Philip Glass: Aguas Da Amazonia

Philip Glass (Composer), Uakti (Performer, Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Uakti
• Composer: Philip Glass, Uakti
• Audio CD (August 3, 1999)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Philips
• ASIN: B00000JQJT
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,629 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #12 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Glass, Philip

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A magical journey down the rivers of South America, March 3, 2002

By 

Peter Cooper (Louth, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philip Glass: Aguas Da Amazonia (Audio CD)

Imagine you're in a small boat drifting down a river flanked on both sides by giant trees. Their leafy branches extend out across the river and are left dangling just metres above the water. You close your eyes and hear the music.

Well, that's what this music is. It evokes the feel of being there, under the leaves on the river. The first track, 'Tiquie River,' is a simple organ/pizzicato affair, and at under two minutes long, it instills an initial sense of calm, before drifting into 'Japura River'.

Japura is darker, and the piece is much more rhythmic. Glass marimba floats over the underlying xylophone texture, and pan-pipes emerge from the shadows from time to time. The piece builds up and generally gives off the mood of travelling down a darkened river, shaded by thick jungle. It's mysterious, but it's not scary.

'Purus River' is a happier piece with a mixture of marimba/xylophone/piano/panpipes and native Amazonian percussion.

'Negro River' has a more tribal feel, and also debuts a rather unique Amazonian string instrument that sounds rather like the Turkish 'saz'.

'Madeira River' starts off with a rather atonal string instrument, but eventually builds up into a fast flurry of xylophones and marimba creating a waterfall-style effect.

If Koyaanisqatsi had scenes from the jungle, 'Tapajos River' is the ideal tune. There are similarities to Koyaanisqatsi tunes and themes here, but with the jungle edge.

'Amazon River' finds us reaching the end of our river cruise in a fast flurry of trees, water, waterfalls, and fast percussion pushing us along. The piece becomes flurried towards the end, and then leaves us, waking up from our dream.

'Metamorphosis I' seems to be a bit of an 'add-on' to the album, simply being a 'cover version' of Metamorphosis I by Uakti. It's good, and their instrumentation makes it feel like yet another journey through the jungle, but it's tighter and more restrained than the other pieces, so we're not on the river, we're on foot. The piece moves well, and ends with us running through the jungle through to the climax.

A delightful album with EXCELLENT instrumentation. It's a great listen, but it's also delightful to fall asleep to too. An album for any occasion.. active listening, or just in the background at an outdoor summer barbecue.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This CD made me listen to it again and again., September 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Philip Glass: Aguas Da Amazonia (Audio CD)

I bought this disc because I had heard one or two tracks and really liked them. How fantastic to find out the entire thing is so pleasantly interesting. What hooked me at first was the candy-like sounds of the marimbas. But what made me listen again and again was figuring out the many musical puzzles. Uakati plays with speed and precision, but also with real warmth, not at all cold and mechanical. Plus, the unique instruments guarantee you've never heard anything like this (they don't SOUND home-made). If only I enjoyed all my CD's this much.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Glass redeemed by performance, August 1, 2000

By 

M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philip Glass: Aguas Da Amazonia (Audio CD)

I used to be a Glass fan, eagerly awaiting each new release. Then I discovered that Glass, like any other composer, can produce mediocre music as well - something I believe Glass is especially prone to given his style. However, this recording shows what Glass can be, not so much that the composition is inspired as that the instrumentation is inspired; instrumentation is based on instruments constructed by Uakti and traditional instruments - glass marimba, pan pipes, xylophone, flute, tabla, keyboards ...

This particular work is intended as the score for a ballet company; it certainly would work in the intended context but it also works as a piece in it's own right. If you don't listen carefully, it may fade into the background as what I think of as "generic new age" - however, if you truly listen to the work, the changes in instrumentation and tempos will convince you this is not generic anything but an innovative rendition well worth your full attention.