Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Unbelievable, 03 May 2006
Fascinating, it would be unthinkable to live without it! If you like this, try the sublime Ontayso/Tim Koch release 'Where have you been'?. Both great!

Very good but it is abridged. There is a new version out., 03 Dec 2002
There is a new version of this which is unabridged.

The original recording of Koyaanisqatsi was issued at what was a distinctly uneasy time - for the record companies at least. The LP era was coming to an end and the compact disc was only beginning to enter its primacy. Because the LP, which was then the more popular medium by far, could rarely hold more than 25 minutes per side, it was decreed that the score for the Glass/Reggio film should be radically abridged for its initial release.

Fifteen years later, it is a pleasure to have virtually all of the music from Koyaanisqatsi on disc, including about a halt hour of material that has hitherto been available only with the film.

nice bit of glass., 17 Feb 2001
i first caught the vid the other night [5star] but seem to have mislaid it. this audio almost makes up for it, reminding me of the overall feel. but it does seem to lack some of the vids initial thrust?

the best bit of glass [over reich] i've appreciated; before, i thought of glass as an irrelvance to better composers.

shimmering, in whatsoever format.

Gut wrenching inspiration., 04 Nov 1999
Once you follow any one of the musical threads in any of the tracks of this album, then let your mind lose focus and notice the twists, turns and new musical "plays". It is effortless genius and I love the incredible power that surges from the musicians/chorus during the many build-up finales.

As with all favourite albums there are associated memories too. When I saw the film/heard the soundtrack I just gave up on my 2nd year degree exam revision. I had to take a huge step back and take a long hard look at life/universe etc. 1984 was a very important crossroad for me which this album with its complexity and power fully embodies.

Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Unbelievable, 03 May 2006
Fascinating, it would be unthinkable to live without it! If you like this, try the sublime Ontayso/Tim Koch release 'Where have you been'?. Both great!

Very good but it is abridged. There is a new version out., 03 Dec 2002
There is a new version of this which is unabridged.

The original recording of Koyaanisqatsi was issued at what was a distinctly uneasy time - for the record companies at least. The LP era was coming to an end and the compact disc was only beginning to enter its primacy. Because the LP, which was then the more popular medium by far, could rarely hold more than 25 minutes per side, it was decreed that the score for the Glass/Reggio film should be radically abridged for its initial release.

Fifteen years later, it is a pleasure to have virtually all of the music from Koyaanisqatsi on disc, including about a halt hour of material that has hitherto been available only with the film.

nice bit of glass., 17 Feb 2001
i first caught the vid the other night [5star] but seem to have mislaid it. this audio almost makes up for it, reminding me of the overall feel. but it does seem to lack some of the vids initial thrust?

the best bit of glass [over reich] i've appreciated; before, i thought of glass as an irrelvance to better composers.

shimmering, in whatsoever format.

Gut wrenching inspiration., 04 Nov 1999
Once you follow any one of the musical threads in any of the tracks of this album, then let your mind lose focus and notice the twists, turns and new musical "plays". It is effortless genius and I love the incredible power that surges from the musicians/chorus during the many build-up finales.

As with all favourite albums there are associated memories too. When I saw the film/heard the soundtrack I just gave up on my 2nd year degree exam revision. I had to take a huge step back and take a long hard look at life/universe etc. 1984 was a very important crossroad for me which this album with its complexity and power fully embodies.

A lovely thing., 17 Oct 2007
When Mr Sax invented what Homer Simpson memorably refers to as "The Saxamaphone" he had in mind a number of uses for it. Something like a clarinet but louder, to make the grade in a marching military band. And in a symphonic setting, something that would allow the wind section to compliment the strings more fully. Well he got his wish with the military bands, but once adopted by jazzers and honking rock and rollers the saxaphone seems to have been diverted from the classical home Adolph intended for it. That is until Philip Glass wrote this sumptious setting for the instrument.You will have heard a few of these pieces in the better class of TV advert. They are all pattering pianos, swelling strings and those saxaphones are there, doing what they were born for. You might not recognise them as saxes. They aren't being played the way we usually hear them.Every track bar Rubric is a meditative gem. The mood is of the more austere Miles Davis. Rubric is one of those urgent insistent repetitive pieces which Glass and his friend Steve Reich are perhaps better known for. Not perhaps to everyone's taste but in my opinion a fine foil to the more restful sections on the rest of the disk. Its modern classical music, but don't be afraid. Come on in. The saxaphones are lovely. Glass is at his most accessible and enjoyable here.

Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Unbelievable, 03 May 2006
Fascinating, it would be unthinkable to live without it! If you like this, try the sublime Ontayso/Tim Koch release 'Where have you been'?. Both great!

Very good but it is abridged. There is a new version out., 03 Dec 2002
There is a new version of this which is unabridged.

The original recording of Koyaanisqatsi was issued at what was a distinctly uneasy time - for the record companies at least. The LP era was coming to an end and the compact disc was only beginning to enter its primacy. Because the LP, which was then the more popular medium by far, could rarely hold more than 25 minutes per side, it was decreed that the score for the Glass/Reggio film should be radically abridged for its initial release.

Fifteen years later, it is a pleasure to have virtually all of the music from Koyaanisqatsi on disc, including about a halt hour of material that has hitherto been available only with the film.

nice bit of glass., 17 Feb 2001
i first caught the vid the other night [5star] but seem to have mislaid it. this audio almost makes up for it, reminding me of the overall feel. but it does seem to lack some of the vids initial thrust?

the best bit of glass [over reich] i've appreciated; before, i thought of glass as an irrelvance to better composers.

shimmering, in whatsoever format.

Gut wrenching inspiration., 04 Nov 1999
Once you follow any one of the musical threads in any of the tracks of this album, then let your mind lose focus and notice the twists, turns and new musical "plays". It is effortless genius and I love the incredible power that surges from the musicians/chorus during the many build-up finales.

As with all favourite albums there are associated memories too. When I saw the film/heard the soundtrack I just gave up on my 2nd year degree exam revision. I had to take a huge step back and take a long hard look at life/universe etc. 1984 was a very important crossroad for me which this album with its complexity and power fully embodies.

A lovely thing., 17 Oct 2007
When Mr Sax invented what Homer Simpson memorably refers to as "The Saxamaphone" he had in mind a number of uses for it. Something like a clarinet but louder, to make the grade in a marching military band. And in a symphonic setting, something that would allow the wind section to compliment the strings more fully. Well he got his wish with the military bands, but once adopted by jazzers and honking rock and rollers the saxaphone seems to have been diverted from the classical home Adolph intended for it. That is until Philip Glass wrote this sumptious setting for the instrument.You will have heard a few of these pieces in the better class of TV advert. They are all pattering pianos, swelling strings and those saxaphones are there, doing what they were born for. You might not recognise them as saxes. They aren't being played the way we usually hear them.Every track bar Rubric is a meditative gem. The mood is of the more austere Miles Davis. Rubric is one of those urgent insistent repetitive pieces which Glass and his friend Steve Reich are perhaps better known for. Not perhaps to everyone's taste but in my opinion a fine foil to the more restful sections on the rest of the disk. Its modern classical music, but don't be afraid. Come on in. The saxaphones are lovely. Glass is at his most accessible and enjoyable here.

