PHILIP GLASS Music in Twelve Parts. Concert à Paris,1975

Glass originally wrote Part I of Music in Twelve Parts in early 1971: ““The first movement was originally intended to stand on its own and the ‘Twelve Parts’ in the title referred to twelve lines of counterpoint in the score,” he explained. 

“I called it Music in Twelve Parts because the keyboards played six lines, there were three wind players involved, and I had originally planned to augment the ensemble to bring in three more lines, for a total of twelve.

I played it for a friend of mine and, when it was through, she said, ‘That’s very beautiful; what are the other eleven parts going to be like?’ And I thought that was an interesting misunderstanding and decided to take it as a challenge and go ahead and compose eleven more parts.”

The previously unreleased concert from 1975 features the Philip Glass Sextet performing five tracks at La Maison de Radio Paris – part 1, 2, 3, 11 and 12. The group was composed of Philip Glass, Jon Gibson, Dickie Landry, Michael Riesman, Joan La Barbara and Richard Peck.  (Gabriela Helfet)

PHILIP GLASS Book of Longing

Leonard and I first began talking about a poetry and music collaboration more than six years ago. We met at that time in Los Angeles, and he had with him a manuscript that became the basis of the collection of poetry now published as the Book of Longing. In the course of an afternoon that stretched into the evening, he read virtually the whole book to me. I found the work intensely beautiful, personal, and inspiring. On the spot, I proposed an evening-length work of poetry, music, and image based on this work. Leonard liked my idea, and we agreed to begin. Now, six years later, our stars are in alignment, the book is published, and I have composed the music.

For me, this work is both a departure from past work and a fulfillment of an artistic dream. (Philip Glass)

Michael Riesman PHILIP GLASS Dracula

In 2004 Orange Mountain Music released an album of solo piano transcriptions of Philip Glass’ Oscar and Golden Globe nominated score to The Hours.  These transcriptions were done by Glass’ longtime Music Director and pianist Michael Riesman.

Mr Riesman’s solo piano transcription of The Hours score proved so successful that Orange  Mountain Music was inspired to approach Riesman again to make an arrangement of Glass’ haunting score to Todd Browning’s 1931 classic Dracula which starred Bela Lugosi.

Glass’ original score was written for string quartet and was recorded and toured by the Kronos Quartet. This new arrangement of the score is treated to a truly virtuosic performance by Michael Riesman and includes a previously unrecorded track which was composed by Glass but was left out of the soundtrack recording.

Riesman’s extraordinary playing brings life and phenomenal craftsmanship to a seemingly timeless musical score.