Early Keyboard Music

by Mark W.B. Allender This is the music that gives minimalism its name. These early experiments by Philip Glass show the composer in the embryonic stages of the 20th century American shift away from the music of Europe. Newcomers to the minimalism genre may find these pieces too boring for a good listen. But many will find these works relaxing and trancelike. With the exception of the One + One pieces, all works are scored for solo organ and are performed thus -- often with parallel arpeggios for both left and right hands. Both One + One pieces are performed by tapping out written rhythms on a tabletop. This is an important document of the development of a new style, and it is a credit to the performer and producers of this album that they had the vision to make new recordings of these works.