Of Beauty & Light: The Music of Philip Glass [Box Set]

Disc 1
1	The Light, for orchestra / Philip Glass
2	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes") / Philip Glass
3	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes") / Philip Glass
4	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes") / Philip Glass
5	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes") / Philip Glass
6	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes") / Philip Glass
7	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes") / Philip Glass
Disc 2
1	Symphony No. 3, for strin / Philip Glass
2	Symphony No. 3, for strin / Philip Glass
3	Symphony No. 3, for strin / Philip Glass
4	Symphony No. 3, for strin / Philip Glass
5	Symphony No. 2, for orche / Philip Glass
6	Symphony No. 2, for orche / Philip Glass
7	Symphony No. 2, for orche / Philip Glass
Disc 3
1	Company, for string quart / Philip Glass
2	Company, for string quart / Philip Glass
3	Company, for string quart / Philip Glass
4	Company, for string quart / Philip Glass
5	Violin Concerto: Movement / Philip Glass
6	Violin Concerto: Movement / Philip Glass
7	Violin Concerto: Movement / Philip Glass
8	Akhnaten, opera: Prelude / Philip Glass
9	Akhnaten, opera: Dance (A / Philip Glass
Disc 4
1	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes") / Philip Glass
2	Threnody (for the Victims / Krzysztof Penderecki
3	Toccata for violin & play / Conlon Nancarrow
4	Sonatas and Interludes, f / John Cage
5	Fünf Nachtstücke, for vio / Hans Werner Henze
6	Quattro Pezzi su una nota / Giacinto Scelsi
7	In C, for unspecified per / Terry Riley
8	String Quartet No 2 / Charles Wuorinen
9	Déserts for brass, percus / Edgard Varèse
10	Songs, Drones and Refrain / George Crumb
11	Bagatelles (6) for wind q / György Ligeti
12	Silenzio, pieces (5) for / Sofia Gubaidulina
13	Beta, electronic work / Jørgen Plaetner
14	Shaker Loops, for 7 strin / John Adams
15	Piano Concerto No.1 / Einojuhani Rautavaar
16	Fratres, for strings & pe / Arvo Pärt
Of Beauty & Light: The Music of Philip Glass [Box Set]
1.	The Light, for orchestra 23:51
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Conducted by Marin Alsop
	Performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
2.	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes"), for orchestra 46:12
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Conducted by Marin Alsop
	Performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
3.	Symphony No. 3, for strings 23:58
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Conducted by Marin Alsop
	Performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
4.	Symphony No. 2, for orchestra 43:05
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Conducted by Marin Alsop
	Performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
5.	Company, for string quartet/string orchestra 9:00
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Performed by Ulster Orchestra
	Conducted by Takuo Yuasa
6.	Violin Concerto 24:51
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Performed by Ulster Orchestra and Adele Anthony
	Conducted by Takuo Yuasa
7.	Akhnaten, opera: Prelude 12:16
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Performed by Ulster Orchestra
	Conducted by Takuo Yuasa
8.	Akhnaten, opera: Dance (Act II, Scene III) 5:34
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Performed by Ulster Orchestra
	Conducted by Takuo Yuasa
9.	Symphony No. 4 ("Heroes"), for orchestra: Neuköln 6:47
	Composed by Philip Glass
	Conducted by Marin Alsop
	Performed by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
10.	Threnody (for the Victims of Hiroshima), for 52 strings 8:52
	Composed by Krzysztof Penderecki
	Performed by Polish National Symphony Orchestra
	Conducted by Antoni Wit
11.	Toccata for violin & player piano 1:32
	Composed by Conlon Nancarrow
	Performed by Continuum
12.	Sonatas and Interludes, for prepared piano: First Interlude 3:24
	Composed by John Cage
	Performed by Boris Berman
13.	Fünf Nachtstücke, for violin & piano: 1. Elegie 3:00
	Composed by Hans Werner Henze
	Performed by Peter Sheppard and Aaron Shorr
14.	Quattro Pezzi su una nota sola (Four Pieces on Only One Note), for 25 musicians: 1. 2:29
	Composed by Giacinto Scelsi
	Conducted by Hans Zender
	Performed by Saarbrucken Radio Symphony Orchestra
15.	In C, for unspecified performers: [Excerpt] 5:14
	Composed by Terry Riley
	Conducted by Paul Hillier
	Performed by Ars Nova Copenhagen and Percurama Percussion Ensemble
16.	String Quartet No 2 5:01
	Composed by Charles Wuorinen
	Performed by The Group for Contemporary Music
17.	Déserts for brass, percussion, piano & tape: Beginning 4:15
	Composed by Edgard Varèse
	Conducted by Christopher Lyndon-Gee
	Performed by Polish National Symphony Orchestra and Maryse Castets
18.	Songs, Drones and Refrains of Death, for baritone, electric guitar & double bass, amplified piano & harpsichord, & 2 percissionists: Death Drone 2 1:51
	Composed by George Crumb
	Performed by Nicholas Isherwood and Art Nouveau Ensemble
	Conducted by Fuat Kent
19.	Bagatelles (6) for wind quintet: Allegro grazioso 2:44
	Composed by György Ligeti
	Performed by Albert Schweitzer Quintet
20.	Silenzio, pieces (5) for bayan, violin & cello: II 2:30
	Composed by Sofia Gubaídulína
	Performed by Maria Kliegel, Elsbeth Moser and Kathrin Rabus
21.	Beta, electronic work 5:34
	Composed by Jørgen Plaetner
	Performed by Jørgen Plaetner
22.	Shaker Loops, for 7 strings or string orchestra: A Final Shaking 4:08
	Composed by John Adams
	Conducted by Marin Alsop
	Performed by Nathan Gunn and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
23.	Piano Concerto No.1 9:47
	Composed by Einojuhani Rautavaara
	Performed by Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Laura Mikkola
	Conducted by Hannu Lintu
24.	Fratres, for strings & percussion 8:51
	Composed by Arvo Pärt
	Conducted by Tamás Benedek
	Performed by Hungarian State Opera Orchestra

All Music Guide

Naxos' bargain-priced compilation of three of its previously released discs of music by Philip Glass is especially valuable because it consists entirely of works for orchestra, a genre in which he is not especially well represented on recordings. (Many of his film scores are written for orchestra, but his absolute music -- symphonies and concertos -- isn't as widely known.) Glass came to the symphony relatively late in his career; he wrote his first in 1992, his "Low Symphony," based on the several tracks from David Bowie's and Brian Eno's 1977 album of the same name. Naxos' collection includes his "Second" (1994), "Third" (1994), and "Fourth," (1996) and the "Heroes Symphony," based on another album by Bowie and Eno. His distinctive "Violin Concerto" (1987), written for Paul Zukofsky, is probably the most substantial and fully satisfying work in the set, which also includes two instrumental selections from the opera "Akhnaten," the symphonic poem "The Light," and the orchestral version of "Company," originally for string quartet. All of the performances are very good, but Marin Alsop's readings of the symphonies, with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, are especially vibrant. Adele Anthony's performance of the "Violin Concerto," with the Ulster Orchestra, led by Takuo Yuasa is thrillingly virtuosic. Naxos includes a bonus disc, Sonic Rebellion, that is a sampler of newer classical music likely to appeal to the kind of listener who's drawn to musical mavericks like Glass. The collection is wonderfully eclectic, including composers as diverse as Rautavaara, Cage, Nancarrow, Henze, Riley, Wuorinen, Ligeti, Scelsi, Gubaidulina, and Adams, and should whet the appetite of fans of new music to look into the Naxos catalog. Stephen Eddins