 despite the slight harshness and hiss. (CBS remixed the cassette version to satisfy users of portable stereos--back then a fairly new technology.) Fans of Glass will have added this title to their collections long ago, but if you're new to the composer's tonal, reiterative music, Glassworks is still as good a place to start as any. --Robert Burns Neveldine

Customer Reviews:

Pure Genius.......2006-11-03

I began my journey into the vast world of the music of Philip Glass a few years ago with Music in Twelve Parts. I spent the next month and a half listening to "minimalist" composers exclusively, ninety percent being Philip Glass. I reveled in my music history teacher's obvious disdain and annoyance with having to teach about this specific period. I enjoy watching the emotions and opinions fly at the mention of Philip Glass. I love this music. I think Philip Glass is a genius. I also realize that his music isn't for everyone.

Poor People's Steve Reich.......2004-12-08

My CD of this pop-minimalist, actually, contained two discs: the first resp. the last Ph. Glass CD I'll ever hear in my life. Try Steve Reich's Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ instead - the peak of this (overrated) style.
Klaus

Painful.......2004-04-01

In a word: Excruciating. In two words: Mind numbing. This guy raised monotony to a new art form... kind of. Think of it as Manheim Steamroller with its scant amount of life and energy removed. Each piece (using the term liberally) features a very simple minded rhythmic contrast, like triplets on top of half notes, and then prolongs this elementary school exercise for anywhere from 4 to 7 minutes. To do it justice, let's call them days. On some of his more advanced works, Glass even splurges by laying a pathetic, uninteresting melody on top of the syncopated Chinese water torture already in progress. Two of the pieces were absolutely unbearable. I was forced to skip to the next number like a fox chewing off its leg. Despite the mood it had created, the album did mercifully come to an end. I don't ever recall looking forward to the end of a CD with quite the same fervor and spiritual longing.

Minimalism as it should be...And Was.......2004-03-26

I purchased this album over ten years ago. It is one of Glass's two albums that gave me a passion for minimalism and revived my interest in contemporary classical music of all styles. The other album was Songs From Liquid Days. Many of the other reviews call this background music. It is not. Nowhere near. (And quite frankly, any classical or romantic period work could be used for background music.) The important thing to remember is that this music was at the time when minimalist recordings were just beginning to be made available to the public (some 20 or more years after the movement began). It is very repetitive (something the University hates) but it is not pop. It is not Oldfield or New Age. It is quite different from what Glass is doing today. So, if you'd like a feel for one of Philip Glass' earlier recorded works, very much in his later minimalist style, this is an excellent album to start with. Listen to the samples first. They don't lie.

Elegant chamber music, but still chambral.......2004-03-15

This is not serious classical music, but it makes no pretentions to be. It is chamber music - a type of music specifically designed to be background music. In this it fails, because it is a bit more absorbing than chamber music is supposed to be; however, I can hardly fault it for that. It is very smooth, almost 'trippy', but it is not designed for direct listening.

Many people dislike classical music on the radio because it all sounds identical - a quality that is often incorrectly called 'atonal' - and cannot be concentrated upon. This is chamber music - in which great elegance and style (and creative freedom) are required, but not enough to interrupt The King's morning paper.

Tracks:

In The Upper Room: Dance l
In The Upper Room: Dance ll
In The Upper Room: Dance V
In The Upper Room: Dance Vlll
In The Upper Room: Dance lX
Glasspiece # 1('Rubric')
Glasspiece # 2 ('Facades')
Glasspiece # 3 ('Funeral' From Akhnaten)

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful first exposure to the works of Philip Glass.......2007-05-19

I have only just recently started exploring the major minimalist composers and found this compilation by Philip Glass to be very interesting and perhaps a little bit more accessible in contrast with early compositions by Terry Riley. In general, the music on this compilation features ostinatos mixed with arpeggios and like most minimalism, the pieces are deeply meditative.

Glasspieces was originally performed in 1983; the nine movement In the Upper Room suite premiered in 1986; and both accompanied a ballet performance. Neither of the pieces on this compilation are presented in their original (complete) form. Specifically, only five of the nine movements (selected by Glass himself) originally included on In the Upper Room are presented on Dancepieces, while only movements 4 and 5 were taken from the original six movement Glassworks (1982). Track eight represents a single movement taken from the Akhnaten suite (1987). Admittedly, the abbreviated version of In the Upper Room does not work very well. Then again, I really did not mind too much because the music is fascinating. Of the two pieces my favorite is the more subdued and gloomy In the Upper Room, which emphasizes "classical" instrumentation.

