The 20 Études of Philip Glass

[aukhawk]

This is a brief survey of recordings of the Complete (Nos. 1-20) Piano Études of Philip Glass.  I exclude part-sets of which there are many, except for two honorable mentions below.  This revises and updates the more wordy survey that I first posted in 2018 in the Composer thread starting here:
https://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php?msg=1128223

By Glass' own account, the original set of 6 Etudes was completed in 1994 and are the ones now numbered 2,3,4,5,9,10.
Subsequent commissions extended the set and Book 1 (1-10) was used by Glass to expand his own piano technique and he recorded them in 2003 when he was 66.  The final works, Nos.18, 19 and 20, were premiered in February 2013 in a recital by Maki Namekawa who then went on to make the premiere recording of the full set of 20, Books I and II.  Philip Glass turned 80 in January 2017 and this sparked a spate of recordings over the period 2015-18.  Since then most years have seen at least one new recording - although this music does not attract many big-name piano stars to the studio.

Interpretations can be broadly grouped into one of three styles - straight-ahead 'minimalism', or interventionist with rubato and wild tempi, or falling between those two extremes.  Below I'll refer to a scale of 1 to 5 to describe where performers sit in this spectrum.  Recording quality is almost always good to very good, as is to be expected for any piano recording from the last 15 years, in rare cases where it falls short of 'very good' this will be mentioned below.

Before surveying the known 'complete' recordings I will mention two part-sets.
The composer Philip Glass has recorded Nos.1-10 and this is of course essential listening for anyone jumping down this rabbit-hole, but maybe not otherwise.  He takes some liberties with his own material and, perhaps surprisingly, leans towards the interventionist end of the performance spectrum - at least 3 on my scale.  And of course these Etudes stretch his piano technique where most other recording pianists sound much more facile.
Then there is Vikingur Olafsson.  A part-set of 10, he plays Nos.2,3,5,6,9,13,14,15,18,20, though not in that order.
He is a straight-ahead player (2 on my scale of 1 to 5), not much inclined to rubato, with great agility, precision, a light touch and yet power on tap.  His rapid-fire No.6 is spectacular but I find it a bit wearing as he bangs away in the bridge passages.  He has a sensitive side too - my favourite from this set is No.15 which he plays much more gently and lyrically than most other pianists Then to finish his set he keeps it light for No.18 then truly nails the sublime and very lyrical Etude No.20.  I simply can't imagine this music played better than this.
If you just want to dip a toe in and not commit to a full set of 20 Etudes, this well-engineered DG recording is unquestionably the one to go for.  Most of them can also be found as live performances on YouTube, though these are not the same recordings.

[edit to add - Brian reminds me - streamed versions of this album do include some highly spurious additional 'reworked' tracks - most unfortunate.

The complete list of full sets (I think) with the ones I think worthy of mention in bold:
Maki Namekawa (2014) (inc. premiere recording of Book 2)
Nicolas Horvath (2015) (crammed onto 1 CD !!) (search for "Glassworlds, Vol.2")
Bojan Gorisek (2015) (truly awful sound)
Jeroen Van Veen (2017) (bargain price)
Jenny Lin (2017)
Anton Batagov (2017) (a live recording)
Sally Whitwell (2018)
Jacopo Salvatori (2018)
Leslie Dala (2021)
Francois Mardirossian (2022)
Maciej Ganski (2023)
Maire Carroll (2024)
Vanessa Wagner (2025)

also ... Nicholas Teague (2020) (awful stumbling performance, honestly not worth exploring)


Sally Whitwell, the straight-ahead archetype (1 on my scale), has become over the last 5 years or so, a great favourite of mine.  I didn't like her on first hearing but she has very much grown on me.  She is slow - often slower than Batagov which is saying something - and devoid of mannerisms, very plain playing, I would say matchless in this regard.  When I first heard this, my notes included "Unruffled, deliberate, plodding, hypnotic, sleep-inducing".  I have learned to love this approach - with Whitwell you are invited to "trust the process".  Her No.5 is a superb statement of minimalism.