Essential PG., 04 Nov 2008
There is only really one rival in this repertoire and that's the Kronos set that covers the same ground, though their set doesn't include the first quartet.
The performances here are wonderfully paced and range from delightfully restrained to whirlwind energy.
The recording is excellent and the notes informative and helpful.
The playing time may seem a bit on the short side (98 minutes) but it's priced as a single, mid price CD so it's good value regardless.
But the crucial question is, how does it compare with the Kronos Quartet's disc?
Well, it's cheaper for a start. The recording quality is slightly clearer with better focus. As for the performances, I would, by a very narrow margin, place this above the KQ set. But it's very close.

How better to score a movie that takes place in three tangentially related time periods than with music that strives for timelessness? The hallmarks of Philip Glass's minimalism serve The Hours well. The film, based on Michael Cunningham's novel, tells the stories of three women--Virginia Woolf in the early 1920s, a housewife just after World War II, and a book editor in the present--whose days relate in different ways to Woolf's novel Mrs Dalloway. Yet rather than construct a sonic montage of these three time periods (perhaps some Ravel for Woolf, some Max Steiner for the housewife, some Enya for the editor), Hours producer Scott Rudin turned to Glass, a contemporary-classical composer who has had a substantial side career in film, most notably with Koyaanisqatsi. The familiar Glass sounds--the endlessly layered violins, the static melodies, the glacial rhythms--all lend a consistent aural foundation to a story that moves fluidly back and forth in time. The music is scored for orchestra, string quartet and piano. Those plentiful strings lend a thick cushion, a triumph of tonal suspension, for the piano part, which Michael Riesman plays coolly, emphasising what are often single notes separated by thoughtful silences, as well as short sets of scales cascading in slow motion. Not only will these compositional themes be familiar to fans of Glass's work, so too will several of the melodies. Some sections of the score are derived from his albums Glassworks and Solo Piano and from his opera Satyagraha which, incidentally, involved the stories of three legendary men active in different eras. --Marc Weidenbaum

Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Unbelievable, 03 May 2006
Fascinating, it would be unthinkable to live without it! If you like this, try the sublime Ontayso/Tim Koch release 'Where have you been'?. Both great!

Very good but it is abridged. There is a new version out., 03 Dec 2002
There is a new version of this which is unabridged.

The original recording of Koyaanisqatsi was issued at what was a distinctly uneasy time - for the record companies at least. The LP era was coming to an end and the compact disc was only beginning to enter its primacy. Because the LP, which was then the more popular medium by far, could rarely hold more than 25 minutes per side, it was decreed that the score for the Glass/Reggio film should be radically abridged for its initial release.

Fifteen years later, it is a pleasure to have virtually all of the music from Koyaanisqatsi on disc, including about a halt hour of material that has hitherto been available only with the film.

nice bit of glass., 17 Feb 2001
i first caught the vid the other night [5star] but seem to have mislaid it. this audio almost makes up for it, reminding me of the overall feel. but it does seem to lack some of the vids initial thrust?

the best bit of glass [over reich] i've appreciated; before, i thought of glass as an irrelvance to better composers.

shimmering, in whatsoever format.

Gut wrenching inspiration., 04 Nov 1999
Once you follow any one of the musical threads in any of the tracks of this album, then let your mind lose focus and notice the twists, turns and new musical "plays". It is effortless genius and I love the incredible power that surges from the musicians/chorus during the many build-up finales.

As with all favourite albums there are associated memories too. When I saw the film/heard the soundtrack I just gave up on my 2nd year degree exam revision. I had to take a huge step back and take a long hard look at life/universe etc. 1984 was a very important crossroad for me which this album with its complexity and power fully embodies.

A lovely thing., 17 Oct 2007
When Mr Sax invented what Homer Simpson memorably refers to as "The Saxamaphone" he had in mind a number of uses for it. Something like a clarinet but louder, to make the grade in a marching military band. And in a symphonic setting, something that would allow the wind section to compliment the strings more fully. Well he got his wish with the military bands, but once adopted by jazzers and honking rock and rollers the saxaphone seems to have been diverted from the classical home Adolph intended for it. That is until Philip Glass wrote this sumptious setting for the instrument.You will have heard a few of these pieces in the better class of TV advert. They are all pattering pianos, swelling strings and those saxaphones are there, doing what they were born for. You might not recognise them as saxes. They aren't being played the way we usually hear them.Every track bar Rubric is a meditative gem. The mood is of the more austere Miles Davis. Rubric is one of those urgent insistent repetitive pieces which Glass and his friend Steve Reich are perhaps better known for. Not perhaps to everyone's taste but in my opinion a fine foil to the more restful sections on the rest of the disk. Its modern classical music, but don't be afraid. Come on in. The saxaphones are lovely. Glass is at his most accessible and enjoyable here.

Essential PG., 04 Nov 2008
There is only really one rival in this repertoire and that's the Kronos set that covers the same ground, though their set doesn't include the first quartet.
The performances here are wonderfully paced and range from delightfully restrained to whirlwind energy.
The recording is excellent and the notes informative and helpful.
The playing time may seem a bit on the short side (98 minutes) but it's priced as a single, mid price CD so it's good value regardless.
But the crucial question is, how does it compare with the Kronos Quartet's disc?
Well, it's cheaper for a start. The recording quality is slightly clearer with better focus. As for the performances, I would, by a very narrow margin, place this above the KQ set. But it's very close.

Golden Glass, 27 Aug 2006
Philip Glass has written some wonderful film scores (Koyaanisqatsi, Mishima, Kundun) but I was absolutely blown away by his score for 'The Hours'. Every single cue is a gem culminating in the final one (track 14) where the music arcs from a slow beginning to a glorious climax where piano chords play against a wash of strings. The music is at once uplifting and melancholic. A masterpiece.

A score that holds a meaning, 19 Jul 2006
It must be said without a doubt that Glass made the film 'The Hours' with the music score. Without it, this would not have produced what the film is. It has true meaning to it. Everytime i listen to it i feel a sense of sadness and loss, but at the same time, an overwhelmly sense of relief to know what life really is about. What decisions we take is up to us. This music score protrays all of that.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, YOU WILL ADMIRE WHAT GLASS HAS DONE

I think this is going to become a reference work, 14 Jun 2005
This review comes late, but having recently heard the Riesman piano CD of the same soundtrack, and reviewing it, I feel that I should offer my take on the original. The 'new' piano version has made me realise how much I find this recording to be one of Mr Glass's most emotionally charged pieces, and a fitting accompaniment to a magnificent film.

A combination of rich string arrangements and Michael Riesman's piano provide a pulsating, melodic and poignant soundtrack that made all the difference to the movie. Everything seems very restrained, yet everything is powerful in the music - there is a sense of drive and purpose that arises from gentle beginnings. Five stars.

A re-review!, 08 Dec 2004
I hope this is allowed but I must in all honesty re-review this CD. Do you know about worms? Well this music finally wormed its way into my consciousness and I now find it absolutely wonderful. Coupled with the recently viewed film I give both unreserved praise. It's true that certain music takes time to work its magic whilst other music gives instant impact then become unsatisfactory over time. So there it is an admission of guilt, The Hours is simply excellent - a worm indeed.

Uplifting and Hopeful, 26 Jan 2004
I have several Philip Glass CDs but this is my favourite. It's beautiful, haunting music in its own right but when one has seen the film it becomes remarkable. Glass's music perfectly captures the themes of the film: of coming to terms with mortality in both of its aspects, living and dying. Glass also manages to write music that is both timeless and yet captures the three time periods in which the book and film are set. Like several of Glass's works, music for The Hours seems to ripple over one. One feels in it rather than listening from the outside. This is a great work from one of our greatest comtemporary composers.

Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Unbelievable, 03 May 2006
Fascinating, it would be unthinkable to live without it! If you like this, try the sublime Ontayso/Tim Koch release 'Where have you been'?. Both great!

Very good but it is abridged. There is a new version out., 03 Dec 2002
There is a new version of this which is unabridged.

The original recording of Koyaanisqatsi was issued at what was a distinctly uneasy time - for the record companies at least. The LP era was coming to an end and the compact disc was only beginning to enter its primacy. Because the LP, which was then the more popular medium by far, could rarely hold more than 25 minutes per side, it was decreed that the score for the Glass/Reggio film should be radically abridged for its initial release.

Fifteen years later, it is a pleasure to have virtually all of the music from Koyaanisqatsi on disc, including about a halt hour of material that has hitherto been available only with the film.

nice bit of glass., 17 Feb 2001
i first caught the vid the other night [5star] but seem to have mislaid it. this audio almost makes up for it, reminding me of the overall feel. but it does seem to lack some of the vids initial thrust?

the best bit of glass [over reich] i've appreciated; before, i thought of glass as an irrelvance to better composers.

shimmering, in whatsoever format.

Gut wrenching inspiration., 04 Nov 1999
Once you follow any one of the musical threads in any of the tracks of this album, then let your mind lose focus and notice the twists, turns and new musical "plays". It is effortless genius and I love the incredible power that surges from the musicians/chorus during the many build-up finales.

As with all favourite albums there are associated memories too. When I saw the film/heard the soundtrack I just gave up on my 2nd year degree exam revision. I had to take a huge step back and take a long hard look at life/universe etc. 1984 was a very important crossroad for me which this album with its complexity and power fully embodies.

A lovely thing., 17 Oct 2007
When Mr Sax invented what Homer Simpson memorably refers to as "The Saxamaphone" he had in mind a number of uses for it. Something like a clarinet but louder, to make the grade in a marching military band. And in a symphonic setting, something that would allow the wind section to compliment the strings more fully. Well he got his wish with the military bands, but once adopted by jazzers and honking rock and rollers the saxaphone seems to have been diverted from the classical home Adolph intended for it. That is until Philip Glass wrote this sumptious setting for the instrument.You will have heard a few of these pieces in the better class of TV advert. They are all pattering pianos, swelling strings and those saxaphones are there, doing what they were born for. You might not recognise them as saxes. They aren't being played the way we usually hear them.Every track bar Rubric is a meditative gem. The mood is of the more austere Miles Davis. Rubric is one of those urgent insistent repetitive pieces which Glass and his friend Steve Reich are perhaps better known for. Not perhaps to everyone's taste but in my opinion a fine foil to the more restful sections on the rest of the disk. Its modern classical music, but don't be afraid. Come on in. The saxaphones are lovely. Glass is at his most accessible and enjoyable here.

Essential PG., 04 Nov 2008
There is only really one rival in this repertoire and that's the Kronos set that covers the same ground, though their set doesn't include the first quartet.
The performances here are wonderfully paced and range from delightfully restrained to whirlwind energy.
The recording is excellent and the notes informative and helpful.
The playing time may seem a bit on the short side (98 minutes) but it's priced as a single, mid price CD so it's good value regardless.
But the crucial question is, how does it compare with the Kronos Quartet's disc?
Well, it's cheaper for a start. The recording quality is slightly clearer with better focus. As for the performances, I would, by a very narrow margin, place this above the KQ set. But it's very close.

Golden Glass, 27 Aug 2006
Philip Glass has written some wonderful film scores (Koyaanisqatsi, Mishima, Kundun) but I was absolutely blown away by his score for 'The Hours'. Every single cue is a gem culminating in the final one (track 14) where the music arcs from a slow beginning to a glorious climax where piano chords play against a wash of strings. The music is at once uplifting and melancholic. A masterpiece.

A score that holds a meaning, 19 Jul 2006
It must be said without a doubt that Glass made the film 'The Hours' with the music score. Without it, this would not have produced what the film is. It has true meaning to it. Everytime i listen to it i feel a sense of sadness and loss, but at the same time, an overwhelmly sense of relief to know what life really is about. What decisions we take is up to us. This music score protrays all of that.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, YOU WILL ADMIRE WHAT GLASS HAS DONE

I think this is going to become a reference work, 14 Jun 2005
This review comes late, but having recently heard the Riesman piano CD of the same soundtrack, and reviewing it, I feel that I should offer my take on the original. The 'new' piano version has made me realise how much I find this recording to be one of Mr Glass's most emotionally charged pieces, and a fitting accompaniment to a magnificent film.

A combination of rich string arrangements and Michael Riesman's piano provide a pulsating, melodic and poignant soundtrack that made all the difference to the movie. Everything seems very restrained, yet everything is powerful in the music - there is a sense of drive and purpose that arises from gentle beginnings. Five stars.

A re-review!, 08 Dec 2004
I hope this is allowed but I must in all honesty re-review this CD. Do you know about worms? Well this music finally wormed its way into my consciousness and I now find it absolutely wonderful. Coupled with the recently viewed film I give both unreserved praise. It's true that certain music takes time to work its magic whilst other music gives instant impact then become unsatisfactory over time. So there it is an admission of guilt, The Hours is simply excellent - a worm indeed.

Uplifting and Hopeful, 26 Jan 2004
I have several Philip Glass CDs but this is my favourite. It's beautiful, haunting music in its own right but when one has seen the film it becomes remarkable. Glass's music perfectly captures the themes of the film: of coming to terms with mortality in both of its aspects, living and dying. Glass also manages to write music that is both timeless and yet captures the three time periods in which the book and film are set. Like several of Glass's works, music for The Hours seems to ripple over one. One feels in it rather than listening from the outside. This is a great work from one of our greatest comtemporary composers.

Expect the unexpected!, 23 May 2008
Unlike most of the other reviewers, I was not familiar with the music of Shankar or Glass before deciding to buy this album on the strength of the most cursory hearing of some of the tracks. Every now and again I just like to treat my ears to something different. And believe me, this is something very, very different. It is simply exciting music, beautifully played, which will grasp at your very soul.

Go on. Treat your ears. They deserve it!

Beautifully orchestrated - see Indian music in a new light, 04 May 2007
Philip Glass is known for his monolithic minimalism, which I for one feel has been rather stale for some time. He apparently already studied with Shankar at the end of the sixties, when Shankar was at the height of international fame, what with the Beatles and everything.

It was a great idea to reunite the two as Shankar's influence adds a new lease of life to Glass's repetitions. The sleeve notes explain that for each piece one of the two composers came up with the themes which the other develops and arranges. The listener can have a lot of fun working out were certain fragments have come from. It's actually much harder than you'd think.

"Raga's in a Minor Scale" floats sitar and flute over gentle tablas. It doesn't seem to repeat itself very much, and the main melodic line is a typical Indian theme - it sounds as if it was based on a vocalised song. Strings bolster the whole thing, and from time to time the whole orchestra hangs on quickly descending arpeggios which you know come from Glass but still sound unique and unusual.

"Prashanti" sets a repeating zither theme against beautiful flutes and as above, rich modal themes from the strings are allowed to interject.

"Offering" begins with a typical Glass motif played on low strings and then the mournful main theme is played on . . . saxophone! The theme slowly progresses before trademark sawing Glass orchestrations work against the Shankar string melody. This is the track that will remind most listeners of Glass - fluttering flute arps, hovering strings, grating cellos, gentle piano melodies, it's all there.

