Solo Piano

Solo Piano is a definitive collection that distills Philip Glass's complex minimalist philosophy into its most accessible and intimate form. Released in 1989 (and later reissued), the album features the five-part 'Metamorphosis' suite, which draws heavily from his score for Errol Morris's 'The Thin Blue Line' and incidental music for a theatrical adaptation of Kafka. The record also includes 'Mad Rush', originally composed for the Dalai Lama's first New York appearance, and 'Wichita Vortex Sutra', a collaboration with Allen Ginsberg. Unlike his grand operas or film scores, these recordings emphasize the percussive and rhythmic nature of the piano. The production is notably dry and close-mic'd, allowing the listener to hear the mechanical action of the instrument, which enhances the 'human-machine' duality central to Glass's work. It stands as one of the most commercially successful and critically respected solo instrumental albums in the modern classical canon.