The other pianist of this type I have highlighted is Jeroen Van Veen - this is a bargain-price set and yet fully competitive with the best.  And to the great credit of the production team at Brilliant, this is the ONLY set to document the key signatures of each Etude.
His general approach is similar to Whitwell - though I would say she does it better, with more humanity and in much better sound.  His No.7 is remarkably slow - challenging really - and a highlight of the set for me.  The recording of his Yamaha is close and dry which accentuates his non-legato style.  It's all a bit ascetic, Glass in a hair-shirt, but at the bargain price this is worth a punt for almost anyone.


If the straight-ahead approach generally appeals, but the two above seem too extreme, then I would recommend you turn to Maki Namekawa's recording,which I would place at 2 on my scale of 1 to 5.  Namekawa premiered the final Etudes in 2013 and hers is the earliest recording of 1-20, issued on Glass' own label Orange Mountain.  Obviously her view of this music is authoritative.  Compared with Whitwell she unbends, but only slightly - nowhere near as much as the composer himself for example.  She is even-handed and classical in style, and generally inclined to quickness.  In slower pieces there is a hypnotic effect, but conversely in Etude No.12 she is very speedy and achieves a sense of swing like nobody else, for me this is the highlight of her set, No.14 also very good in similar style.
The recording is a good one, if not quite a match for the very best (Olafsson, and Batagov), but no shortage of low-end grunt anyway from what sounds like a very fine piano.


At the opposite end of the interpretive spectrum we have Bojan Gorisek, on my scale of 1 to 5 I'm tempted to award him a 6. 
To get one thing out of the way from the start, this must be the worst piano recording I've ever heard.    Drenched in bright reverberation, as though recorded in an empty swimming bath.  I should say that Book 2 is a lot better recorded than Book 1 - I think there was over a year's gap between the two projects.
That aside, I have to say that I really like the way Gorisek plays this music.  He is easily the most lyrical of all the interpreters here, he seems to find melodies where nobody else does.  He is generally on the quick side and he does omit a few repeats (he's not alone in that) but over time (several years) I've come to like his playing more and more.  Interventionist, yes - he really has a 'lateral thinking' approach to this music setting him apart from all others.  I like him in Nos.5&6 which interestingly he segues together,  [edit to add - Glass himself also does this on his recording - but no-one else does.]  But you cannot ignore the poor recording.


Another option at this end of the interpretive spectrum is Vanessa Wagner who is recorded well enough although not stellar.  I could be mistaken but it sounds as though the piano itself is a little under-powered, maybe not a full concert grand.  In contrast to Whitwell or even Namekawa, she does her utmost to humanise the music.  Rubato, yes.  Agogic pauses, yes.  Extreme tempi, yes, her Etude No.9 may be the quickest on record (and thrilling), while her No.8 is among the slowest.


And so to my own overall favourite.  In 2017 in the month that Philip Glass turned 80, Anton Batagov recorded this set of 20 live in Moscow - but you'd never know, the piano mics don't pick the audience up at all and there's no applause until the very end.  Incidentally this concert can also be found on YouTube. Issued on the Orange Mountain label and produced by Michael Riesman, like Namekawa and a few other pianists Batagov presumably can claim a 'special relationship' with the composer. 
No-one who has seen the Bach Partitas thread will be surprised to learn that Batagov inclines towards slow tempi - but be reassured, he keeps his excesses in check here, perhaps mindful of his audience's need to catch the last bus home on a January night in Moscow!    Overall he sits comfortably at 3 on my interpretive scale of 1 to 5.  His Etude No.5 is stately, Whitworth-like - His No.12 Namekawa-like although not nearly so quick as she, and No.14 perhaps the standout of the set for me.
But what sets this set apart from the rest is the recording (using Batagov's Russian mics) - I have never, ever, heard a piano recorded like this before.  Come to that, I have never heard a piano where the bottom end is so evidently well set up - the tuning down at that subterranean A is immaculate, and that's quite an unusual thing in my experience.  And that bottom octave gets a real workout in these Etudes.  Where Namekawa's piano growls like a bear, and Olafsson's buzzes like a bumblebee, this Steinway just purrs.  A gentle pp stroke of lowest A sets in motion a sound almost like an organ pedal note.  Incidentally that note - played ppp - is the final note of the final Etude.  Listening to this is like drowning in a vat of dark chocolate.

[Brian]

Thank you for this! I might try to listen to some today. I especially enjoyed the description at the end of bears, bees, and cats. 

[hopefullytrusting]

Thank you for this breakdown.

