Philip Glass - The Best of Philip Glass (2007)

In honor of Philip Glass' 70th birthday, Sony has devoted two CDs to 18 short works and movements of larger works, from recordings in its archive. The set provides a useful introduction to the composer's work from a relatively brief span in his long career, from 1976 to 1988. It was an exceptionally productive period for Glass; works written during that period include his three large-scale portrait operas -- Einstein on the Beach, Satyagraha, and Akhnaten -- all represented here, as well as two very popular albums of short pieces: Glassworks and Songs From Liquid Days. The collection is limited because it doesn't include many of the important works from before that period, such as Music in Twelve Parts, or any of the later music, such as the symphonies, string quartets, or film-operas, or any of the film scores that span his career, but those works aren't part of Sony's catalog. One could quibble about the selection made from the available recordings; there are four pieces from Songs From Liquid Days, probably the composer's weakest endeavor, and only about four minutes each from Einstein on the Beach and Satyagraha, two of his most significant and powerful works. The performances, mostly featuring the Philip Glass Ensemble, are authoritative and unsurpassed. Sony's sound is clean and spacious, accommodating the most monumental and the quietest moments. The program notes are in German only.