Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Remarkable Concept, September 1, 2004
Glass was so imaginative to put himself into the mindset of the 19TH century, and to perceive how shocking the introduction of photography must have been. The incessant repetitions, and long slow builds, brilliantly tie together the atonalities, and the screeching "Dorothy's flying monkeys" vocalizations. The effect creates a multiplicity of layers of imagery. It can either be a very exciting work, or an annoying one. If you're working on a sculpture or painting, it's great background. If, at the moment, life is what's happening while you're busy doing other things, it won't be your cup of tea, that day. Such duality of responses is typical of extraordinary art.
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17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Powerful Glass from the mid-80s, March 29, 2000
The mid-80s are a mixed-bag for Glass. While one could get wonderful pieces such as "Glassworks" and "Akhenaten", there were also these marketing-department dogs such as "Songs From Liquid Days" and "Danceworks" that were more irritating than illuminating. And while this starts off with a toss-off bit of fluff ("A Gentleman's Honor"), it soon develops into the wonderful and dramatic workout that follows. 'Act III', the final longer work here, is amazing, in fact, as it possesses a sense of drama that one doesn't always encounter in Glass's music of this period (the 'Funeral' from "Akhenaten" is another example). This work is also helped by the presence here of Glass's ensemble, which he seems to have felt more comfortable with as a compositional force than the larger forces offered by orchestras, etc, during this time. It is, though, an expanded version of the Glass Ensemble, with added brass and winds, and when this all kicks in in the final part of the work, it's one of those 'hang onto your hat' moments! One to get, even with the flaw of the "A Gentleman's Honor" toss-offs.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Still life and whirling music, May 13, 2003
At first I found "The Photographer" was somewhat weak as compared to other PhGlass scores; but then-several years later-I discovered I liked it enormously!
At times it's pleasant, well-timbred (repetitive) music, and at others it plays durably on the same kind of obsessional harsh notes as "Einstein"!
The piece was designed to accompany a 'mime show' about one (not so) famous photographer. Tracks 1 and 3 are somewhat weaker ('songs'); but #2 and 4 will make you go out of your mind-whether you like them or not!
The recording is spotless as usual with the usual Philip Glass team. The 4-page booklet gives an overview of the initial staged performance. There seems to have been music for the whole length of the 3 acts: why do we have here but a (so short) selection? I can't wait to have 2 hours of "Photographer"!!
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by Philip Glass 