Going to pick up at least one of these because of this thread.

[aukhawk]

The etudes are colorful, entertaining, varied. I love the glowing jazzy cheer of No. 14. I didn't necessarily need the tracks where slow etudes are repeated with string quartet accompaniment.

Ah yes - I wasn't aware of those extra tracks which have been added since the original release (2017) which did start with 'Opening' (which is usually associated with the 5 Metamorphoses for piano) but was otherwise just the 10 selected Etudes starting with No.9.  The additions are very sad. 
[I've edited my original post to add a note about this, thanks Brian ]

One advantage of the Olafsson set though, is that he avoids starting with Etude No.1 which to my ears is the least euphonious of the whole 20 and I can't help feeling it is a most unfortunate starting point for new listeners.  Inevitably the full sets all do start with No.1.

[Mandryka]

 

Another option at this end of the interpretive spectrum is Vanessa Wagner who is recorded well enough although not stellar.  I could be mistaken but it sounds as though the piano itself is a little under-powered, maybe not a full concert grand.  In contrast to Whitwell or even Namekawa, she does her utmost to humanise the music.  Rubato, yes.  Agogic pauses, yes.  Extreme tempi, yes, her Etude No.9 may be the quickest on record (and thrilling), while her No.8 is among the slowest.

How do you feel about that in music so (prima facie) simple? I find what she does makes the music more interesting for me to hear - I'd say it doesn't sound forced - though it clearly is super interventionist.

Someone said to me that Glass is happy to give performers his thoughts about interpretation - do you know if he got involved with Vanessa Wagner for this recording?

[aukhawk]

Wagner's is a very recent release and I have only listened to via streaming, with no documentation, and haven't attempted any research about her or her recording, for example I don't know what instrument she plays.

I do know that many pianists do have have some kind of reelationship with the composer, not altogether surprising as he is still living, and these certainly include Namekawa, Davies, Olafsson, Jenny Lin, Gosisek, Batagov and would would not be at all surprised to learn of others.

Just listening to Glass' own recording shows that he has a pretty relaxed view interpretavely, his tempi for example do not always accord with the ones marked in the score.  And listening to other recordings by the above-named, two of them on his own label, gives a sense of vive la difference.  I imagine that, like any living composer would be, he is just very pleased to hear his music played.  Messiaen for example, was always effusive in his praise and support for any organist tackling his music - even though, as Peter Hill relates, he could be quite critical in private.

Regarding simplicity, when played plain as Whitwell does, the slower pieces such as 2, 7 and 8 are Satie-esque whereas Vanessa Wagner to my ears is more Chopin-esque.  Strangely, the other composer who always comes to mind when I listen to this music is Bruckner.  This is due to both composers' penchant for repeating in blocks of four, which I will admit can be hard to take sometimes.  Repeating is of course a fundamental element of music - without repitition there is no structure - and unquestionably in these Etudes this aspect has to be embraced.  I think Namekava does this best, the music in her hands is kaleidoscopic.

[Madiel]

I grew up with Sally Whitwell. She lived in the next suburb. We participated in eisteddfods. I can't remember anymore who won what.

I can no longer comment objectively on her pianism. 

[AaronSF]

I periodically listen to Glass to see if I've changed my mind about him.  Today I listened to Batagov's recording of these etudes.  All of them.  As nearly as I can tell he plays them well on a fine instrument.  But, oh, these are extraordinarily boring and unimaginative works.  Does "minimalism" necessarily mean stultifying?  If these etudes are exemplary, then I guess the answer is "yes."

I remember enjoying "Koyaanisqatsi" and thinking Glass's music was a great match for the film.  I think it was many people's introduction to Glass as he was largely unknown before that collaboration.  But that was, as it turns out, a special case as his score was essentially film music.  His music on its own has never excited me; indeed it often annoys me no end.  The repetitions are mind numbing. 

I realize he has quite a fan base.  Maybe some of you can tell me why you like him so...perhaps in the context of these etudes? 

[Madiel]

I periodically listen to Glass to see if I've changed my mind about him.  Today I listened to Batagov's recording of these etudes.  All of them.  As nearly as I can tell he plays them well on a fine instrument.  But, oh, these are extraordinarily boring and unimaginative works.  Does "minimalism" necessarily mean stultifying?  If these etudes are exemplary, then I guess the answer is "yes."

