Customer Reviews

Violin Concertos of John Adams & Philip Glass

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

 

 

John Adams and Philip Glass continue to be two of the more important composers of our time and how appropriate it is to have the luxury of both composers on one disc and with each composer's view of the violin concerto!

For some the Glass may be more immediately accessible, but for those who have yet to discover the glorious beauties contained in the mind of John Adams, just begin listening to this disc with the second movement of his concerto (Chaconne: Body through which the dream flows) and odds are you'll be hooked.

Robert McDuffie has a fine affinity to both these concerti and is technique is superb, his dexterity amazing! The other version of the Adams is a fine one by Gidon Kremer but in this case the orchestral collaboration with Christoph Eschenbach and the Houston Symphony is superior. In the Glass the orchestra plays with that signature pulsating glow that suits Glass' work. After the success of Glass' score for the film THE HOURS this concerto will doubtless become a concert favorite.

The sonics are excellent and the overall impact of this fine disc is as good as it gets for contemporary music. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 2004

Let's start right off by saying that I grew up listening to, and loving, the traditional violin concerti. Give me Beethoven, give me Mendelssohn. (Spare me Tschaikovsky, please, I have heard that in performance so many times I'm finally tired of it.) I am not a huge fan of 20th century music, outside the popular Russians, film music, and band music. In fact, I come prepared to dislike Philip Glass. In fact, I DO dislike much of Philip Glass. The usual words I use when trying to describe Glass's music to those not familiar with it are "repetitive, monotonous, irritating, annoying." So when I found myself online at midnight ordering the album I had just heard on my local classical radio station, it was as much a shock to me as to anyone. But there I was - I couldn't stop myself. This violin concerto is - well, compelling. I couldn't stop listening. I found myself putting down my book and listening CLOSELY. It's difficult for me to pinpoint WHAT I liked about it - all I can do is keep repeating, it's compelling. It made me listen. It will do the same for you.

Give me music that has creativity, virtuosity, originality, and passion, and I will promise to listen, regardless of how someone decides to label the music (including my above labels). Both of these violin concertos possess all of the above, and for someone who has always had problems appreciating the violin concerto, I find myself listening to this recording quite often. I tend to view Glass's works as seeming rather dark, brooding, and subjective/emotional. So it makes alot of sense that his music would work well within the context of a violin concerto where the soloist can step in an interpret this subjective world through his playing. And Adams' concerto seems just as interesting if not more sublime. I found the second movement both haunting and beautiful at the same time. In total I find this to be a wonderful CD, and am glad I took the risk of buying something I knew almost nothing about. Indeed, it is quite rare for me to hear either Adams or Glass even on a classical music station. Too bad because their music speaks more of the world we live in today, which is one reason why humanity at any given time chooses to listen to music in the first place.

I concur very much with the favorable comments by "gtrain" and C. Anderson regarding the Adam's violin concerto. It's a finely crafted and performed piece. I would not say it's particularly easy to be enthralled with on first listening. I'm a fairly seasoned "classical" music enthusiast with broad tastes, but I've had to put some studied listening time in to get to enjoy the Adams. Now, considering Glass's version of a violin concerto, one just has to listen with different expectations. Yes, this is typical Glass style, takes about one second (or six pulsations) to recognize it as his. But hey, this is invigorating exciting, stuff. The first and third movements make great aerobic exersize background - real aural fuel power. And the slow movement is beautiful, maybe not so profound or complex, but wonderful, and "user-friendly" i.e. sounds nice the first time through.

This superbly produced, performed, and recorded disk puts these two contemporary concertos together for the first time, with McDuffie and the orchestra digging into both pieces for all they are worth. To these ears, the Glass comes off as the more convincing and entertaining piece of music, with an especially affecting slow movement. Yes, some of the repetitions in the first movement are a bit too much; however, this is for the most part a fun piece to listen to, and the quality of the recording and performance are top-drawer all the way.

Try as I might, however, I was never able to get any satisfaction from the Adams piece. I was disappointed by Gidon Kremer's recording on Nonesuch (not because of his performance, but because of the music), and although the overall performance and recording on this new Telarc surpass that earlier recording, the composition itself is no more convincing. I have forced myself to listen to it many times in an attempt to let it break down my resistance, and I can report that the second movement has some moments of affecting beauty; however, to be honest, I must report that I still find the work overall to be disjointed and uninspiring.

I will readily concede that this is a most subjective judgment on my part, and I am sure that there are folks who appreciate this music much more than I do. Indeed, if you heard the Adams on Nonesuch and liked it, then you are most likely going to love this Telarc recording, and if you liked the old Telarc recording of the Glass, you are going to love this new Telarc recording.

The violin has been the most popular instrument featured in concertos through ages. The traditional concertos such as those by Vivaldi and Bach are often played by many striving young violinists... ever toward the point of vexation; Mendelssohn's violin concerto is one work I detest (yet I still adore Tchaikovsky's). This soon brought me to take a sip on something more contemporary and less common.

Around the same time, I began to fall in love with Minimalism. I find it teeming with restless energy, fascinating as any other art movement, and good to one's ears... not to mention great for driving. Minimalist music spoke through music polyphonic and homophonic, through differnet genres including symphonies, operas, and of course concertos.

I first heard John Adams' Violin Concerto at Walt Disney Concert Hall, and immediately loved it. The second movement is quite dreamy, with a synthesizer playing the low notes, while the third movement is obviously the show piece for the soloist. I know I have to own it someday.

Curiosity on Philip Glass' music led me to by the Naxos recording of the Violin Concerto. After finding the soloist a bit bland, however, I soon decided to buy this album. The soloist in the album was much more expressive than the one in the Naxos recording, especially in the virtuosic, arpeggiation-filled third movement.

Each composer has its own Minimalist style - while Glass's music features simple harmonies and arpeggiations, Adam's music is like jumping through one treadmill to another, staying on one spot for a while before moving on to the next.

The Adams Violin Concerto is a strong, accessible and dramatic work. It has an invigorating, constant flow of ideas, especially from the soloist, fulfills the 'show-off' aspect of instrumental technique and has an exquisitely beautiful slow movement, a chaconne that will leave anyone who enjoys Pachebel's Canon breathless. The Glass piece is less successful. Like a lot of his work, it reconfigures certain patterns that are featured in other, better works, but without much overall affect. It's actually dull and irritating. For those who just want the Adam's, there is a fine recording on Nonesuch with another of that composer's great pieces, "Shaker Loops."

Glass's violin concerto is not some sort of 20th century greatest-hits-easy-listening tune. Don't try it if you only see the dots in pointillism. Anyone else - enjoy an intriguing experiment and an excellent performance.

I'm new to minimalist music, and am in no way a critic. I found the Glass concerto completely enthralling. The slow movement is an incredibly poignant lament that is quite approachable on first hearing. The outer movements are alive with vitality. Mr. McDuffie gives a marvelous performance. Unlike the other reviewers, I've not quite gotten the Adams yet. Who knows, maybe one or both of these works will be recognized to be among the greatest someday.

This is simply exceptional music, exceptional composing, as well as beautiful and creative. If you love Violins, this compilation is for you; it is both orchestral and specific, the compositions on this album mesmerize the hearer.