Philip Glass: Songs and Poems for Solo Cello

Must have if you like Glass

I absolutly LOVE Phillip Glass and he is a great source of inspiration, he proves that music does not need to be complicated to be captivating, and yes if you are in a bad mood I think phillip glass can add to the relaxation of tensed nerves!!

The Cello is a magnificent instrument; classical music would be lost without it. The Cello makes a great accompaniment to any composition. It seems that one of the most difficult compositions to pull off and play is Unaccompanied Cello, which is evidenced by its relative lack of compositions and recordings. However, when done it is done successfully Unaccompanied Cello is really of unparalleled beauty. Mr. Glass is very successful in composing beautiful pieces for the Cello here, the vast majority of which are Unaccompanied; or at least have minimal accompaniment. Wendy Sutter does a great job of brining these compositions of Mr. Glass's to life and making them just a true joy to listen to. A truly great composition of unaccompanied pieces is when you don't even realize that what you are listening to is just one musician playing. The only time that you do with these pieces is when you make a conscious effort to realize that this is the case here; just Wendy Sutter with her Cello and Mr. Glass's music.

wow song #5 is just so powerful i love the sound. sounds so dark yet so beautiful

Glass was an acquired taste for me; I first heard his work when I was first starting to hear minimalist music (in the early 1980s), and I found some of it maddeningly repetitive. The Glass compositions I've heard in the last few years have gotten away from that. I was unfamiliar with these pieces before I bought the CD, but they're lovely, both as composed and as performed. I think they're fine chamber pieces.

Philip Glass has not recently taken the time to invest himself in chamber music. On the occasion that he chooses to do so, people take notice. Even traditionally conservative critics including Justin Davidson of NY Magazine and Anne Midgette of the Washington Post have had superlative things to say about "Songs and Poems for Solo Cello." It's at moments like these, aside from commercial projects or large scale operas, that we see Glass the composer who had an incredibly intense classical formation including the Juilliard School and years of critical study with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. For a composer who does not often compose music on this scale, this rare piece in the Glass catalog and it is a masterpiece of its kind.

i went to a philip Glass's concert. Wendy Sutter played "songs and poems" gorgeously. it was an incredible moment to hear it live.

In response to the last reviewer: Have you actually listened to this? Glass's "Songs and Poems" are much more reminiscent of Bach's Suites for Solo Cello than of his more popular works such as the soundtrack to Koyaanisqatsi or Einstein on the Beach. Glass has done an incredible thing here: he has taken the leap, however ironic, from the contemporary music that he has done before to the expressive, tradional style of the Classical-period. If you're a fan of cello music, this would be an album to add to your collection. It is expressive and powerful, dark and full of angst. It's brilliantly composed, and Wendy Sutter produces an incredibly emotional tone. Highly recommended.