Echoes

Released in 2018, Echoes represents a late-career distillation of Philip Glass's harmonic language, specifically focusing on his chamber music and collaborations. The album is notable for its inclusion of the 'Sonate op.19', a multi-movement work that showcases a more lyrical, almost neo-Romantic side of Glass's writing compared to the aggressive arpeggios of his earlier 'Einstein on the Beach' era. The recording quality is exceptionally dry and intimate, placing the listener inches away from the piano hammers and the cello's bow hair. By incorporating works like 'The Poet Act' (from The Hours) alongside 'Tissue' pieces and Rachmaninoff arrangements, the album acts as a retrospective of Glass's ability to evoke cinematic pathos through extreme economy of means. It stands as one of the most accessible entry points into his work for listeners coming from a traditional classical or ambient background.