|
Philip Glass : Symphony No. 8 | 
 enlarge
| Creators: Philip Glass, Dennis Russell Davies, Bruckner Orchester Linz
Label: Orange Mountain Music
Category: Music
Buy New: $17.99
New (29) Used (7) from $12.63
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 48589
Format: Import
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 28
UPC: 801837002829
EAN: 0801837002829
ASIN: B000F1HQTW
Release Date: March 15, 2006
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Tracks:
| • | Movement I | | • | Movement II | | • | Movement III |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Hearing the Third Movement February 14, 2007
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
It took many hearings before I could engage emotionally with Glass's Symphony No. 8. That happened in Movement III -- a slow, quiet little thing of only seven minutes. This movement does not call attention to itself, and I had at first mistaken it as just a gentle conclusion to the symphony rather than its most profound statement. Now I see the first and second movements as a lead-in to Movement III. The statement by the oboe, a theme that is presented with slow, deliberate simplicity in the middle of this movement, could break one's heart. I had to be in a quiet frame of mind to hear this music and be open to its somber emotional colors.
Like Bernard Herrmann's best, music for driving rain. December 13, 2006
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
This delicious music presented me with an unusual joy- a disc that stayed in my car cd player for several days of repeated play. I'm no musicologist so I can't describe how this music works but can rather tell you that it brought me a great deal of delight. Like Bernard Herrmann's music for "Marnie" it can be listened to closely, felt deeply or left to play in the background. If you are expecting 19th century classical music, you might be disappointed. If you've already decided, as has one of Amazon's more brilliant reviewers, that "Philip Glass sucks", why bother? This sumptious and delicious music. At just under 40 minutes, the length is perfect for my attention span and a complete presentation of one beautiful idea. 5 Stars!
beautiful November 10, 2006
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I love Glass' music and this Symphony is Glass at his best: nothing else needs to be said.
 Philip Glass sucks October 28, 2006
8 out of 27 found this review helpful
Yet another dull, recycled symphony from Glass. Why doesn't he do what he does best .... the minimalist keyboard and small ensemble pieces that made him famous in the first place. Glass has gone astray and alienated his original fans. Glass symphonies suck. Other Glass fans may not want to admit this, but I am just being honest.
 ... Symphony No. 8 is a Charm for Philip Glass September 28, 2006
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Philip Glass' Symphony #8 is arguably the best symphony he has written to date and one of the most spirited instrumental works he has created in years. Under the always faithful baton of Dennis Russel Davies with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz performing. Glass' most recent symphony proves that this mostly film and opera composer can create something in the world of (in his own words) abstract concert music worth listening to.
Ever since Glass' premiere of the Low Symphony in the early 90's (based on themes from Brian Eno and David Bowie's collaborative album of the late seventies entitled Low). The composer who at that time created a prolific body of work in the genres of film, opera, dance, theater, chamber music, and at times a mixture of all of the above seemed to step in an exciting new direction that at that time was quite unexpectant for both ardent fans of the composer and even Philip Glass himself.
After the Low Symphony all of the other symphonies (mostly commisioned by longtime confidante Russel Davies) came as fast and furious as a car on the assembly line at the Ford Motor Company. Some were good, most were bad, and all unfortunately were as foursquare and predictable as the next. Worse than that every new symphonic work that came after the other would all very much sound identical to each other in some way. After about a decade of symphonies from Philip Glass one might have thought that it seemed to be just another paycheck for a composer who has carved his career from at times repeating what he does all to well in the first place.
Luckily here Glass comes full circle with Symphony No. 8 and goes "for the juggular" right from the very start in the first movement. The opening moment is loud, galiant, and expressively triumphant. Then with unexpected surprise, Glass adds and or subtracts several rythmic elements in the structure of the movement. His use of the orchestra is profoundly rich and flourishes with a vigor that is undoubtedly enthusiastic. Add of course his use of inventive polytonality via: hyperkenetic arching lines, harmonic sliding, counterpoint, and intriguing sudden changes in musical themes and motifs, altogether this brilliant mix of density and complexity keeps one on the edge of his or her seat for about 20 minutes.
And in some ways the excitement stops there (or does it?). The second movement could be called a "grand stately march" tinged in melancholy. It gives the impression of trying to drive during a foggy day. Themes here are mixed slowly against each other, structurally the second movement takes a cue from the first one yet its slower and is in essence a passacaglia. There is some genuine lyrical music here throughout the movement and for just a few bars the flute and harp share a beautiful dialogue with each other in the middle of this section.
The third movement is the most unlikely third movement probably in the history of symphonic composition. And although it is astoundingly beautiful and elegant, it is also even slower than the preceeding movement and sounds more like the ending of a movie soundtrack. Over all this movement fails to connect to what was happening before it and although it is 6 minutes of beautiful music it seems more like an afterthought than anything else.
As symphonies goes for Philip Glass. Symphony # 8 is quite simply the best of Glass' output in this genre yet. I do await the next few at this point to see what he does.
|
|
|
Copyright 2006 - CD Shopper | |
