Customer reviews
4.3 out of 5 stars
29 customer ratings
-
Philip Glass: Piano Works
- ›
-
Customer reviews
- Philip Glass: Piano Works
- ›
- Customer reviews
Top positive review
The best interpretation of Glass' Etudes and Opening.
November 4, 2017
My 10-day-old newborn is sleeping in my arms, Vikingur Olafsson's interpretation of Philip Glass' "Opening" is playing in my headphones, and for all of seven minutes and forty-four seconds the world is standing still but for the music and the colors of autumn at the window and the comforting warmth in my lap and my flowing tears.
19 people found this helpful
Top critical review
Very impressed with himself
June 21, 2018
Overly fussy "Hey mom look at me,all those piano lessons finally paid off" style of playing.
This is minimalist music, play it that way!
Olafsson is a total showboat nothing subtle about him.
And why do so many people use brassy sounding Steinway's?
I was lucky enough years ago to work on a couple of projects where Mr. Glass wrote and played the score so I have an idea how at least HE THINKS his music should sound. Save your money . If you must have find it used or buy my very low mileage copy.
This is minimalist music, play it that way!
Olafsson is a total showboat nothing subtle about him.
And why do so many people use brassy sounding Steinway's?
I was lucky enough years ago to work on a couple of projects where Mr. Glass wrote and played the score so I have an idea how at least HE THINKS his music should sound. Save your money . If you must have find it used or buy my very low mileage copy.
2 people found this helpful
Showing 1-10 of 29 reviews
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
November 4, 2017
My 10-day-old newborn is sleeping in my arms, Vikingur Olafsson's interpretation of Philip Glass' "Opening" is playing in my headphones, and for all of seven minutes and forty-four seconds the world is standing still but for the music and the colors of autumn at the window and the comforting warmth in my lap and my flowing tears.
December 18, 2017
I love it. The composition, performance, and recording are all exquisite. My only fear is that I will listen too much too quickly and reduce my marginal enjoyment. I particularly enjoy no. 1, 2, and 5, but they're all great.
I am not sure how I feel about the reworks. I also enjoy them, but the simplicity of the originals is sublime. At any rate, if the reworks were going in, they should all have gone right after the original, or all lumped together at the end (my only complaint).
I am not sure how I feel about the reworks. I also enjoy them, but the simplicity of the originals is sublime. At any rate, if the reworks were going in, they should all have gone right after the original, or all lumped together at the end (my only complaint).
December 11, 2019
i had to purchase several versions of the etudes before settling on this disk as my favorite. the performance by olivia belli is very poorly recorded; the version by jenny lin is much better but with tempos generally on the slow side and a dynamically limited and rather clinical interpretation. olafsson's selection is beautifully recorded, dynamically expressive and presented with a much richer range of timbres (more varied touch and pedaling). the performances supported by the siggi string quartet were quite good as well.
August 15, 2017
Outstanding performances of a good portion of the 20 etudes by Philip Glass along with a stunning rendition of the opening piece from Glassworks. I've been a fan of the music of Philip Glass for many years and this is one of my favorite recordings of his music.
February 5, 2017
Philip Glass compositions are often interpreted in a mechanistic way, but Olafsson produces some sensitive and dynamic interpretations. These performances are NOT boring at all; I found them mesmerizing. I too would like to see him perform these live in concert. An excellent set and highly recommended!
July 8, 2017
What a wonderful recording. The sound is flawless and the playing is mesmerizing. Truly an album you can put on and become lost in from start to finish!
August 6, 2017
Beautifully sequenced. Exquisitely performed. Splendidly recorded. Two orchestrated performances are great bonus. All in all intoxicating music.
June 13, 2018
Philip Glass' very tasteful minimalist style is graced by Olafsson's talent.
October 10, 2017
Absolutely love this record. Listen all the time. Haunting and beautiful.
September 9, 2017
This is a truly beautiful recording of some amazing music. I know a lot of people who claim to like Philip Glass, but treat his work as background music. They might not be able to do that with this--the performances practically demand close listening. The piano-only treatments offer perhaps the best way to witness just how much is going on in each composition. Olafsson's performances showcase the intricacy of these compositions extremely well. However, the reworked versions with string quartet are stunningly beautiful, and the electronic Etude No. 9 by CFCF is also wonderful. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Philip Glass--or who wants to.
![Johann Sebastian Bach Piano & Reworks [2 CD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qAXfIPRWL._AC_US90_SCLZZZZZZZ__.jpg)