"Sadhanipa" is my favourite, rich and peaceful and the hardest to unravel - to work out which composer has written which bit - and is all the more marvellous for it. The main themes are interspersed with jaunty dances that sound almost like hoedowns - could that be Ravi commenting on Phil's nationality?

I love this album and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys instrumental music. You don't have to be a fan of either composer to enjoy this and it works as well as a piece of pop music as much as a piece of world music or even classical music.



East meets West, 18 Jun 2004
I had some ideas of what this would sound like before I heard it, but when I heard it I realised I was completely wrong! I thought that it would be typical Philip Glass with some sitar and Indian scales and sounds. It is nothing of the sort.

Each track is not so much a collaboration as a joining of distinct parts. You can hear which parts are Glass and which parts are Shankar, but the glue that holds them together is the compositional genius of the two men. It does not just encompass India either, as there are Middle-Eastern motifs and scales used here, and some very Western orchestral parts.

It is very light on the sitar, and Ravi Shankar probably has more input vocally than with his sitar playing. This is orchestral music without using a conventional orchestra from the West. It is Indian music without being limited to the traditional Indian instruments and arrangements. It is World Music at its best!

The best Philip Glass album you've never heard in your life!, 12 Feb 2003
It took several years after first hearing a tape of this music before I managed to acquire a copy for myself (someone brought me the cassette back from India!!)It is simply excellent music, both easy and challenging at the same time. All the Glass compositions I have heard since (this was my introduction to his music) seem somewhat lame in comparison. Maybe this is due to Mr. Shankar's influence...who knows, I am not a fan of either gentlemen apart from this work. If you're, like me, a westener with a penchant for those sensuous arabic scales this is definately for you.

Journey to the East...and back!, 08 Feb 2003
This album at first glance brings together two of the most unlikely composers one could think of in a collaboration that crosses huge cultural differences but works exceptionally well.

Ravi Shankar, whose music has been known in the West for many years , is known for his work with Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison among others. His musical reputation goes far beyond his exemplary sitar playing in the traditional ragas and covers much classical Indian music also.

Philip Glass, mostly known for his repetitive structures as a member of the minimalist school and for his powerful soundtracks, has gained a wider audience with classical and popular music afficionados outside of the USA.

This album works in many different ways. Despite their differing backgrounds each musician has produced memorable soundscapes which reach deeply into the history of each of the collaborators and their musical heritage and which emerge to enchant and delight the listener. It is often difficult to distinguish the individual contributions from each other in particular pieces which underscores their deep understanding and appreciation of each others work. The pieces are extremely moving and cover a whole gamut of emotions. Each composition has it's own particular feature which causes me to come back to this album again and again.

In some ways this album is greater than either of it's component parts and will be a lasting testament to the work of these two great composers.

Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Unbelievable, 03 May 2006
Fascinating, it would be unthinkable to live without it! If you like this, try the sublime Ontayso/Tim Koch release 'Where have you been'?. Both great!

Very good but it is abridged. There is a new version out., 03 Dec 2002
There is a new version of this which is unabridged.

The original recording of Koyaanisqatsi was issued at what was a distinctly uneasy time - for the record companies at least. The LP era was coming to an end and the compact disc was only beginning to enter its primacy. Because the LP, which was then the more popular medium by far, could rarely hold more than 25 minutes per side, it was decreed that the score for the Glass/Reggio film should be radically abridged for its initial release.

Fifteen years later, it is a pleasure to have virtually all of the music from Koyaanisqatsi on disc, including about a halt hour of material that has hitherto been available only with the film.

nice bit of glass., 17 Feb 2001
i first caught the vid the other night [5star] but seem to have mislaid it. this audio almost makes up for it, reminding me of the overall feel. but it does seem to lack some of the vids initial thrust?

the best bit of glass [over reich] i've appreciated; before, i thought of glass as an irrelvance to better composers.

shimmering, in whatsoever format.

Gut wrenching inspiration., 04 Nov 1999
Once you follow any one of the musical threads in any of the tracks of this album, then let your mind lose focus and notice the twists, turns and new musical "plays". It is effortless genius and I love the incredible power that surges from the musicians/chorus during the many build-up finales.

As with all favourite albums there are associated memories too. When I saw the film/heard the soundtrack I just gave up on my 2nd year degree exam revision. I had to take a huge step back and take a long hard look at life/universe etc. 1984 was a very important crossroad for me which this album with its complexity and power fully embodies.

A lovely thing., 17 Oct 2007
When Mr Sax invented what Homer Simpson memorably refers to as "The Saxamaphone" he had in mind a number of uses for it. Something like a clarinet but louder, to make the grade in a marching military band. And in a symphonic setting, something that would allow the wind section to compliment the strings more fully. Well he got his wish with the military bands, but once adopted by jazzers and honking rock and rollers the saxaphone seems to have been diverted from the classical home Adolph intended for it. That is until Philip Glass wrote this sumptious setting for the instrument.You will have heard a few of these pieces in the better class of TV advert. They are all pattering pianos, swelling strings and those saxaphones are there, doing what they were born for. You might not recognise them as saxes. They aren't being played the way we usually hear them.Every track bar Rubric is a meditative gem. The mood is of the more austere Miles Davis. Rubric is one of those urgent insistent repetitive pieces which Glass and his friend Steve Reich are perhaps better known for. Not perhaps to everyone's taste but in my opinion a fine foil to the more restful sections on the rest of the disk. Its modern classical music, but don't be afraid. Come on in. The saxaphones are lovely. Glass is at his most accessible and enjoyable here.

Essential PG., 04 Nov 2008
There is only really one rival in this repertoire and that's the Kronos set that covers the same ground, though their set doesn't include the first quartet.
The performances here are wonderfully paced and range from delightfully restrained to whirlwind energy.
The recording is excellent and the notes informative and helpful.
The playing time may seem a bit on the short side (98 minutes) but it's priced as a single, mid price CD so it's good value regardless.
But the crucial question is, how does it compare with the Kronos Quartet's disc?
Well, it's cheaper for a start. The recording quality is slightly clearer with better focus. As for the performances, I would, by a very narrow margin, place this above the KQ set. But it's very close.

Golden Glass, 27 Aug 2006
Philip Glass has written some wonderful film scores (Koyaanisqatsi, Mishima, Kundun) but I was absolutely blown away by his score for 'The Hours'. Every single cue is a gem culminating in the final one (track 14) where the music arcs from a slow beginning to a glorious climax where piano chords play against a wash of strings. The music is at once uplifting and melancholic. A masterpiece.

A score that holds a meaning, 19 Jul 2006
It must be said without a doubt that Glass made the film 'The Hours' with the music score. Without it, this would not have produced what the film is. It has true meaning to it. Everytime i listen to it i feel a sense of sadness and loss, but at the same time, an overwhelmly sense of relief to know what life really is about. What decisions we take is up to us. This music score protrays all of that.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, YOU WILL ADMIRE WHAT GLASS HAS DONE

I think this is going to become a reference work, 14 Jun 2005
This review comes late, but having recently heard the Riesman piano CD of the same soundtrack, and reviewing it, I feel that I should offer my take on the original. The 'new' piano version has made me realise how much I find this recording to be one of Mr Glass's most emotionally charged pieces, and a fitting accompaniment to a magnificent film.

A combination of rich string arrangements and Michael Riesman's piano provide a pulsating, melodic and poignant soundtrack that made all the difference to the movie. Everything seems very restrained, yet everything is powerful in the music - there is a sense of drive and purpose that arises from gentle beginnings. Five stars.

A re-review!, 08 Dec 2004
I hope this is allowed but I must in all honesty re-review this CD. Do you know about worms? Well this music finally wormed its way into my consciousness and I now find it absolutely wonderful. Coupled with the recently viewed film I give both unreserved praise. It's true that certain music takes time to work its magic whilst other music gives instant impact then become unsatisfactory over time. So there it is an admission of guilt, The Hours is simply excellent - a worm indeed.

Uplifting and Hopeful, 26 Jan 2004
I have several Philip Glass CDs but this is my favourite. It's beautiful, haunting music in its own right but when one has seen the film it becomes remarkable. Glass's music perfectly captures the themes of the film: of coming to terms with mortality in both of its aspects, living and dying. Glass also manages to write music that is both timeless and yet captures the three time periods in which the book and film are set. Like several of Glass's works, music for The Hours seems to ripple over one. One feels in it rather than listening from the outside. This is a great work from one of our greatest comtemporary composers.

Expect the unexpected!, 23 May 2008
Unlike most of the other reviewers, I was not familiar with the music of Shankar or Glass before deciding to buy this album on the strength of the most cursory hearing of some of the tracks. Every now and again I just like to treat my ears to something different. And believe me, this is something very, very different. It is simply exciting music, beautifully played, which will grasp at your very soul.

Go on. Treat your ears. They deserve it!

Beautifully orchestrated - see Indian music in a new light, 04 May 2007
Philip Glass is known for his monolithic minimalism, which I for one feel has been rather stale for some time. He apparently already studied with Shankar at the end of the sixties, when Shankar was at the height of international fame, what with the Beatles and everything.

It was a great idea to reunite the two as Shankar's influence adds a new lease of life to Glass's repetitions. The sleeve notes explain that for each piece one of the two composers came up with the themes which the other develops and arranges. The listener can have a lot of fun working out were certain fragments have come from. It's actually much harder than you'd think.

"Raga's in a Minor Scale" floats sitar and flute over gentle tablas. It doesn't seem to repeat itself very much, and the main melodic line is a typical Indian theme - it sounds as if it was based on a vocalised song. Strings bolster the whole thing, and from time to time the whole orchestra hangs on quickly descending arpeggios which you know come from Glass but still sound unique and unusual.

"Prashanti" sets a repeating zither theme against beautiful flutes and as above, rich modal themes from the strings are allowed to interject.

"Offering" begins with a typical Glass motif played on low strings and then the mournful main theme is played on . . . saxophone! The theme slowly progresses before trademark sawing Glass orchestrations work against the Shankar string melody. This is the track that will remind most listeners of Glass - fluttering flute arps, hovering strings, grating cellos, gentle piano melodies, it's all there.

"Sadhanipa" is my favourite, rich and peaceful and the hardest to unravel - to work out which composer has written which bit - and is all the more marvellous for it. The main themes are interspersed with jaunty dances that sound almost like hoedowns - could that be Ravi commenting on Phil's nationality?

I love this album and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys instrumental music. You don't have to be a fan of either composer to enjoy this and it works as well as a piece of pop music as much as a piece of world music or even classical music.



East meets West, 18 Jun 2004
I had some ideas of what this would sound like before I heard it, but when I heard it I realised I was completely wrong! I thought that it would be typical Philip Glass with some sitar and Indian scales and sounds. It is nothing of the sort.

Each track is not so much a collaboration as a joining of distinct parts. You can hear which parts are Glass and which parts are Shankar, but the glue that holds them together is the compositional genius of the two men. It does not just encompass India either, as there are Middle-Eastern motifs and scales used here, and some very Western orchestral parts.

It is very light on the sitar, and Ravi Shankar probably has more input vocally than with his sitar playing. This is orchestral music without using a conventional orchestra from the West. It is Indian music without being limited to the traditional Indian instruments and arrangements. It is World Music at its best!

The best Philip Glass album you've never heard in your life!, 12 Feb 2003
It took several years after first hearing a tape of this music before I managed to acquire a copy for myself (someone brought me the cassette back from India!!)It is simply excellent music, both easy and challenging at the same time. All the Glass compositions I have heard since (this was my introduction to his music) seem somewhat lame in comparison. Maybe this is due to Mr. Shankar's influence...who knows, I am not a fan of either gentlemen apart from this work. If you're, like me, a westener with a penchant for those sensuous arabic scales this is definately for you.

Journey to the East...and back!, 08 Feb 2003
This album at first glance brings together two of the most unlikely composers one could think of in a collaboration that crosses huge cultural differences but works exceptionally well.

Ravi Shankar, whose music has been known in the West for many years , is known for his work with Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison among others. His musical reputation goes far beyond his exemplary sitar playing in the traditional ragas and covers much classical Indian music also.

Philip Glass, mostly known for his repetitive structures as a member of the minimalist school and for his powerful soundtracks, has gained a wider audience with classical and popular music afficionados outside of the USA.

This album works in many different ways. Despite their differing backgrounds each musician has produced memorable soundscapes which reach deeply into the history of each of the collaborators and their musical heritage and which emerge to enchant and delight the listener. It is often difficult to distinguish the individual contributions from each other in particular pieces which underscores their deep understanding and appreciation of each others work. The pieces are extremely moving and cover a whole gamut of emotions. Each composition has it's own particular feature which causes me to come back to this album again and again.

In some ways this album is greater than either of it's component parts and will be a lasting testament to the work of these two great composers.

mmmm yeah whatever, 16 Nov 2008
Ooh I do like John Adams.
Steve Reisch seems to be taking the mick with his head-doing loops, and really doesn't deserve to be on this CD.
I liked some of his stuff when I first heard it, now it's annoying, and I skip over it every time.
Phil Glass can just about get away with it, but he's basically doing the same simplistic rubbish that Reisch does - just better, and more commercial.
David Heath surely knows how to poo on his own settee: what's he doing spoiling his piece with those grating "violin's doing rock guitar riffs" rubbish? If I could, i'd erase them out and leave the rest of the tune.

So in summary, the first five are great; "8 Lines" interrupts the mood, making you have to press the skip button; and the rest is OK, apart from the last otherwise agreeable tune being spoilt by some "whoops I've run out of ideas" drivel.

You can always just copy the good bits on to an MD or PC then copy 'em again onto a new CD.

Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Unbelievable, 03 May 2006
Fascinating, it would be unthinkable to live without it! If you like this, try the sublime Ontayso/Tim Koch release 'Where have you been'?. Both great!

Very good but it is abridged. There is a new version out., 03 Dec 2002
There is a new version of this which is unabridged.

The original recording of Koyaanisqatsi was issued at what was a distinctly uneasy time - for the record companies at least. The LP era was coming to an end and the compact disc was only beginning to enter its primacy. Because the LP, which was then the more popular medium by far, could rarely hold more than 25 minutes per side, it was decreed that the score for the Glass/Reggio film should be radically abridged for its initial release.

Fifteen years later, it is a pleasure to have virtually all of the music from Koyaanisqatsi on disc, including about a halt hour of material that has hitherto been available only with the film.

nice bit of glass., 17 Feb 2001
i first caught the vid the other night [5star] but seem to have mislaid it. this audio almost makes up for it, reminding me of the overall feel. but it does seem to lack some of the vids initial thrust?

the best bit of glass [over reich] i've appreciated; before, i thought of glass as an irrelvance to better composers.

shimmering, in whatsoever format.

