For those of you who always believe that your Glass is half empty, comes a new recording of the music of Philip Glass (b. 1937) featuring Irish violinist Gregory Harrington in a world premiere rendition of his own arrangement for violin and orchestra of the music from the Hours Suite, one of Philip Glass' most memorable movie scores. Now most would agree that since Philip Glass is one of the most prominent public figures in the minimalist music movement, and that his composition techniques have never wavered since the mid 1960s, that his music at times sounds overly repetitive and redundant. But there is something touching to the music from 'The Hours' that under Harrington's evocative and woeful touch deepens its poignancy and sense of loss. The slightly dark timbre he draws out of his instrument suits this music well.

If I'm not mistaken there is only one other recording of the Violin Concerto No. 2 "The American Four Seasons" released in 2010, so it's nice to see this new interpretation fill the void. Like Vivaldi's Four Seasons, it's laid out over four movements, each with its own character. This time around Harrington's tone is at times sweetly warm and at times "glassy" cold. The Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of conductor Mark Shapiro always provide the signature Philip Glass rhythmic pulse so intrinsic to minimalism, which well underpins the violin's soaring lyricism at all times.

For a more detailed overview on Gregory Harrington, this link will direct you to his informative website.