Philip Glass - Two Pages, Contrary Motion, Music In Fifths, Music In Similar Motion (1994 compilation)

More early Philip Glass, as promised last Monday.  Following the 1971 release of the Changing Parts double-LP, the next additions to the composer's embryonic discography were Music In Similar Motion/Music In Fifths (rel. 1973, again on his own Chatham Square imprint), and Solo Music (rel. 1975 on the French label Shandar).  This Nonesuch CD reissue takes these four sides of vinyl and presents them in reverse order - presumably a programmatic decision to let the listener experience the gradually developing complexity of the music and addition of extra instruments.

So taking them in this order, first up is Two Pages (written 1967/8, rec. 1975), one of the earliest expressions of Glass' MO of expanding and contracting little units of composition, inspired by Indian music and in particular meetings with Ravi Shankar.  With subtle assistance from Michael Riesman on piano, Two Pages isn't actually solo music in the strictest sense, but the following Contrary Motion (written '74, rec.'75) definitely is, and has more harmonic complexity in its theoretically endless 'open form' experiment in Bach-like counterpoint.

On to the two ensemble pieces then, which actually featured in solo organ form on this blog a while back, as interpreted by Steffen Schleiermacher.  Music In Fifths (written '69, rec. '73) as presented here doesn't in fact feature the full Philip Glass Ensemble, just two saxophones alongside the composer's organ, but they fill out its tight structure quite nicely.  The full ensemble then arrive for the finale of Music In Similar Motion (written '69, rec. 71), which has the most eventful structure of all the four pieces here, as the different instrumental voices gradually introduce themselves and shape the changes in the piece.

Music In Similar Motion/Music In Fifths, original LP cover 1973

Contrary Motion/Two Pages, original LP cover 1975

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