Philip Glass Symphony No.9

[Alan Howe]

But to me it's like saying that a puddle reminds one of an ocean...

Well, if you are put in mind of puddles when listening to Bruckner...

[ahinton]

I find that the long climaxes in Glass' 9th remind me of those in Bruckner - e.g. the slow movement of his 7th Symphony.

As avid Brucknerite I must say here: 
No offence meant! But to me it's like saying that a puddle reminds one of an ocean... (forgive the Moussorgskyan jibe here!).

You mean bacause both are wet? Yes, I cannot argue with that! Now what was the phrase that Sorabji wrote about getting out of the Amazon's way?...

[eschiss1]

Funny you should mention re Sorabji. You know, it's amazing how he was able to prophesize our use of streaming music like that. Though I'd hardly call the Amazon a stream (now Bach, there was a Brook. Apologies to Beethoven.)

[Dundonnell]

My copy of the Glass 9th has finally arrived

(Btw I resent the practice of Orange Mountain-Glass's label-in short-changing purchasers of full-price cds with less than 50 minutes' worth of music )

However, having said that, I do find the symphony a fascinating work, powerful and colourful. I do also-readily-concede the point made by Alan that, if listened to with half an ear, as purely background music, it would become a repetitive mush of sound. Mark talks about the work's "hypnotic intensity". At times it reminded me of my favourite piece of Michael Nyman's-the hynotically, rhythmically-driven "MGV-musique a grande vitesse" of 1993 which tracks a journey on the French high-speed rail network to the most gloriously uplifting and happy conclusion.

The Glass symphony is a much more complex work than the Nyman, and a darker work too, but it does "take one on a journey" and that quality has always been something that appeals immensely to my ears

[Alan Howe]

Try the final few minutes of the second movement: some of the most uplifting music written in the modern era...

[Dundonnell]

Agreed...gorgeous

[Alan Howe]

The piece has certainly passed my test, i.e. whether it makes me want to hear it again and again. I have done so on a number of occasions now and it just gets better each time. The sense of power in the long build-ups to the climaxes in each of the movements is absolutely enormous. Great music? I'm inclined to think so...