Philip Glass: Solo Piano (1989)

Surely, Philip Glass is one of the best and prolific modern composers. One of the works I particularly like is the 1989 release "Solo Piano". Characteristic elements of this record are the repetitive structures which results in a very accessible piece of piano music. It consists of three individual works which were written in different contexts and times but still blend perfectly into each other. The first part Metamorphosis consists of 5 pieces that was written in 1988 taking their name from a play based on Kafka's short story. Mad Rush was written for the occasion of the Dalai Lama's first public speech in New York in 1981 and the last piece Wichita Vortex Sutra was a result of a collaboration with friend and poet Allen Ginsberg. It is difficult to pick a favorite one but "Metamorphosis Four" and "Mad Rush" stand out for me.

Glass also interprets his own works which is is not so common for classical music composers and some say he is not the best interpreter (of his own music) which I certainly disagree but I also found another interesting interpretation of "Solo Piano" by Branka Parlic (see the clips below). If you wish to dig deeper into Glass I also recommend the Glass Box and The Hours Soundtrack.

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Miriam Méndez: Bach Por Flamenco (2005)

I really love records that create a unique blend of very different styles: On Bach Por Flamenco Miriam Méndez an exceptional classical pianist creates an incredible mixture (guess what?) of baroque and flamenco. Miriam Méndez is an exceptional classical pianist from a family of great musical tradition. Having been a student of Lazar Berman, she studied at the Conservatory of Seville and Barcelona, and specialized in Bach's work in Belgium , Switzerland, Holland and Italy.

Bach Por Flamenco includes parts of the music of Bach adapted and transformed impressively to flamenco emphasizing its true essence. The record features the first movement from "Concerto in G minor" and several preludes of "The Well-Tempered Clavier”. The great piano work and the flamenco arrangements are accompanied by guitar (Eugenio Iglesias), percussion (Mariano Bizarraza), violin (Tania Vinokur), cello (Ángel Morilla) and dancing (Manuel Vargas, yes you can hear the heals) plus support from the Yerbabuena choir. All in all this is a very exiting record and it really makes you wanting to see the artist's show!

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Gonzales: Solo Piano (2004)

I knew some Gonzales earlier records / releases (and also later ones) but I didn't really like this particular kind electronica downtempo releases. On solo piano he tried something different: Being apparently an excellent pianist he delivered some beautiful compositions with a sort of minimalism style reminding me of Erik Satie. I think Gonzales summarizes the record best in the liner notes:

"16 Piano themes for left hand accompaniment and right hand melody: Although they say the piano can create the most colors of any instrument, it is actually black and white, much like an old silent movie. Staring down at my hands, I imagine each piano piece as a shadow against the wall" - Gonzales.

He also released a songbook containing the songs. The youtube clip below is the first part (the movie is split in seven parts) of Gonzales playing live at Angoulême, France in 2006. It is a real pleasure to see how differently he interprets his own songs. Higly recommended!

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Harold Budd / Ruben Garcia / Daniel Lentz: Music For 3 Pianos (1992)

This is definitely one of my favorite, timeless, ambient classics. 18 years after its release it still sounds like it was recorded just yesterday. Basically, this peace of music contains of 6 sketches of piano music distilled into 22 minutes of beautiful music. Though I would say that this is ambient music all sounds are produced merely by Pianos and so it is essentially comparable to its genre founder Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno. The trio Budd / Garcia / Lentz explores the space between music and silence and to such an extend how of the highest order, in which the echoes and silences mean as much as the notes themselves.

‘Pulse, Pause, Repeat’ opens the record with a mood of melancholic reflection, and by the time ‘Music for 3 Pianos’ comes to a close with the quiet but triumphant ‘La Casa Bruja’ you realise that for its short duration you have been drawn into another world. This is Budd’s (and his companions) true strength, to remove you from everyday life and make music which belongs someplace else. Amazing music.

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