In large part, the music on this album is very brooding, reflective, and dominated by woodwind, brass and string instruments. There are however, some extremely "rhythmically charged" moments where just percussion and synthesizers are used, e.g. Glasspiece No.3 Funeral from Akhnaten. The technique of the musicians on Glasspiece No. 3 is particularly dazzling. Melodies are also sprinkled throughout and add a lot to the texture of each piece. Total running time of the CD is 45'45" with In the Upper Room clocking in at approximately 23'25" and Glasspieces at 22'18". There are a number of musicians on both pieces and In the Upper Room includes conductor Michael Reisman on piano and synthesizers (it sounds like an Oberheim polyphonic and possibly a Yamaha CS80 polyphonic). Fortunately, the synthesizer tone colors are very warm and do not sound (too) synthetic in a 1980s way. In addition to the keyboardist, there are a number of string, brass, and woodwind players. Synthesizer use is much heavier on Glasspieces, although the second Glasspiece movement is dominated by strings and woodwinds and is very haunting (my personal favorite). Although nearly all instrumental music, the addition of voice (Dora Ohrenstein) on both pieces was a very nice touch.

All in all I found this compilation to be a great introduction to the works of minimalist composer Philip Glass. Although I had objections to the "butchered" version of In the Upper Room it really was not all that bad - in fact I am inspired to seek out the original. Recommended along with works by other minimalist composers including Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Lamonte Young.

The paradox of variety and minimalism.......2006-03-17

This collection gives a narrow but varied sample of Glass's pieces used by noted choreographers. The music is very danceable even for the non-professional and is highly recommended for teachers who want to broaden their dance students' sensibilities beyond stale over-orchestrated bits of "Nutcracker" or bubble gum pop music adored by "dance teams".

Sort of a disappointment..........2000-03-30

This is a collection of works from the early-mid 80s, for ballet performance. However, two of these pieces were previously released on the "Glassworks" collection and as such fit better in their original context. And the cycle "In the Upper Room" is here not presented en toto...which is a major point of irritation, given the extended playing time of CDs. However, this is the only place you can find the ensemble version of the 'Funeral' from "Akhenaten", which was a show-stopper from Glass's ensemble concerts of the mid-80s. So, while this is a plus, the inclusion of the 'recycled' "Glassworks" tracks is annoying, and the chop-up of the "In the Upper Room" cycle should be considered criminal, and someone at CBS needs their head examined for continuing the vinyl sequencing present here. Boo. Hiss.

Chilling.......1999-05-21

Even though the entire album is one of his best, the first Glasspience is absolutely amazing. It is quite haunting yet beautiful at the same time

A wonderful compilation of his compositions used in dance........1998-07-06

This inspiring assortment of Glass compositions gives this listener an understanding of how dance and movement work together. The pieces used Tharp's classic choreography to "The Upper Room" build to an ecstatic climax. This work is not to be missed.

Average customer rating:

Glass: Glassworks [Germany]
Philip Glass
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004Y5AB
Release Date: 2001-04-02

Tracks:

Opening
Floe
Islands
Rubric
Facades
Closing

Average customer rating:

Misleading/Incorrectly Titled

Glass: Glassworks for Piano Solo
Philip Glass
Manufacturer: Sony Music Media
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00004XRHC
Release Date: 2004-06-01

Tracks:

Opening
Floe
Island
Rubrick
Facades
Closing
Metamorphosis One
Metamorphosis Two
Metamorphosis Three
Metamorphosis Four
Metamorphosis Five
Mad Rush
Wichita Sutra Vortex

Customer Reviews:

Misleading/Incorrectly Titled.......2003-09-26

I actually purchased this CD from another online retailer and reported the error to them (they accepted my return, I hope anyone who buys from here is as lucky). The title "Glassworks for Piano Solo" implies (to me, at least) this is a collection of solo piano transcriptions/arrangements of works from the original "Glassworks" recording. For those unfamiliar with it, "Glassworks" contained 2 solo piano pieces along with 4 pieces for ensemble. I've had the original since it first appeared on vinyl and was excited at the prospect of hearing solo piano versions of the 4 ensemble pieces. Unfortunately, this CD turned out to be a two-CD compilation of the original "Glassworks" recording plus Glass's "Solo Piano" CD - another recording I've had for years. I don't think there's anything malicious going on here, just a poor translation effort by whoever designed the CD package (It's a French Sony compilation).

Track Listings:

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

Voices [Extra tracks] [Original recording remastered]

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Blues at Sunrise: Live at Montreux [Live]

Stardust [Import]

In the Spotlight with Marilyn Manson

Barry White's Greatest Hits

Colour My World/the Other Man's Grass Is Always... [Import]

Beethoven: Piano Sonatas, Vol.6

Attacama

Blue Bossa

Best of Bowie [Original recording remastered]

Bomba 2000

A La Sombra De Un Leon [Import]

Dreams Do Come True

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