I remember enjoying "Koyaanisqatsi" and thinking Glass's music was a great match for the film.  I think it was many people's introduction to Glass as he was largely unknown before that collaboration.  But that was, as it turns out, a special case as his score was essentially film music.  His music on its own has never excited me; indeed it often annoys me no end.  The repetitions are mind numbing. 

I realize he has quite a fan base.  Maybe some of you can tell me why you like him so...perhaps in the context of these etudes? 

The only Glass recording I like is Vikingur Olafsson in the etudes. I otherwise have the same reaction as you do. In fact I was quite astounded that I found a recording I enjoyed.

So maybe, if you're interested, try that one. No shame if you don't like it of course.

[steve ridgway]

I made it through the first two Études. They were as I expected having previously purchased a CD with the Violin Concerto coupled with a Schnittke piece I wanted. Not for me, I find this sort of simple repetition depressing .

[aukhawk]

I periodically listen to Glass to see if I've changed my mind about him.  Today I listened to Batagov's recording of these etudes.  All of them.  As nearly as I can tell he plays them well on a fine instrument.  But, oh, these are extraordinarily boring and unimaginative works.  Does "minimalism" necessarily mean stultifying?  If these etudes are exemplary, then I guess the answer is "yes."

I remember enjoying "Koyaanisqatsi" and thinking Glass's music was a great match for the film.  I think it was many people's introduction to Glass as he was largely unknown before that collaboration.  But that was, as it turns out, a special case as his score was essentially film music.  His music on its own has never excited me; indeed it often annoys me no end.  The repetitions are mind numbing. 

I realize he has quite a fan base.  Maybe some of you can tell me why you like him so...perhaps in the context of these etudes?

"The repetitions are mind numbing." - well, so is a fine malt whisky - so there's one answer for you, meant in all seriousness.

I agree this is not very substantial music.  The score for each Etude generally occupies only 2 pages even when the music is written across 3 staves (as in No.2 for example).  Compared with other 'modern' piano suites of similar duration - such as Shostakovich's Op.87, or Messiaen's Vingt Regards to mention two of my favourites - it doesn't stack up well.  But actually I enjoy listening to all three of those, I don't feel as though any of them are wasting my time, and they are all good for just dipping in if time is limited.

A waste of my time, as I see it, would be "periodically listening to" a composer that I already know I don't get on with.

So there are planty of recordings - the 13 complete sets of the Etudes that I know of plus maybe 20 part-sets that I haven't mentioned here - so this thread is set up for GMG members to guide each other round these choices.

[Mandryka]

I made it through the first two Études. They were as I expected having previously purchased a CD with the Violin Concerto coupled with a Schnittke piece I wanted. Not for me, I find this sort of simple repetition depressing .

Try this to help you to reframe things

https://www.bussigel.com/systemsforplay/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Reich_Gradual-Process.pdf

[aukhawk]

I would add that I think - have always thought - that 'minimalism' is a rather unfortunate description for this type of music, and I suspect it is one that has been applied to the likes of Riley, Nyman, Reich and Glass (and to a lesser extent Adams) by others, and not much used by themselves.

If pressed I might describe this as 'mosaic' music.  A mosaic has a necessary grain that you have to look past in order to see the picture.  Often repeated patterns or even nested patterns are a feature. 

And (in the case of Riley and Reich more so than Glass) I'm reminded of the very long tiled wall in some great mosque somewhere I don't know where.  If you stand and look at any section of the wall at normal viewing distance it's just a plain wall of purplish tiles, rather boring.  But if you were able to stand right back and view the whole thing, one end is red and the other end is blue.  I suppose a direct musical parallel for that is Gloria Coates' Mirror Manifolds.

[hopefullytrusting]

To answer @AaronSF query, I simply enjoy entering new soundscapes, and in that repetition - that redundancy - I sometimes am also able to enter new mindscapes, which I, someone who has great difficulty visualizing, appreciate to no end.

For me, I view music as sort of a rhetorical practice, where I gather up as many sounds as I can, so that I can always quell my mind by drawing upon my quiver of music, and Glass gives me something that very few other composers can - in fact, the only one close, at least in my quiver is Reich, who, I do prefer more, but being a rhetorician - I never get rid of a strategy of tactic.