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Customer Rating:  
Summary: Glass minimalistically pleasant
Comment: Glass's violin concerto is pleasant and immediately accessible. But, Glass's music is all very similar; its as if there is a number of ideas which get continously re-cycled. To my mind, Adams' concerto is stronger
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Summary: Unexpectedly lyrical
Comment: I don't know that much about Philip Glass & co. (a minimal amount?) but, to me, this is modern music that's immediately accessible and which tries to engage in terms of its musicality rather than its philosophy or its aesthetic creed.
There are affinities with precursors. It's possible to see a direct link between the Violin Concerto, for instance, and works of the Baroque period, with its use of repeated phrases, arpeggios, double stopping and so on. Its repetition is not tiresome repetition per se, however, and the piece is always varied and concise enough to say what it needs to in under 25' - another link with the Baroque.
There are those who complain that this concerto represents an unacceptably reactionary step on the part of Glass. But these are presumably critics who would prefer to think of themselves as members of a very exclusive club, one that is implicitly anti-populist. (On the Baroque theme again, Bach managed to be simultaneously popular and cerebral - something worth emulating, perhaps?) What does seem a little reactionary in this recording though is the occasional heavy vibrato of Adele Anthony which you'd think would be more appropriate for Max Bruch or Felix Mendelssohn than for contemporary music like this.
On balance, however, this Naxos recording is a real triumph. The companion pieces are also pithy and engaging (Company especially, less so Akhnaten for me). And at unbeatable value, of course.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantastically engulfing...
Comment: I have a rather esoteric taste in music, I like a bit of everything in moderation.
Glass's music is in a particular genre(Minimalism) that is a bit like marmite, at first you either love it or hate it.
However, there are so many layers and within a single movement, it's impossible not to grow to appreciate at least some of his compositions.
With the violin concerto being performed so fantasticlly here(in particular, although both 'Company' and the 'Akhnaten' pieces also well performed), it's impossible not to be drawn into it.
Just give it a chance.
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Summary: Violin Concerto is one of Glass's most inpired creations
Comment: The Glass Violin concerto,along with the James Dillon is one of the most visceral and exciting violin concertos of recent times.It stands up surprisingly well without being married to dance(i first encountered it in that context)or film and is totally compelling in its own right.There's not much to it really:the familiar minor key arppegios,churning rhythms and static harmonies but it's all woven together with such irresistable flair that it's impossible to resist.
A pairing with the rather anodyne (designer music)Violin Concerto of John Adams might've been more appropriate than the plodding 'Company'and dance from 'Akhnaten'.The Prelude to that opera (also on this disc)is on more inspired territory.
Strongly recommended for the violin concerto,even for Glass sceptics.
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Summary: The best Violin Concerto recording...
Comment: This is the only unofficial Glass recording in my extensive collection (that is to say not approved and supervised by the composer and produced by his longtime collaborators Kurt Munkasci and Michael Riesman). It is though the finest available recording of one of Glass' best orchestral works, his Violin Concerto. Pungent, bracing and evocative - the Concerto is one of Glass' most accesible and attractive works, and here receives the performance it deserves. Powerful, perfectly paced, energetic and moody - the soloist and orchestra realise the piece marvellously, and are matched by the more than capable production. It is far superior to the more pricey Deutsche Grammophon recording featuring soloist Gidon Kremer. That was poorly paced and the recording was abysmal (plus it was oddly paired with an ugly atonal piece by Schnittke). Here it is paired with 'Company', originally scored for string quartet, and a powerful rendition of two pieces from 'Akhnaten', Glass' landmark opera from 1984. A must for all Glass fans, and a good introduction to newcomers immune to the usual Glass-phobe cliches. A little gem.
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