In 1994, Philip Glass resolved to become a better pianist, setting to work on a series of short compositions that would help him hone his skills at the keyboard. Two decades in the making, his 20 exquisite etudes have recently been completed, standing as a record of one man s deeply personal relationship to his instrument and an embodiment of his evolving style. Orange Mountain Music is proud to announce the availability of The Complete Piano Etudes, a two-disc set covering both volumes of Glass piano etudes, 20 pieces in all. In addition to the first book - Etudes Nos.1-10 - recorded anew with virtuoso Maki Namekawa, this set contains the world premiere recording of the second book of etudes - Nos.11-20 - including the incredibly Romantic 20th Etudes. 125 minutes of music in total.
When I saw this album I was ecstatic to find that Philip Glass had doubled his oeuvre of etudes for piano. I love the music and was quite taken by his own recording of the first set a decade or so ago. Glass is not a virtuoso pianist and it sometimes showed in his own performances, but he played so with such passion that it was almost like listening to Alfred Cortot or Arthur Schnabel, with their poetic insights shining through despite technical flubs. Etudes 5 and..
