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Víkingur Ólafsson: Philip Glass – Piano Works
ByMinimalism ceased being a "loft music" long ago. Glass' piano music has been the subject of several notable surveys, including: Jeroen Van Veen's clinically rendered Philip Glass-Solo-Piano Music (Brilliant Classics, 2013); Nicolas Horvath's expansive Glassworlds (Grand Piano, Five Volumes) and the composer's own recordings (Solo Piano (Sony Classical, 1989). Enough of Glass' piano music has been recorded that performances can ably be contrasted and compared.
Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson recently participated in a performance of Glass' complete set of 20 Études presented by four other pianists, including the composer himself. According to Pwyll ap Siôn in Gramophone, "Ólafsson's performances stood out for their rare combination of sheer technical brilliance, expressive control and interpretative depth," a surveillance I can only echo if Ólafsson's Philip GlassPiano Works is any indication. Ólafsson's performances of selected etudes and the opening of "Glassworks" are crystalline and pristine. The pianist readily draws from Glass' spare scores faint whispers of piano history. "Étude No. 9" sports light notes of Scarlatti and Satie while "Étude No. 14" could have been performed by George Gershwin by this hearing. The latter tuneful, with urgent momentum is a revealing hearing of how Glass can as opposed to how he often does sound.
Ólafsson mixes things up by including the Siggi String Quartet on versions of "Glassworks -Opening," and Études Nos. 2 and 5 as reimagined by Christian Badzura. Badzura's arrangements and inclusion of the strings deepens the loam of emotion of the pieces without violating their minimalist bona fides. The effect is quite stunning. Étude Nos. 9 gets a look from Canadian electronica artist CFCF (Michael Silver) that opens additional doors to the consideration of Glass' music.
Track Listing
Opening from ‘Glassworks'; Etude No. 9; Etude No. 2; Piano Etude No. 6; Piano Etude No. 5; Etude No. 14; Etude No. 2 reworked by Christian Badzura; Etude No. 13; Etude No. 15; Etude No. 3; Piano Etude No. 18; Piano Etude No. 20; Opening from ‘Glassworks’ reworked by Christian Badzura; Etude No. 9 reworked by CFCF.
Personnel
Víkingur Ólafsson
pianoVíkingur Ólafsson: piano
Album information
Title: Philip Glass – Piano Works | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: Deutsche Grammophon
Comments
About Víkingur Ólafsson
Instrument: Piano
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