Gut wrenching inspiration., 04 Nov 1999
Once you follow any one of the musical threads in any of the tracks of this album, then let your mind lose focus and notice the twists, turns and new musical "plays". It is effortless genius and I love the incredible power that surges from the musicians/chorus during the many build-up finales.

As with all favourite albums there are associated memories too. When I saw the film/heard the soundtrack I just gave up on my 2nd year degree exam revision. I had to take a huge step back and take a long hard look at life/universe etc. 1984 was a very important crossroad for me which this album with its complexity and power fully embodies.

A lovely thing., 17 Oct 2007
When Mr Sax invented what Homer Simpson memorably refers to as "The Saxamaphone" he had in mind a number of uses for it. Something like a clarinet but louder, to make the grade in a marching military band. And in a symphonic setting, something that would allow the wind section to compliment the strings more fully. Well he got his wish with the military bands, but once adopted by jazzers and honking rock and rollers the saxaphone seems to have been diverted from the classical home Adolph intended for it. That is until Philip Glass wrote this sumptious setting for the instrument.You will have heard a few of these pieces in the better class of TV advert. They are all pattering pianos, swelling strings and those saxaphones are there, doing what they were born for. You might not recognise them as saxes. They aren't being played the way we usually hear them.Every track bar Rubric is a meditative gem. The mood is of the more austere Miles Davis. Rubric is one of those urgent insistent repetitive pieces which Glass and his friend Steve Reich are perhaps better known for. Not perhaps to everyone's taste but in my opinion a fine foil to the more restful sections on the rest of the disk. Its modern classical music, but don't be afraid. Come on in. The saxaphones are lovely. Glass is at his most accessible and enjoyable here.

Essential PG., 04 Nov 2008
There is only really one rival in this repertoire and that's the Kronos set that covers the same ground, though their set doesn't include the first quartet.
The performances here are wonderfully paced and range from delightfully restrained to whirlwind energy.
The recording is excellent and the notes informative and helpful.
The playing time may seem a bit on the short side (98 minutes) but it's priced as a single, mid price CD so it's good value regardless.
But the crucial question is, how does it compare with the Kronos Quartet's disc?
Well, it's cheaper for a start. The recording quality is slightly clearer with better focus. As for the performances, I would, by a very narrow margin, place this above the KQ set. But it's very close.

Golden Glass, 27 Aug 2006
Philip Glass has written some wonderful film scores (Koyaanisqatsi, Mishima, Kundun) but I was absolutely blown away by his score for 'The Hours'. Every single cue is a gem culminating in the final one (track 14) where the music arcs from a slow beginning to a glorious climax where piano chords play against a wash of strings. The music is at once uplifting and melancholic. A masterpiece.

A score that holds a meaning, 19 Jul 2006
It must be said without a doubt that Glass made the film 'The Hours' with the music score. Without it, this would not have produced what the film is. It has true meaning to it. Everytime i listen to it i feel a sense of sadness and loss, but at the same time, an overwhelmly sense of relief to know what life really is about. What decisions we take is up to us. This music score protrays all of that.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, YOU WILL ADMIRE WHAT GLASS HAS DONE

I think this is going to become a reference work, 14 Jun 2005
This review comes late, but having recently heard the Riesman piano CD of the same soundtrack, and reviewing it, I feel that I should offer my take on the original. The 'new' piano version has made me realise how much I find this recording to be one of Mr Glass's most emotionally charged pieces, and a fitting accompaniment to a magnificent film.

A combination of rich string arrangements and Michael Riesman's piano provide a pulsating, melodic and poignant soundtrack that made all the difference to the movie. Everything seems very restrained, yet everything is powerful in the music - there is a sense of drive and purpose that arises from gentle beginnings. Five stars.

A re-review!, 08 Dec 2004
I hope this is allowed but I must in all honesty re-review this CD. Do you know about worms? Well this music finally wormed its way into my consciousness and I now find it absolutely wonderful. Coupled with the recently viewed film I give both unreserved praise. It's true that certain music takes time to work its magic whilst other music gives instant impact then become unsatisfactory over time. So there it is an admission of guilt, The Hours is simply excellent - a worm indeed.

Uplifting and Hopeful, 26 Jan 2004
I have several Philip Glass CDs but this is my favourite. It's beautiful, haunting music in its own right but when one has seen the film it becomes remarkable. Glass's music perfectly captures the themes of the film: of coming to terms with mortality in both of its aspects, living and dying. Glass also manages to write music that is both timeless and yet captures the three time periods in which the book and film are set. Like several of Glass's works, music for The Hours seems to ripple over one. One feels in it rather than listening from the outside. This is a great work from one of our greatest comtemporary composers.

Expect the unexpected!, 23 May 2008
Unlike most of the other reviewers, I was not familiar with the music of Shankar or Glass before deciding to buy this album on the strength of the most cursory hearing of some of the tracks. Every now and again I just like to treat my ears to something different. And believe me, this is something very, very different. It is simply exciting music, beautifully played, which will grasp at your very soul.

Go on. Treat your ears. They deserve it!

Beautifully orchestrated - see Indian music in a new light, 04 May 2007
Philip Glass is known for his monolithic minimalism, which I for one feel has been rather stale for some time. He apparently already studied with Shankar at the end of the sixties, when Shankar was at the height of international fame, what with the Beatles and everything.

It was a great idea to reunite the two as Shankar's influence adds a new lease of life to Glass's repetitions. The sleeve notes explain that for each piece one of the two composers came up with the themes which the other develops and arranges. The listener can have a lot of fun working out were certain fragments have come from. It's actually much harder than you'd think.

"Raga's in a Minor Scale" floats sitar and flute over gentle tablas. It doesn't seem to repeat itself very much, and the main melodic line is a typical Indian theme - it sounds as if it was based on a vocalised song. Strings bolster the whole thing, and from time to time the whole orchestra hangs on quickly descending arpeggios which you know come from Glass but still sound unique and unusual.

"Prashanti" sets a repeating zither theme against beautiful flutes and as above, rich modal themes from the strings are allowed to interject.

"Offering" begins with a typical Glass motif played on low strings and then the mournful main theme is played on . . . saxophone! The theme slowly progresses before trademark sawing Glass orchestrations work against the Shankar string melody. This is the track that will remind most listeners of Glass - fluttering flute arps, hovering strings, grating cellos, gentle piano melodies, it's all there.

"Sadhanipa" is my favourite, rich and peaceful and the hardest to unravel - to work out which composer has written which bit - and is all the more marvellous for it. The main themes are interspersed with jaunty dances that sound almost like hoedowns - could that be Ravi commenting on Phil's nationality?

I love this album and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys instrumental music. You don't have to be a fan of either composer to enjoy this and it works as well as a piece of pop music as much as a piece of world music or even classical music.



East meets West, 18 Jun 2004
I had some ideas of what this would sound like before I heard it, but when I heard it I realised I was completely wrong! I thought that it would be typical Philip Glass with some sitar and Indian scales and sounds. It is nothing of the sort.

Each track is not so much a collaboration as a joining of distinct parts. You can hear which parts are Glass and which parts are Shankar, but the glue that holds them together is the compositional genius of the two men. It does not just encompass India either, as there are Middle-Eastern motifs and scales used here, and some very Western orchestral parts.

It is very light on the sitar, and Ravi Shankar probably has more input vocally than with his sitar playing. This is orchestral music without using a conventional orchestra from the West. It is Indian music without being limited to the traditional Indian instruments and arrangements. It is World Music at its best!

