The album features Philip Glass's "Another Look at Harmony - Part IV" alongside an unpublished canon by Andrea Basily, a virtually unknown 18th-century composer, creating an "anachronistic alchemy."
Composition History
Philip Glass's "Another Look at Harmony - Part IV" (1975) is considered a condensed sketch of his major opera "Einstein on the Beach," which was written around the same time.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Philip Glass's music, despite its repetitive nature, is not mathematical or cold; it should be approached with an understanding of its expressive, lyrical, and even romantic qualities.
Performer Biography
Léo Warynski, the musical director, founded Les Métaboles, a choir of excellence, and was named musical personality of the year in 2020 by the critics' union for his eclecticism.
Recording & Production
The album includes an unpublished canon by Andrea Basily (1705-1777), discovered in the Bibliothèque nationale de France manuscripts and edited for this recording by musicologist Louis Castelain.
Compositional Technique
Philip Glass's "Another Look at Harmony - Part IV" features a repetitive, minimalist vocal style with no text, using onomatopoeia and note names, similar to "Einstein on the Beach."
Interpretation
The recording uses a baroque positive organ instead of an electronic organ, reflecting the musical director's view that Glass's work has more in common with historical music like the Notre-Dame school.
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