Philip Glass takes a new look at some of his most enduring and beloved piano works in Philip Glass Solo, recorded at a time when the world was undergoing a major shift; for Glass, that shift manifested in going from a busy tour and premiere schedule to time spent at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. At 84, he dedicated this time to revisiting some of his most critically acclaimed piano music, taking to them with a new view. Released today, it is his most personal record to date, offering a snapshot of his life, and a portrait of daily practice over eight decades through several cherished works. Now, as Glass approaches his 87th birthday (January 31), it is available in both digital and limited-edition condensed vinyl formats (listen/order HERE; watch/share Glass performing at home HERE.
Recorded in his NY home studio, Glass says, “This is my piano, the instrument on which most of the music was written. It’s also the same room where I have worked for decades in the middle of the energy which New York City itself has brought to me. The listener may hear the quiet hum of New York in the background or feel the influence of time and memory that this space affords. To the degree possible, I made this record to invite the listener in.”
Philip Glass Solo features “Opening,” originally written for the 1982 album Glassworks, which remains one of Glass’ most transfixing pieces and established a sound that quickly became a calling card, “Metamorphosis” I, II, III, and V, the series of music Glass arranged for his first solo piano concerts in the 1980s; one of his most beloved pieces and longest performances on record (at 16:35), “Mad Rush,” which he composed as an organ piece in 1978 when the Dalai Lama made his first public address in New York; and a reworked version of “Truman Sleeps” from the soundtrack of the beloved 90s film The Truman Show, where Glass appeared on screen performing the piano in one of the pivotal scenes of the film. His changes speak to the heart of all artists’ evolution of both themselves, and their music, over time. For more info, visit Philip Glass.
album cover artwork: Luis Ãlvarez Roure
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution