Philip Glass - Mad Rush

[liszt1022]

My name is Daniel Brown. I recorded this last year at the Virginia Commonwealth University Concert Hall. I believe it is Philip Glass' longest piano solo work. It is in four large sections. There aren't very many chords in this piece, and I was able to learn it and play it without the score in one day. It's my favorite piano work of Glass'. For the performer, it can work as a sort of musical meditation, like connecting with the piano. The classical listener shouldn't worry about modulations or developments and just let it go.

[ted]

I really like this sort of music. It's much the same as the accompaniment to the film "Koyaanisqatsi" isn't it ? I liked the underlying message of that film and I thought that Glass's music captured the spirit of it admirably. There have been so many derogatory comments about Glass's music on other music forums that I thought it must therefore have some merit, and indeed I find it does.

I wonder why he bothered to divide "Mad Rush" into evenly numbered groups of beats - they all seem to be eights and fours. At first it sounds too uniform to hold interest but slowly it creates an oddly powerful hypnotic fascination. Like many modern developments in form, Glass's music suggests ease of improvisation, but when I tried I found it quite difficult to get the same effect.

In any case, you play it very well.

[BoliverAllmon]

I haven't heard much Philip Glass, but this is great. I love the hypnotic aspect. Makes me think of a reflecting scene in a movie. Great playing.

boliver

[sklebil]

I like that, too. Uncomplicated but still enjoyable even after having listened to it a few times. Sounds very professional. You learned this in a day without the score? That's impressive. Can I find the score somewhere?

[liszt1022]

You learned this in a day without the score?

No, I'm sorry the original sentence was not worded well. I had said "I was able to learn it and play it without the score in one day" but I meant I was able to play it without the score after only a day with the score.

[liszt1022]

I made a handy graphical analysis of the sections because it's easier to follow when listening to it. And also because I was bored.

[sklebil]

I made a handy graphical analysis of the sections because it's easier to follow when listening to it. And also because I was bored.

 Yeah, I agree, now your handy picture has given it a completely new dimension 

[lani_piano_learner]

Its a lovely piece  - and you play it so well!

It also reminds me of Michael Nyman's "The Piano" score. Do you like that also?

I'm surprised there are not more film pieces here. If you have any others - please put them up for us. Thank you 

Lani

[g_s_223]

Not being faceitious, but do you think there is any risk of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) with a piece like this? Were there any special precautions you took to avoid that risk?

[liszt1022]

Its a lovely piece  - and you play it so well!

It also reminds me of Michael Nyman's "The Piano" score. Do you like that also?

I'm surprised there are not more film pieces here. If you have any others - please put them up for us. Thank you 

Lani

I haven't heard the score for The Piano, I haven't seen the movie either because I've heard it doesn't portray classical music very kindly...

Philip Glass has done a lot of film music. Mostly, it's for art films and independents but occassionally it's for a big movie.

I play two other piano pieces by Glass - "Opening" from Glassworks and "Etude No. 1" from Etudes for Piano. Once I get my hands on the score to "Trilogy Sonata" (three piano transcriptions from Glass' operas) I'll play that too. And if I ever find a good piano to record on I'll put all those up.

[liszt1022]

Not being faceitous, but do you think there is any risk of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) with a piece like this? Were there any special precautions you took to avoid that risk?

I don't usually play this piece all the way through unless it's for a performance or recording. I don't take any precautions with long-term effects in mind, but I do try to keep my wrists relaxed. At the fast parts I make sure my wrists are rotating enough so that I'm not having to push with my fingers so much (which can wear you out pretty quick.)

[rlefebvr]

O.K.

Loved your playing. Hated the piece.

Is there anything else by Phillip Glass I should check out. Been hearing a lot about him.

[liszt1022]

O.K.

Loved your playing. Hated the piece.

Is there anything else by Phillip Glass I should check out. Been hearing a lot about him.

I'm going to try and record some other stuff of his and post it here sometime soon.

[rlefebvr]

Glass did Truman sleeps from "the truman show" movie.

I love that piece

[zemos]

Well, it's a very hypnotizing piece. Very interesting...
About your playing- you play this piece very well. Keeping the exact tempo for so long is hard, and you do it almost perfectly!
I'm interested, which other pieces do you play?
Tom.

[kreso]

Very interesting piece, since this is first time I heard it..
You captured the spirit and and the atmosfere is also extatic.
Please can you post the notes of Mad Rush?

[liszt1022]

Well, it's a very hypnotizing piece. Very interesting...
About your playing- you play this piece very well. Keeping the exact tempo for so long is hard, and you do it almost perfectly!
I'm interested, which other pieces do you play?
Tom.

My recital from 12 days ago:

Beethoven - Sonata in F-sharp major, Op. 78
Scarlatti - two sonatas, one in B-flat and one in G minor, I don't know the #s offhand
Tajcevic - Seven Balkan Dances
Liszt - Sposalizio
Schubert/Liszt - Der Doppelganger
Chopin - Scherzo in B-flat Minor

Of Philip Glass, I also play "Opening" from "Glassworks," "Etude #1" from "Etudes for Piano," and I'm learning the "Trilogy Sonata," which is a set of three piano arrangements of pieces from his opera trilogy.
I like transcriptions and arrangements, and am working on a new arrangement of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique (much easier than Liszt's, to play for fun.)
I don't have great technique (but I'm working on it!) so a lot of great repertoire is closed to me for now. If a new law went out saying pianists could only learn 3 pieces of music and not be able to play any others, I'd go for Berg Sonata op. 1, Liszt Sonata in B minor, and Bach's Goldberg Variations.

...a rather big project of mine is arranging/recording a lot of Nintendo music on piano, but that doesn't seem suitable for this board.

[liszt1022]

Very interesting piece, since this is first time I heard it..
You captured the spirit and and the atmosfere is also extatic.
Please can you post the notes of Mad Rush?

I don't have a digital score of it, but it's pretty straightforward harmonically (you can hear enough to play it just from listening to a recording)

[superstition2]

The fast section near the beginning is played too fast. With Glass, accuracy is paramount. The spaces between the notes must be clean. The phrasing is really important. Your playing is strained and awkward. I'd work on the phrasing in the first section, too. If you listen to The Hours' soundtrack, you'll hear the right tempi and phrasing.

[infectedmushroom]

Interesting piece. I kinda liked it, until it the piece speeds up.... Let's say, looking to your picture of "graphical analysis", I like the green "A" part the most.

[liszt1022]

The fast section near the beginning is played too fast. With Glass, accuracy is paramount. The spaces between the notes must be clean. The phrasing is really important. Your playing is strained and awkward. I'd work on the phrasing in the first section, too. If you listen to The Hours' soundtrack, you'll hear the right tempi and phrasing.

You should hear Glass play this piece on piano - he plays the B section much faster than I. Tempi changes abound through his recording, even within sections. Also, you can't hear half the notes in the fast sections. Some rhythmically weak notes come out stronger than others because of uneven fingers. Glass is a great composer but not a first-rate pianist (not that I am either.) Listening to Glass' "Solo Piano" album as well as his "Etudes for Piano," both with Glass as pianist, I feel that I am allowed 100x more liberty with time and phrasing than what I took on this recording.

[liszt1022]

Interesting piece. I kinda liked it, until it the piece speeds up.... Let's say, looking to your picture of "graphical analysis", I like the green "A" part the most.

Me too. If I'm in the mood to play this piece by myself, I'll usually just play the A section a few times. And the D section, I like the flow of the tune.