Customer Reviews

Philip Glass: Symphony No. 2

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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".

It was difficult for me not to give this CD 5 stars. It does not quite measure up to my favorite Phillip Glass compositions, but nevertheless I listen to Symphony No 2 often.

There are three works on this recording; Symphony No. 2, Interlude from Orphee, and Concerto for Saxophone Quartet and Orchestra. It is the namesake Symphony which is the jewel of this collection. It is typical of Glass' best work. A simple theme is repeated, varied, and experimented with. The result is hauntingly powerful. The theme's beauty holds the piece together.

The other pieces are not as good, but still enjoyable listening. If like I, you are a Glass fan, you will like this CD. If you are considering which Phillip Glass composition might be a good introduction, I would recommend his soundtrack to the movie "Kundun" or the "Heroes Symphony."

Philip Glass has written all of his five symphonies in the nineties, and they are beautiful symphonic masterpieces (his latest was premiered in summer 1999). His Symphony No.2 (1994) has a wonderful moving, melancholic middle movement and an upbeat finale. But I think the Saxophone Quartet Concerto(1995) is even better; its first movement sounds rather gothic (very Edgar Allen Poe), the second is very jazzy. The third is one of the most tranquil slow movements I've ever heard (a rainy night in Manhattan?). The last is very fast, light and upbeat. Phil Glass beautifully blended elements from (french? - I think there is some Satie, Ravel and Poulenc in it) classical music, jazz and rock in that piece, but its pure Glass. It's great.

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!

This new recording is incredible! Not only is the symphony great, but I find myself listening more to the Concerto for Saxophone Quartet. The piece has four movements, each equally impressive. The Sax. Concerto is one of the pieces that truly shows off Glass' skill as a composer.

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.

Philip Glass's Symphony No. 2, in three substantial movements, represents his music at its most mellifluous, his second-generation brand of minimalism. Written in 1993, it uses polytonality as a basic element, to a degree taking the place of contrasts traditional in symphonic form. The first movement, longest of the three, is lush and lyrical, with melodies turning back on themselves, while the central slow movement jogs along similarly with minimalist "till-ready" rhythms. The finale is bolder and brassier, with piano bringing echoes of "Petrushka." The Interlude from Orphee is vintage Glass, while the more compact Saxophone Quartet Concerto brings the liveliest music and Spanish-American flavors in the finale varying Glass's persistent moderato writing. Excellent performances and well-balanced recording.

Philip Glass's music will continue to divide opinion, I guess, but at his best his friendly-faced brand of minimalism, coupling relatively traditional harmonic sequences with a strong rhythmic pulse in a manner that leaves more room for invention and imagination than one might suspect, is thoroughly compelling. Indeed, I am willing to say that at his best Glass deserves to be counted as a great composer. I am also willing to say that his second symphony does indeed find him at his very best, with its hypnotic polytonal patterns and organically developing architecture, interspersed with magnificent colors.

More than much other contemporary music, Glass's music is deeply evocative and atmospheric, often bordering on the picturesque. In the second symphony the first movement (which incorporates North American native rhythmic patterns) does suggest the open-air landscapes of Copland, but with a stronger sense of movement and momentum. The second movement is dark and surprisingly emotionally intense, while the final movement is playful and celebratory but with more serious (even wistful) undertones and, again, an almost intense forward drive. Although I suppose it will not be for everyone, I found Glass's second symphony to be a deeply rewarding experience and I am willing to count it among the more important symphonic works written the last twenty years.

The concerto for saxophone quartet and orchestra is similarly successful; as with the symphony the underlying pulse is always there, but the colors and effects Glass achieves on top of it are deeply fascinating. There are even some immediately memorable themes (the third movement in particular), and Glass utilizes the coloristic range of the solo ensemble with ingenuity and imagination. In between the symphony and the concerto we get a short, compelling interlude from Orphée. Everything is immaculately performed by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra and the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, respectively, under Dennis Russell Davies, and the sound is very good. In short, I have no hesitations about giving this disc the highest recommendations; do give it a try.

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.

While listening to this symphony for the first time, I kept thinking that I had heard it before. And I had. Just listen to Allan Petterssons's 7th Symphony (1966). Obviously, Glass did.