The best Philip Glass album you've never heard in your life!, 12 Feb 2003
It took several years after first hearing a tape of this music before I managed to acquire a copy for myself (someone brought me the cassette back from India!!)It is simply excellent music, both easy and challenging at the same time. All the Glass compositions I have heard since (this was my introduction to his music) seem somewhat lame in comparison. Maybe this is due to Mr. Shankar's influence...who knows, I am not a fan of either gentlemen apart from this work. If you're, like me, a westener with a penchant for those sensuous arabic scales this is definately for you.

Journey to the East...and back!, 08 Feb 2003
This album at first glance brings together two of the most unlikely composers one could think of in a collaboration that crosses huge cultural differences but works exceptionally well.

Ravi Shankar, whose music has been known in the West for many years , is known for his work with Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison among others. His musical reputation goes far beyond his exemplary sitar playing in the traditional ragas and covers much classical Indian music also.

Philip Glass, mostly known for his repetitive structures as a member of the minimalist school and for his powerful soundtracks, has gained a wider audience with classical and popular music afficionados outside of the USA.

This album works in many different ways. Despite their differing backgrounds each musician has produced memorable soundscapes which reach deeply into the history of each of the collaborators and their musical heritage and which emerge to enchant and delight the listener. It is often difficult to distinguish the individual contributions from each other in particular pieces which underscores their deep understanding and appreciation of each others work. The pieces are extremely moving and cover a whole gamut of emotions. Each composition has it's own particular feature which causes me to come back to this album again and again.

In some ways this album is greater than either of it's component parts and will be a lasting testament to the work of these two great composers.

mmmm yeah whatever, 16 Nov 2008
Ooh I do like John Adams.
Steve Reisch seems to be taking the mick with his head-doing loops, and really doesn't deserve to be on this CD.
I liked some of his stuff when I first heard it, now it's annoying, and I skip over it every time.
Phil Glass can just about get away with it, but he's basically doing the same simplistic rubbish that Reisch does - just better, and more commercial.
David Heath surely knows how to poo on his own settee: what's he doing spoiling his piece with those grating "violin's doing rock guitar riffs" rubbish? If I could, i'd erase them out and leave the rest of the tune.

So in summary, the first five are great; "8 Lines" interrupts the mood, making you have to press the skip button; and the rest is OK, apart from the last otherwise agreeable tune being spoilt by some "whoops I've run out of ideas" drivel.

You can always just copy the good bits on to an MD or PC then copy 'em again onto a new CD.

classic flicks, 17 Nov 2003
I recently listened to the music on the box set being played by the London Royal philharmonic orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London and immediately loved the music and bought the c.d box set. All the themes from the films are played brilliantly with a real joyous sound to them. The themes that I had seen the films to I think I enjoyed the most as I already new them yet hearing them being played by such a good orchestra really makes the c.d worth listening to. There is not a single bad track on the c.d and one of my particular favourites was 'the great escape' which really made me smile. This album is a must buy for anyone who enjoys film theme tunes or anyone who likes listening to an orchestra as talented as this. 5 stars!

Glass at his most approachable, 01 Jan 2006
If you have never listened to minimalist music this should be your point of departure. I have played this CD to the unsuspecting, as background music, and in the process won over the even the most ardent sceptics.

More like mixed bag, 17 Dec 2003
This album is a mixed selection of Glasses works. I loved everything after the second track. The first two tracks sound to me like it was wrote for some 1970's experimental modern dance production and for me I really want to skip past them to get to the far more timeless compositions which compose the remaining tracks. I really dont think I could recommend this album as an introduction to Glass and minimalist compositions.
A far better option is Minimalist, which also features other composers in the genre (Adams, Reich and Heath).

Unbelievable, 03 May 2006
Fascinating, it would be unthinkable to live without it! If you like this, try the sublime Ontayso/Tim Koch release 'Where have you been'?. Both great!

Very good but it is abridged. There is a new version out., 03 Dec 2002
There is a new version of this which is unabridged.

The original recording of Koyaanisqatsi was issued at what was a distinctly uneasy time - for the record companies at least. The LP era was coming to an end and the compact disc was only beginning to enter its primacy. Because the LP, which was then the more popular medium by far, could rarely hold more than 25 minutes per side, it was decreed that the score for the Glass/Reggio film should be radically abridged for its initial release.

Fifteen years later, it is a pleasure to have virtually all of the music from Koyaanisqatsi on disc, including about a halt hour of material that has hitherto been available only with the film.

nice bit of glass., 17 Feb 2001
i first caught the vid the other night [5star] but seem to have mislaid it. this audio almost makes up for it, reminding me of the overall feel. but it does seem to lack some of the vids initial thrust?

the best bit of glass [over reich] i've appreciated; before, i thought of glass as an irrelvance to better composers.

shimmering, in whatsoever format.

Gut wrenching inspiration., 04 Nov 1999
Once you follow any one of the musical threads in any of the tracks of this album, then let your mind lose focus and notice the twists, turns and new musical "plays". It is effortless genius and I love the incredible power that surges from the musicians/chorus during the many build-up finales.

As with all favourite albums there are associated memories too. When I saw the film/heard the soundtrack I just gave up on my 2nd year degree exam revision. I had to take a huge step back and take a long hard look at life/universe etc. 1984 was a very important crossroad for me which this album with its complexity and power fully embodies.

A lovely thing., 17 Oct 2007
When Mr Sax invented what Homer Simpson memorably refers to as "The Saxamaphone" he had in mind a number of uses for it. Something like a clarinet but louder, to make the grade in a marching military band. And in a symphonic setting, something that would allow the wind section to compliment the strings more fully. Well he got his wish with the military bands, but once adopted by jazzers and honking rock and rollers the saxaphone seems to have been diverted from the classical home Adolph intended for it. That is until Philip Glass wrote this sumptious setting for the instrument.You will have heard a few of these pieces in the better class of TV advert. They are all pattering pianos, swelling strings and those saxaphones are there, doing what they were born for. You might not recognise them as saxes. They aren't being played the way we usually hear them.Every track bar Rubric is a meditative gem. The mood is of the more austere Miles Davis. Rubric is one of those urgent insistent repetitive pieces which Glass and his friend Steve Reich are perhaps better known for. Not perhaps to everyone's taste but in my opinion a fine foil to the more restful sections on the rest of the disk. Its modern classical music, but don't be afraid. Come on in. The saxaphones are lovely. Glass is at his most accessible and enjoyable here.

Essential PG., 04 Nov 2008
There is only really one rival in this repertoire and that's the Kronos set that covers the same ground, though their set doesn't include the first quartet.
The performances here are wonderfully paced and range from delightfully restrained to whirlwind energy.
The recording is excellent and the notes informative and helpful.
The playing time may seem a bit on the short side (98 minutes) but it's priced as a single, mid price CD so it's good value regardless.
But the crucial question is, how does it compare with the Kronos Quartet's disc?
Well, it's cheaper for a start. The recording quality is slightly clearer with better focus. As for the performances, I would, by a very narrow margin, place this above the KQ set. But it's very close.

Golden Glass, 27 Aug 2006
Philip Glass has written some wonderful film scores (Koyaanisqatsi, Mishima, Kundun) but I was absolutely blown away by his score for 'The Hours'. Every single cue is a gem culminating in the final one (track 14) where the music arcs from a slow beginning to a glorious climax where piano chords play against a wash of strings. The music is at once uplifting and melancholic. A masterpiece.

