Philip’s Solo Works sparked an interest in digging into my collection of his LP releases. I decided to fully commit tonight to this particular one. Blew me away when I first listened as it does tonight.
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I’ve had the pleasure of seeing him walking in the East Village over the years. I’m always in awe whenever I pass him by. He is so nondescript you literally could miss him even if you were looking directly at him.
To me, his compositions reside in that meditative realm of listening enjoyment.
Have you seen Akhnaten? The version broadcast by the Metropolitan Opera back in 2019(?) was amazing. I heartily recommend it if you are a person who enjoys Glass.
Not met him, nor seen the Opera Akhnaten. Best I can say is I have his three profile Operas, Einstein being my favorite by far. Being the first I heard it has had a lasting impression and influenced my taste in music significantly.
Those Harmonia Mundi recordings are special to these ears.
They are indeed. Chiu was in town 20+ years ago to play a date with our ISO, and he autographed a few copies of his catalog for what was then a great little classical record store (now defunct), and I nabbed this one and an equally great-sounding one of Prokofiev Romeo & Juliette transcriptions.
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An old favorite - Ormandy and the Philadelphia performing the Bartók Concerto for Orchestra in an early digital recording on RCA. Issued in 1979.
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I’m revealing my age with this one. A 4-LP box set of Beethoven Piano Concertos I bought as a teenager, performed by a dark-haired Vladimir Ashkenazy with Solti and the CSO, issued in 1973 under license from London (the US arm of Decca) to the Book-of-the-Month Club. It cost me all of $17.95 plus shipping (close to four weeks’ allowance, if I remember correctly). 
Still sounds great on the Prime 21+.
BTW, I’m spending more time this afternoon with the analog rig because I finally found a buyer for my old Scout, which left the house with its new owner yesterday. Demo’ing that ‘table for him kind of rekindled my love for vinyl.
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Another “seasoned” LP - a 1978 EMI/Angel recording of Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies, variously arranged by Doppler and Müller-Berghaus, performed by Willi Boskovsky and the London Philharmonic.
@Craig_Burgess, Beethoven’s 5th of that set was one of my all time favorite recordings! Listened to it all the way back in the 70s. (I wasn’t aware it was a full set back then) and I was so happy to find the entire set on Qobuz in high res. Just an amazing performance and recording. I do so love Decca…
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Qobuz has a much more recent set I also admire greatly, and in hi-res as well. Check out Krystian Zimerman’s recordings with Simon Rattle and the London, on DGG. I’m especially fond of his rendition of the 4th, which I find almost indescribably beautiful.
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Aldo Ciccolini happens to be my preferred interpreter of Erik Satie’s piano pieces. His pace, and gentle touch seems just right to these ears.
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