Philip Glass – Islands (from Glassworks) piano solo sheet music

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Glassworks by Philip Glass

Glassworks work is a chamber music in six movements by Philip Glass .

It is considered a paradigmatic work of his compositional style. After his larger-scale concerts and stage works, Glassworks was Philip Glass’s successful attempt to create a more pop-oriented body of work, “suitable for listening with a Walkman”, with considerably shorter and more accessible pieces composed for the studio. of recording. The studio album was released in 1982.

Movements

• I. Opening (piano (with horn at the end)) 6’24”
• II. Floe (2 flutes, 2 soprano saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, 2 horns, synthesizer) 5’59”
• III. Island (2 flutes, 2 soprano saxophones, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, 2 horns, viola, cello, synthesizer) 7’39”
• IV. Rubric (2 flutes, 2 soprano saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, 2 horns, synthesizer) 6’04”
• V. Façades (2 soprano saxophones, synthesizer, viola, cello) 7’20” – Originates from the soundtrack of the film Koyaanisqatsi , but was ultimately not used for the film; it is performed as a standalone piece (ISWC T-010.461. 089-0).
• SAW. Closing (flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, horn, viola, cello, piano) 6’03” – Repeat of Opening.

“Opening”

“Opening” employs eighth note triplets, on an eighth note base, over whole notes in 4/4 time . Formally it is made up of three groups of four bars of three or four chords repeated four times each, ABC:||ABC, which then merges with the following movement , “Floe” with the entrance of the horns.

“Floe”
The movement ( Floe translates as iceberg) presents two formally identical sections. Although highly rhythmic in character, the melodic implications of “Floe” come from the orchestration employed. There is no modulation , just a harmonic progression repeated over and over again. The overlapping of layers of timbral contrast is characteristic of the piece as a whole.

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