A score that holds a meaning, 19 Jul 2006
It must be said without a doubt that Glass made the film 'The Hours' with the music score. Without it, this would not have produced what the film is. It has true meaning to it. Everytime i listen to it i feel a sense of sadness and loss, but at the same time, an overwhelmly sense of relief to know what life really is about. What decisions we take is up to us. This music score protrays all of that.

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC, YOU WILL ADMIRE WHAT GLASS HAS DONE

I think this is going to become a reference work, 14 Jun 2005
This review comes late, but having recently heard the Riesman piano CD of the same soundtrack, and reviewing it, I feel that I should offer my take on the original. The 'new' piano version has made me realise how much I find this recording to be one of Mr Glass's most emotionally charged pieces, and a fitting accompaniment to a magnificent film.

A combination of rich string arrangements and Michael Riesman's piano provide a pulsating, melodic and poignant soundtrack that made all the difference to the movie. Everything seems very restrained, yet everything is powerful in the music - there is a sense of drive and purpose that arises from gentle beginnings. Five stars.

A re-review!, 08 Dec 2004
I hope this is allowed but I must in all honesty re-review this CD. Do you know about worms? Well this music finally wormed its way into my consciousness and I now find it absolutely wonderful. Coupled with the recently viewed film I give both unreserved praise. It's true that certain music takes time to work its magic whilst other music gives instant impact then become unsatisfactory over time. So there it is an admission of guilt, The Hours is simply excellent - a worm indeed.

Uplifting and Hopeful, 26 Jan 2004
I have several Philip Glass CDs but this is my favourite. It's beautiful, haunting music in its own right but when one has seen the film it becomes remarkable. Glass's music perfectly captures the themes of the film: of coming to terms with mortality in both of its aspects, living and dying. Glass also manages to write music that is both timeless and yet captures the three time periods in which the book and film are set. Like several of Glass's works, music for The Hours seems to ripple over one. One feels in it rather than listening from the outside. This is a great work from one of our greatest comtemporary composers.

Expect the unexpected!, 23 May 2008
Unlike most of the other reviewers, I was not familiar with the music of Shankar or Glass before deciding to buy this album on the strength of the most cursory hearing of some of the tracks. Every now and again I just like to treat my ears to something different. And believe me, this is something very, very different. It is simply exciting music, beautifully played, which will grasp at your very soul.

Go on. Treat your ears. They deserve it!

Beautifully orchestrated - see Indian music in a new light, 04 May 2007
Philip Glass is known for his monolithic minimalism, which I for one feel has been rather stale for some time. He apparently already studied with Shankar at the end of the sixties, when Shankar was at the height of international fame, what with the Beatles and everything.

It was a great idea to reunite the two as Shankar's influence adds a new lease of life to Glass's repetitions. The sleeve notes explain that for each piece one of the two composers came up with the themes which the other develops and arranges. The listener can have a lot of fun working out were certain fragments have come from. It's actually much harder than you'd think.

"Raga's in a Minor Scale" floats sitar and flute over gentle tablas. It doesn't seem to repeat itself very much, and the main melodic line is a typical Indian theme - it sounds as if it was based on a vocalised song. Strings bolster the whole thing, and from time to time the whole orchestra hangs on quickly descending arpeggios which you know come from Glass but still sound unique and unusual.

"Prashanti" sets a repeating zither theme against beautiful flutes and as above, rich modal themes from the strings are allowed to interject.

"Offering" begins with a typical Glass motif played on low strings and then the mournful main theme is played on . . . saxophone! The theme slowly progresses before trademark sawing Glass orchestrations work against the Shankar string melody. This is the track that will remind most listeners of Glass - fluttering flute arps, hovering strings, grating cellos, gentle piano melodies, it's all there.

"Sadhanipa" is my favourite, rich and peaceful and the hardest to unravel - to work out which composer has written which bit - and is all the more marvellous for it. The main themes are interspersed with jaunty dances that sound almost like hoedowns - could that be Ravi commenting on Phil's nationality?

I love this album and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys instrumental music. You don't have to be a fan of either composer to enjoy this and it works as well as a piece of pop music as much as a piece of world music or even classical music.



East meets West, 18 Jun 2004
I had some ideas of what this would sound like before I heard it, but when I heard it I realised I was completely wrong! I thought that it would be typical Philip Glass with some sitar and Indian scales and sounds. It is nothing of the sort.

Each track is not so much a collaboration as a joining of distinct parts. You can hear which parts are Glass and which parts are Shankar, but the glue that holds them together is the compositional genius of the two men. It does not just encompass India either, as there are Middle-Eastern motifs and scales used here, and some very Western orchestral parts.

It is very light on the sitar, and Ravi Shankar probably has more input vocally than with his sitar playing. This is orchestral music without using a conventional orchestra from the West. It is Indian music without being limited to the traditional Indian instruments and arrangements. It is World Music at its best!

The best Philip Glass album you've never heard in your life!, 12 Feb 2003
It took several years after first hearing a tape of this music before I managed to acquire a copy for myself (someone brought me the cassette back from India!!)It is simply excellent music, both easy and challenging at the same time. All the Glass compositions I have heard since (this was my introduction to his music) seem somewhat lame in comparison. Maybe this is due to Mr. Shankar's influence...who knows, I am not a fan of either gentlemen apart from this work. If you're, like me, a westener with a penchant for those sensuous arabic scales this is definately for you.

Journey to the East...and back!, 08 Feb 2003
This album at first glance brings together two of the most unlikely composers one could think of in a collaboration that crosses huge cultural differences but works exceptionally well.

Ravi Shankar, whose music has been known in the West for many years , is known for his work with Yehudi Menuhin and George Harrison among others. His musical reputation goes far beyond his exemplary sitar playing in the traditional ragas and covers much classical Indian music also.

Philip Glass, mostly known for his repetitive structures as a member of the minimalist school and for his powerful soundtracks, has gained a wider audience with classical and popular music afficionados outside of the USA.

This album works in many different ways. Despite their differing backgrounds each musician has produced memorable soundscapes which reach deeply into the history of each of the collaborators and their musical heritage and which emerge to enchant and delight the listener. It is often difficult to distinguish the individual contributions from each other in particular pieces which underscores their deep understanding and appreciation of each others work. The pieces are extremely moving and cover a whole gamut of emotions. Each composition has it's own particular feature which causes me to come back to this album again and again.

In some ways this album is greater than either of it's component parts and will be a lasting testament to the work of these two great composers.

mmmm yeah whatever, 16 Nov 2008
Ooh I do like John Adams.
Steve Reisch seems to be taking the mick with his head-doing loops, and really doesn't deserve to be on this CD.
I liked some of his stuff when I first heard it, now it's annoying, and I skip over it every time.
Phil Glass can just about get away with it, but he's basically doing the same simplistic rubbish that Reisch does - just better, and more commercial.
David Heath surely knows how to poo on his own settee: what's he doing spoiling his piece with those grating "violin's doing rock guitar riffs" rubbish? If I could, i'd erase them out and leave the rest of the tune.

So in summary, the first five are great; "8 Lines" interrupts the mood, making you have to press the skip button; and the rest is OK, apart from the last otherwise agreeable tune being spoilt by some "whoops I've run out of ideas" drivel.

You can always just copy the good bits on to an MD or PC then copy 'em again onto a new CD.

classic flicks, 17 Nov 2003
I recently listened to the music on the box set being played by the London Royal philharmonic orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall in London and immediately loved the music and bought the c.d box set. All the themes from the films are played brilliantly with a real joyous sound to them. The themes that I had seen the films to I think I enjoyed the most as I already new them yet hearing them being played by such a good orchestra