Philip Glass: Symphony No. 7

Philip Glass: Symphony No. 7 "Toltec"

Bruckner Orchester Linz & Dennis Russell Davies

  • Genre: Classical
  • Release Date: 2009-09-22
  • Explicitness: cleaned
  • Country: USA
  • Track Count: 3

  • ℗ 2009 Orange Mountain Music

Tracks

Title Artist Time
1
Symphony No. 7 "Toltec": I. "T Bruckner Orchester Linz & Dennis Russell Davies 11:23
2
Symphony No. 7 "Toltec": II. " Bruckner Orchester Linz & Dennis Russell Davies 10:28
3
Symphony No. 7 "Toltec": III. Bruckner Orchester Linz & Dennis Russell Davies 12:55

Reviews

  • I have been waiting for this recording... worth the wait.

    5
    By Reuben Haynes
    In my studies of the music of Philip Glass, I wondered why there was no recording of this symphony. In learning more about this symphony (composed in 2004-2005), I discovered that this symphony was revised (heavy revision to the final movement) by the composer (2008-2009) and newly premiered by the Bruckner Orchester Linz under Dennis Russell Davis. The rhythms are typical Glass (which is not a bad thing) leaving his signature on the peace. The “Toltec” themes are dreamy and very spiritual. You do get a muted and subdued feeling, each movement moves deeper inward into the soul of the peoples of Mesoamerica. All together is is a nice bridge between the Sixth and Eight symphonies. Nice to have it completed and presented here now for all to listen and enjoy.

  • a slightly different turn of events

    3
    By Boolez
    I'm a little stunned that this wasn't recoded by Lenoard Slatkin for whom the work was dedicated. It's his birthday gift that delves into the world of mesoamerica, a society who predates some western culture. The three movements are meant to represent the Wirrarika sacred trinity with corn being mother earth , Hikuri being a door to the spiritual world (pyote?) the blue deer as the holder of knowledge. What the blue deer is could be anyone's guess but for Glass it is Slatkin who is a man of musical knowledge. Being part NDN I was a little put off by the cheeky alusions to native musics which border on stereotypes of 1950 westerns. Still it's an attempt to broaden one's horizen even if it is a little stilted. The symphony itself almost doesn't sounld like typical Glass until the last movement. This appears to be a shift in Glass's apprach to minimalism and could signal a shift style in the next coming years. All in all it was a decent effort. -Bz

Albums from this artist