Glass: Complete Piano Etudes

Philip Glass’ Piano Etudes stand at the end of a long line of development, starting with “exercises” by Scarlatti, through romantic piano etudes composers such as Clementi, Czerny, Hummel, Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Scriabin, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, to 20-th century masters like Ligeti and Cage.

Composer: Philip Glass
Artists: Jeroen van Veen (piano)

Along with the two books of piano studies by Gyorgy Ligeti, the Etudes of Philip Glass have taken their place as modern classics of the literature, serving both a didactic purpose to train the fingers and minds of their performers, but also bringing their unique soundworlds to new audiences.

Glass himself remarked that the first book, compiled from work between 1991 and 2012, had a twin objective, ‘to explore a variety of tempi, textures and piano techniques. At the same time it was meant to serve as a pedagogical tool by which I would improve my piano playing.’ The studies of Book 2 (2012-14) are often bolder in finding new structures and fresh keyboard colours. Each of the 20 Etudes handles a specific piano technique, and the two books are united by the instantly recognisable quirks of Glass’s harmonic language and, as Jeroen van Veen remarks in his booklet note, ‘in almost all the etudes, endurance is the main issue to overcome’.

Most recent of the pianist’s many Brilliant Classics recordings of Minimalist music have been albums dedicated to the genre’s godfather, Erik Satie (BC95350) and his successors including Michael Nyman (BC95112) and Max Richter (BC95390).

Tracklist:
0:00:00 Etudes for Piano Book I: I. Etude in G Minor
0:06:29 Etudes for Piano Book I: II. Etude in A Minor
0:13:56 Etudes for Piano Book I: III. Etude in A Major
0:18:42 Etudes for Piano Book I: IV. Etude in D Minor
0:23:05 Etudes for Piano Book I: V. Etude in F Minor
0:32:55 Etudes for Piano Book I: VI. Etude in F Minor
0:38:44 Etudes for Piano Book I: VII. Etude in A Minor
0:53:24 Etudes for Piano Book I: VIII. Etude in C Major
1:00:28 Etudes for Piano Book I: IX. Etude in F Minor
1:04:21 Etudes for Piano Book I: X. Etude in E-Flat Major
1:12:58 Etudes for Piano Book II: XI. Etude in C Minor
1:21:28 Etudes for Piano Book II: XII. Etude in D Minor
1:29:12 Etudes for Piano Book II: XIII. Etude in F Major
1:34:09 Etudes for Piano Book II: XIV. Etude in A-Flat Major
1:40:26 Etudes for Piano Book II: XV. Etude in D Major
1:48:13 Etudes for Piano Book II: XVI. Etude in G Minor
1:53:57 Etudes for Piano Book II: XVII. Etude in F Minor
2:02:39 Etudes for Piano Book II: XVIII. Etude in G Minor
2:07:08 Etudes for Piano Book II: IXX Etude in C Major
2:12:58 Etudes for Piano Book II: XX. Etude in C Major

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[stuesdays]

I have had the amazing opportunity to see Phillip Glass in person three times. The first was when I was a college student in 1991 when he was touring with his ensemble. The second was in 2015 at BAM to discuss his autobiography. The third was also at BAM about a year or so later where he and several other musicians performed these pieces.

H

[christopherbrookfield]

I love the music of Philip Glass, almost more than any other composer, contemporary, or otherwise. I am not sure why that is, exactly. Precise. Mathematical. Pure. Clear. True. Zen-like. Sad. Happy. Beautiful. Serene. Delicate. Fragile. Strong. It seems to have it all, say so much, with so little. Uncluttered. Lean and mean. Straight to the heart. 👌

[quietmind]

I love the way this pianist approaches Phillip Glass.
I hope Glass is aware of this collection.

[livbusy]

Philip Glass gave the modern audience what they want, which is consistent volume and tempo suitable for intimate sounds between earphones or closed spaces, and hidden melody that can be singed along, it is an adaptation when musicians can no longer confine their audiences in one venue and have their inescapable attention.

(Means in the old days, audiences have to go on the ride of volume, tempo and mood swings a live show can offer, but not for busy serial fragmental music listeners of the modernity, who wants to avoid adjusting volumes between piano music and pop, and distracted by the bi-polar swings of some classical pieces. )

While a lot say it is minimalism, I don’t think so. It has all elements of the attractions of other already proofed classical music, like tensional melody, subtle tempo change, narration with a climax, it is just that those elements are spreed into a slower time frame that are expected from previous piano sheets, and berried among atmosphere notes(yep, I think that is what those repetition notes are).

[peterburandt]

Mesmerizing performance! As is sound engineering!! Thank you, Brilliant Classics!!!

[faulknerorkney]

What a beautiful album - masterful playing of a magnificent composer. Thanks for posting!

[Helloyellowpiano]

I love you Phlip Glass, just so so much 😭

[blauwzakjecrack]

Dit is echt extreem straks en precies ingetoetst zonder concessie aan emotie. Mr v Veen, bedankt.

[martineslava]

Une recueille si mystérieuse, si tendre, mais une véritable« chiaroscuro » pleine des paradoxes. Génie. Merci!

[BrentWooP]

Never heard this interpretation of No.8 (53:26) like that. Slow but with lilting, clipped articulation. Sally Whitwell follows this tempo, but keeps the notes a wash. Lavinia Meijer on harp keeps a moderate tempo but most importantly keeps rubato and melodrama to a minimum, which is effective. Most others tear through it, so this presents a more reflective side of the etude.

[rodparisst]

¡Magnífico! ¿Qué más se puede decir? La ejecución es de una virtuosismo clásico, impecable.

[gillesfebvre]

Très bonne interprétation des études de Glass. Complètement différentes des autres pianistes, plus personnelles, très virtuoses et en même temps remplies de douceurs dans un force assumée et un rythme impeccable. Du grand art, bravo.

[pablokalincausky]

Very different from everything I've heard before !!! Congrats, Philip...

[jsa]

I second what Christopher Brookfield said. It says so much with so little. Bravo.

[lucysheehan]

Thank you very much Jeroen for posting this !! - awesome playing and very inspiring!! especially number III

[DuvanAragonOficial]

Que maravilla, esto me conecta con la fuente suprema y más allá.

[ethanhill]

Pianist provides best interpretation of this material. Only Namewaka's interpretation is anywhere near as satisfying.

I discovered GLASS's ETUDES on You Tube. I retire almost nightly to the the compositions. Now I'll add this upload to my downloaded You Tube library. I'll patronage this record label and support this pianist. ETUDE 2 is my favorite. I'll have it programmed at my wake. The interpretation is solemn yet hopeful.
However possible I suggest release of ETUDE 2 as a "single". Reminds me of the mournful bluesy music released as Joni Mitchell's BLUE album. ETUDE 3 would be a great "flipside". The pianist hints perfectly at boogie woogie piano. GLASS rocks here and the pianist rolls perfectly with it.

[johnbroussard]

I've seen him only once. Need more.

[petetotaro]

Most Beautiful Études! Great upload, Thanks!

[ramghz]

Glass compositions are sweet! However I'm not so convinced by Jeroen interpretation, notably No. 6 where I'm even guessing if he is on full control of the piano. Nevertheless thanks to Jeroen to share whith us Glass etudes.