Philip Glass : Music From "The Hours" Solo Piano [Import, Soundtrack]

Philip Glass; Michael Riesman (Artist), Philip Glass (Composer), Solo Piano (Orchestra), Michael Riesman (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Michael Riesman
• Orchestra: Solo Piano
• Composer: Philip Glass
• Audio CD (July 20, 2004)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import, Soundtrack
• Label: Orange Mountain Music
• ASIN: B00025K198
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #130,935 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

In 2002 Philip Glass composed the soundtrack score to the Stephen Daldry film "The Hours". The film went on to receive 9 Acadamy Awards nominations, including one for ‘best score’.

At the beginning of the film, Daldry depicts the timelessness of small daily events, how the real elements of life are patterns that repeat across time. The movie opens with three women from three different eras intercut, all doing similar things. There's Virginia Woolf (Nicole Kidman) in 1923, a troubled young mother (Julianne Moore) in 1951 and a woman (Meryl Streep) in 2001 making preparations for a party later that evening. In one location flowers are bought, in another displayed, in another discarded. Philip Glass' score intensely underlines the images with a sense of strangeness and sympathy.

Michael Riesman, Mr. Glass’ longtime musical director and producer of the film score recordings, created solo piano adaptations of the original score and has been performing them in concert.

Orange Mountain Music is very happy to release a CD of studio recordings of this beautiful and emotional work performed by the brilliant pianist and intimate interperter of Philip Glass’ work, Michael Riesman.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Lacks the subtlety and dynamics of the original soundtrack, June 14, 2005

By 

Mark Gwilt "no longer in the Great Wen" (Los Angeles/Los Denstone) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Philip Glass : Music From "The Hours" Solo Piano (Audio CD)

When I first heard the original soundtrack to The Hours, I was struck by how familiar a lot of the sections sounded - not all of this music is new. However, a second listening made me feel that even if not all the music was originally composed for the soundtrack, it was nevertheless a truly fitting series of pieces that had a coherence and empathy with the themes of the film. Subsequent listenings have made this one of my favourite 21st century Glass recordings. I highly recommend it.

I don't feel that this recording offers any new insight to the music originally offered for the soundtrack, other than perhaps providing the hope of a piano transcription, and thus something that I, as an amateur pianist, can aspire to being able to play.

Mr Riesman is a fine pianist and his long standing relationship with Mr Glass is obvious in his treatment of the music. I am extremely impressed with his performance of the Tirol concerto CD which I received at the same time as this recording. However, the subtraction of an orchestra from what I also consider a piano concerto format can only put more pressure on the soloist, and results in something I feel lacks in emotion by trying to be too many instruments and textures at once.

Conclusion: Not essential listening. The original soundtrack recording is more emotionally resonant.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great music, February 2, 2007

By 

Roland (Idaho) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Philip Glass : Music From "The Hours" Solo Piano (Audio CD)

This recording captures the essence of Glass minimal composition, and has the same feeling and emotion that his other solo piano recordings contain.
In fact, this is one of the best solo piano recordings in my opinion, since their is much more variety here than compared to the album "Solo Piano," and there is more emotion on this compare to Etudes Vol. 1. This is also a good recording since there are only two songs that are borrowed from other recordings, namely Facades from Glassworks, and Metamorphosis #3 from Solo Piano. Facades is a beautiful song on solo piano, and actually sounds better on this without the flute in my opinion. Arguably the best solo piano Glass recording to date. the second best I would say is the Orphee Suite for solo piano, then 3rd is Etudes, then 4th is Solo
Piano.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Philip Glass' Musical Score for 'The Hours' Distilled, March 27, 2007

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Philip Glass : Music From "The Hours" Solo Piano (Audio CD)

Returning to view the masterfully created cinematic production of Michael Cunningham's THE HOURS always leaves the reminder that much of the atmosphere that made the film work so well on every level was the musical score composed by Philip Glass. The soundtrack recording from the film remains for this listener a constant companion and now there is yet another extension of the eloquence of Glass' achievement.

Glass' longtime musical colleague is Michael Riesman, a gifted pianist as well as a composer who had the fine thought of distilling Glass' already minimalist score for piano solo. And in this recording Riesman performs his composer-sanctioned transcriptions with not only impeccable musical skill but also with the knowledge of both the Cunningham novel and the Virginia Woolf novel 'Mrs. Dalloway' on which it was based. The result is far more richly varied series of vignettes than most would have thought possible.

For those who are devotees of Philip Glass' compositions, from the very large symphonies and operas to the chamber ensemble and solo instrumental works, this series of piano transcriptions will prove rewarding. Reisman makes Glass' ideas crystalline, allowing us to hear the very subtle differences in the music he created for each character and each emotion.

For those less familiar with Philip Glass' music but very familiar with the film 'The Hours', this recording will provide an hour of nostalgia and clean swept elegance that can be heard at any moment (any hour!) of the day. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 07