Philip Glass: Solo Piano

Have you ever heard the recording of Wichita Vortex Sutra from the Ginsberg Carnegie hall thing with Patti Smith. I don't normally care so much about Glass but it makes me think of driving in the backseat of a friend's car through trees, in autumn.

the first one because it comes at the exact point when you go from not listening to this album to listening to it

Philip Glass', Michael Nyman's and Ludovico Einaudi's piano pieces bore me. Minimalism, whilst I'm sure is very interesting to compose and analyse, but not so much to listen to.

Convert me?

if you don't like it that's fair, but for me, it's partly the attempt at reigning in the scope of an idea until you're forced to work with and constantly re-work the elemental pieces without leaving this small frame, seeing how much you can squeeze out of it, and i think in this case you're left with an understated masterpiece. it just finds a sweet spot between hope and melancholy, softness and austerity, and it seems designed to soundtrack the bright early-winter mornings of the city (see also music for 18 musicians).

"understated masterpiece" is cliched as it gets, i know. but it zeroes in on its target and stays tethered to it on a tight rope, and since the target is one the works (for some), it's almost like comfort music: every moment is like a small, fractal-like version of the whole, and you don't need to worry about it striving towards some dramatic and uncharateristic highs or lows. i guess, if you're in the mood for it, it *seems* a purer kind of expression.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Can anyone recommend me some other sad/pretty solo piano stuff?

like this mebbe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZhhw6vbXdw

sakamoto's BTTB is good, if not a little over sentimental at times. "energy flow" is a beautiful song, and the cd is worth it for the version of "tong poo" alone. can also recommend Cendre, if you don't mind fennesz electronics in the background. really woozy late night summer music

akira rabelais's Eisotrophobia is a stunning album, satie and bartok put through a ring modulator

"energy flow"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btyhpyJTyXg

thanks, will def check this stuff out

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XPKFuvtnL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

I absolutely LOVE this album.

i second that gonzales. you'll find lots of pretty & sad stuff in the classic department. chopin (eg nocturnes), schumann (eg kinderszenen), satie (eg gymnopedies). my all-time fave are still keith jarrett's sun bear concerts though. there are more dynamics in them than in the usual solo piano stuff. paul bley is another great solo pianist. you could start with open, to love. another pianist to check out: george winston (tuneful, impressionist, almost new age, esp. his season albums are worth it). if impressionist jazz trios are your bag (they are mine), you chould also try brad mehldau, bobo stenson and e.s.t. christopher riley's radiohead piano covers are sublime too.

cheers for the reccomendations brohs. I can't stop listening to energy flow!

anyone got more to add here...love this stuff.

sorry i meant more music in the style of solo piano

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2z9ujgHdw9E

Did not know that Rachel Grimes had a solo album!

this album is really nice: http://open.spotify.com/user/iamronan/playlist/15gejrbANjS4DK5plzZQ8T

this dude also
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGaT7Ub6Neo

This is my favorite Philip Glass piano piece:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le6cQKC1_aY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ860P4iTaM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti5nKarxwV0

sakamoto is kinda the god of this sorta stuff

on one of those evenings where I listen to 19 versions of Etude No. 6 after hearing this guy do it live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1lvxx9lzAg

Well now funnily enough look what's here today

https://philipglass.bandcamp.com/album/philip-glass-solo

Thank you for sharing

Interesting that most of that material is from the original Solo Piano CD (omitting one of the "Metamorphosis" movements). Don't know if I need new versions; I love that original album, though.

I first heard these pieces orchestrated for The Thin Blue Line soundtrack and even learned them by ear, so when the Solo Piano CD showed up it was immediately my favorite Glass.

Sorry for not solo piano but who plays electric guitar on Mishima, in partic. Kyoko's House & Osamu's Theme? One of the Kronos Qts?

The credits on my edition are pretty sparse, only mentioning string players which I guess is technically correct...

^ now I've given up at trying to google an answer I want to know too

Yeah, I was intrigued so I checked Discogs - nothing. I have the Criterion Blu-Ray of the movie, but there's no information in the booklet there, either.

re: solo piano, I love the original album even though I'm not convinced Glass is the best player of his own work.

re: solo piano, I love the original album even though I'm not convinced Glass is the best player of his own work.

I'm writing a review comparing the two sets and this is something that's really leaping out at me — the hesitancy and weird pauses on the 1989 record, like he has to stop and think about what comes next and I'm like, dude, you wrote the shit! Shouldn't you know how it goes?

I had the idea from something I read ages ago that the surf guitar track on Mishima was played by a band he'd produced. So maybe Polyrock?

He produced the surf band The Raybeats too around that time

oh wow - https://www.laphil.com/events/performances/2474/2024-03-19/philip-glass-the-complete-etudes-1-20

xps to my intriguing question: Interesting mention of the Raybeats as their drummer (Don Christensen, also drummer for Contortions) did receive a credit for assistant engineer on Mishima...

Makes me wonder if Glass and Christensen got fellow Raybeats and Contortions alum Jody Harris to play the guitar parts...?