Essential Glass
He used to work as a plumber and taxi driver; today he's the undisputed master of Minimalism. Now in his 80s, Philip Glass is one of the most prolific and important composers of the 20th and 21st century, and his oeuvre encompasses solo works, symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber music, songs and film scores.
Read more…Arguably, the most influential composer across the whole range of musical genres, his distinctive spooling, note-spinning, compulsively repetitive music has made an impression on Brian Eno and David Bowie, Aphex Twin and Nico Muhly, amongst others, and he enjoys a privileged position amongst contemporary classical composers in that his music is both listener-friendly and experimental.
While some find his music mechanical, cold and undemanding, others adore its complex yet subtle layers of atmospheric sounds and instrumentation, the hypnotic rhythms, piquant harmonic deviations - almost redolent of Schubert - and mesmerizing shifts in mood and intensity.