Philip Glass : Music From "The Hours" Solo Piano [IMPORT] [SOUNDTRACK]

Philip Glass; Michael Riesman (Artist), Philip Glass (Composer), Solo Piano (Orchestra), Michael Riesman (Performer)

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
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #73,683 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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

11 of 11 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

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.

8 of 8 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 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.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bravo, Mr. Riesman!, March 13, 2005

By	Brandon J. Seger (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

"The Hours," aside from being a superb film, has the added bonus of being home to an amazing score by Philip Glass. The soundtrack to the movie was astounding with it's lovely, entrancing pieces. Now Michael Riesmen, who also did the piano sections for the original soundtrack, has released his own version of "The Hours" soundtrack, completely adapted to piano. All the other instruments, strings and the like, have been replaced by Riesman's piano--and the pieces remain just as amazing as they were on the original soundtrack. No drops in quality have occurred to any of the songs in regard to being adapted exclusively for piano. Riesman does a perfect job directly translating the original soundtrack all in piano. In fact, with the pieces now emanating from one instrument alone--and one so powerful as the piano--the pieces are now singularly profound in their composition. The piano alone, through Riesman's playing, does well to pull out the melody and texture of the pieces.

For anyone who is a fan of the original soundtrack, Riesman's piano rendition is essential.