Philip Glass: Violin Concerto No. 1

Those who tend to associate Philip Glass with the mesmerising repetitions and subtly changing harmonies of his piano Etudes may be surprised by the expressive, late-Romantic harmonic style of his Violin Concerto No. 1. Composed in 1987, it’s a work that violinist Anne Akiko Meyers evidently loves. Just listen to the expressive way she plays the long-breathed theme that arrives after the opening arpeggios that are so typical of Glass’ usual style. Despite the relentless pulse that drives so much of the music, Meyers insists that there is considerable leeway for the performer: “Philip’s music is quite flexible,” she tells Apple Music Classical. “He once shared with me that he’s more interested in the artist’s interpretation than in prescribing a strict blueprint. This is music that is soulful and meditative, and allowing it to flow naturally and paying close attention to subtle variations is essential. Like Mozart, it demands fluidity, a sense of breath, and a singing approach to phrasing.” You can hear this in the concerto’s hauntingly memorable second movement, essentially a Baroque-style ground bass over which Meyers’ violin “sings”, recalling something of “Dido’s Lament” by Purcell. Yet the soloist’s music looks remarkably simple on the page. The challenge is to find the emotion in its relatively few notes, as Meyers explains: “As with all music, I enjoy finding the space to play freely within the structure of a piece. That architecture provides a framework, but within it, I strive to create a fresh and unique perspective from the printed notes on the page.” Glass came to hear Meyers perform his concerto at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil. Not long after, he wrote a piece specially for Meyers, which receives its first recording on this album. “I’d like to think that hearing my sound and playing style may have helped inspire New Chaconne,” she says. Reminiscent of a Handel slow movement, the new work, says Meyers, “captures the spirit of joyful beginnings, unfolding like the telling of a beautiful story, albeit one with a slightly mysterious ending that repeats and shifts, open to interpretation depending on the performer’s mood.” It provides a fine complement to Echorus, another work founded on a ground bass that Meyers has included on her album. Though New Chaconne is nominally a work for violin and piano, Meyers decided to involve not a pianist but the harpist Emmanuel Ceysson. “Since New Chaconne was written for violin and bass line, I felt that Emmanuel Ceysson would bring a uniquely rich dimension of colour and texture to the piece. I’ve worked and recorded with Emmanuel for many years—he’s an extraordinary harpist, musician, and spirit. I love how Philip’s music always invites discovery and creative interpretation, so I’m excited to explore this work with a variety of instrumentations.”