Philip Glass: Dances Nos. 1-5

Philip Glass (Composer), Michael Riesman (Conductor, Performer), Philip Glass Ensemble (Orchestra), Philip Glass (Performer), Michael Reisman (Performer), Iris Hiskey (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Michael Riesman, Philip Glass, Michael Reisman, Iris Hiskey
• Orchestra: Philip Glass Ensemble
• Conductor: Michael Riesman
• Composer: Philip Glass
• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026OX
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #312,702 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #30 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Glass, Philip

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Possibly Philip Glass's Greatest Work!!, May 21, 2004

By 

Louie Bourland (Garden Grove CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Philip Glass: Dances Nos. 1-5 (Audio CD)

"Dance" is an extraordinary epic composition from one of the most revolutionary composers of the late 20th century to the present, Philip Glass. From the mid 1960's onwards, Glass has revolutionized a form of composition that has become known as 'minimalism' (although Glass himself denies being a composer of minimal music). Several of Glass's works have gone on to be standards of modern Classical music.
One such piece is "Dance". Comprised of five parts or movements, this 110-minute long piece is based around short repeated arppegios with slight changes and variations when played each time. The First, Third and Fifth movements were performed by members of Philip Glass's own ensemble consisting of various keyboards, wind instruments (notably saxophones and flutes) and female voice. The voice does not sing lyrics per se but uses syllables (do-re-mi) to complement the fast-paced rhythmic excursions.
The second and fourth movements are for solo organ. Movement 2 is performed on a small electronic organ and runs through a series of arrpeggiated variations with a slight hint of drone. The fourth movement was performed on a large pipe organ and has an overall majestic glorious sound.
Overall, "Dance No.1-5" is possibly Philip Glass's greatest musical acheivement. Glass has composed so many rich compositions, it is difficult to determine what the absolute best is. With "Dance" however, I think it comes pretty close to being what it is..the best.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have....., September 10, 2001

By 

Brett Stewart "Catison" (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Philip Glass: Dances Nos. 1-5 (Audio CD)

This album is somewhere between Einstein on the Beach and Glassworks, both chronologically, and artistically. It features the relentlously spinning arpeggios of Einstein, and the more easily digestable charm of Glassworks.

In Dances, Philip Glass creates a sound world all to its own, and incapulates you in it. You get lost and then suddenly realize that you like being lost within the chords. When each dance finally ends, you are left wanting more. This feeling is impossible to describe, but Glass fans find nothing more satisfying that going into this world. If you get this feeling when you listen to Glass then you are seriously missing out if you do not have this recording, and for anyone who wants to experiement with Glass, this is a great place to start. If you are unsure, get Glassworks, and then get this cd. Either way, GET THIS CD.

Once you find yourself loving this music, you will never turn back. Take that as a beacon and a warning. I have had this cd on since I got it in the mail today, and I have no idea when it is going off.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Glass's Dance No.1- one of the most amazing musical works of all time, August 17, 2008

By 

I. McHugh ""...Modernism is creepy crazy ... (West Midlands, UK) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Philip Glass: Dances Nos. 1-5 (Audio CD)

It really is. I'm both a scholar and keen listener, familiar with several thousand hours of music across all centuries and Glass's Dance No.1, a 20 minute 1979 piece for soprano and quintet, is the work I've listened to more than any other. It has truly incredible magnetism and exhilaration, and creates an insatiable fascination with the attention transfixed and mesmerized by every last detail: possibly the most unturnoffable and compulsive thing ever written its returns are almost unique in music.

It's hard to imagine a more accomplished and sensitive performance and production, with Iris Hiskey's voice having some of the most ravishingly feminine, alluring harmonics in all singing: she touches in the notes precisely in line with the understated nature of the work's ecstasy and radiance, spiking the combination of febrility yet serenity and beauty.

The intense onward lines and intoxication parallel sexual and narcotic experience, with the solfage syllables sung having erotic overtones. Such is its communicative power it's the sort of piece that would be interesting to play at a nightclub with a massive sound system to see the reaction, the gripping rhythms and motivic fragments recognizable by the pop crowd; and what strong melodic voice Glass has, identifiable from just a few notes.

As a new genre minimalism has a limited number of great and significant works, but this is one. Good minimalism raises some interesting questions about the attention's workings- its remarkable involving quality may be related to the process of strong ideas being repeated before they can begin to be processed or reconciled intellectually, focussing the mind instead on the aesthetic content's inexhaustible interest. Some have difficulty with the surface homogeneity in place of traditional depth structure but this piece really crushes the objections of writers like Robert Fink or Roger Scruton.

Dances Nos 1,3 & 5 are designed to be played at high volume and with an edge on the treble balance: without this or on some steros much of the inner detail is lost and the result can be bland- playing in the car can be ideal with the sound bouncing off the walls. 3 & 5 are a little less interesting with 3 built around a powerful hypnotic sequence but more simply repetitive and less developed, and the ideas in 5 not quite as strong or inevitable- it's also not sung by Hiskey. Nos.2 & 4 are for solo organ, again full of interest and intelligence.

A real phenomenon, enhancing one's mood as almost nothing else ever written, this is music of sheer ascent as the booklet rightly says. A singularly fantastic piece, it is exhilaration incarnate.