Kristina Socanski: Philip Glass Solo Piano

American composer Philip Glass's solo piano works have become staples in the recording studio. The composer's minimalist approach has produced a body of work welcoming interpretation found on releases by Bojan Gorišek (Philip Glass: Solo Piano (Vinyl Passion Classical, 2018)), Sally Whitwell (Philip Glass: Complete Etudes for Solo Piano (ABC, 2018)), Víkingur Ólafsson (Philip Glass: Piano Works (Deutsche Grammophon, 2017)), Nicolas Horvath (Glassworlds (Grand Piano, 2016), and Jeremy Limb (The Piano Music of Philip Glass (Quartz, 2013)). Serbian-Norwegian pianist Kristina Socanski joins this group with her recital of wide- ranging selections from Glass's solo piano oeuvre. While Socanski's programming choices mirror those of previous pianists, her emotive approach brings gravity to her interpretations not present in the astringent, often clinical performances by her peers.

Socanski reaches deeply into Glass's minimalistic psyche to extract what exists inside and outside of those purposefully repeated melodies and motifs characterizing the solo piano work of the composer. The pianist identifies and presses her thumb on that brooding quality lurking just below the surface of Glass compositions. Socanski does this by accentuating the often hidden elements of the music, like the descending left-hand figures in the No. 11 Étude and "Wichita Vortex Sutra" and the dramatic tension created by carefully modulating the tempo and rhythm. This latter effect may be heard in both "Glassworks: Opening" and "Mad Rush" (both favorite recording subjects of pianists). What Socanski brings to Glass is a well-defined pathos, an emotive momentum expressed by inference and nuance. Full- blooded and robust, Socanski's performances are revealing and accessible, providing a new perspective on Glass and his piano composing.