Classical File

By JOHN FLEMING

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 3, 2000

Glass: Violin Concerto; Adele Anthony, violin; Ulster Orchestra/Takuo Yuasa, conductor (Naxos) -- It has long been accepted that Philip Glass' greatest strength is as a film and stage composer. In fact, his finest work may turn out to be what first brought him to a wider public, his score to Koyaanisqatsi, the 1983 documentary that made apocalypse seem spellbindingly beautiful. His trilogy of minimalist "portrait operas" -- Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, Akhnaten -- have worn less well.

Glass' repetitive, arpeggio-laden music complements film perfectly. It is most useful as accompaniment or ornamentation. Heard in the concert hall, with no visual stimulation, a Glass score can send audiences into fidgeting and torpor. His music does, however, make good listening on long drives.

Since the late 1980s, Glass has been composing more for traditional orchestra. One of his first forays into the field was the violin concerto, which is the centerpiece of a new Naxos release, part of its American Classics series. Also on the agenda are a pair of theater works, Company and the prelude and dance from Akhnaten.

From a chauvinistic standpoint, it continues to be disappointing that Naxos' exemplary survey of American art music is mostly played by non-American orchestras, in this case by the Ulster Orchestra under its Japanese principal guest conductor, Takuo Yuasa. U.S. orchestras, with their unionized players and high-cost production environments, have priced themselves out of the recording market. The Belfast orchestra, while far from the last word in polish and precision, acquits itself adequately on the budget-priced disc.

Violin soloist Adele Anthony is the highlight here in a nicely restrained performance. Set against the vaguely menacing orchestral backdrop, her sweet tone and agile passagework create an ethereal sensation that sticks in the mind. Architecturally, the concerto is unconventional in that the orchestra and soloist are relatively independent of each other, as if playing from parallel universes. It's a haunting piece, if a little short on invention in the finale, which trails off instead of reaching any resolution.

Company was originally written as a quartet to accompany a Samuel Beckett monologue on death. Rescored for string orchestra, it is a dark, sleekly beautiful work lasting less than 10 minutes. The excerpts from Akhnaten, Glass' opera on a sun-worshiping pharaoh, include passages of Zenlike trance music that are quintessential minimalism. Grade: B

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