Philip Glass may be
counted among the greatest living composers
today, but much of his work has already
begun to be forgotten. Even though Music
with Changing Parts was composed
as recently as 1970 it has not been
often recorded or performed. This piece
is in fact one of Glass’s most influential,
important, and impressive works. That
said it is understandable why most listeners
would not know of the piece. Music
with Changing Parts was previously
only released on LP, two discs, with
a limited circulation on Glass’s own
Chatham Square label. Additionally the
work was out of print from the late
1970s until 1994. In the recorded format
the work had to be inappropriately faded
in and out at the beginning and end
of each side due to the limitations
of the medium. With music of this magnitude
that damaged the listening experience
to a point where the initial recording
could not be considered representative
of a live performance.
In 1994 Glass remastered
the recording and re-released it However
after that was completed Glass appeared
to consider the work to be largely in
his past. While he toured with the work
throughout the 1970s and 1980s he exercised
a great amount of influence over musicians
such as Brian Eno and David Bowie. This
manifested itself as early as 1973’s
No Pussyfooting by Brian Eno
and Robert Fripp. Even so Glass considered
the piece largely a developmental work
on the way to Music in Twelve Parts
and Einstein on the Beach.
Thus it was largely ignored by the recording
industry until very recently.
Icebreaker have come
to the table with a new recording of
this long discarded but now rediscovered
work. Describing the auditory experience
is not straightforward. The 13 piece
ensemble is very reminiscent of the
original Philip Glass ensemble, with
a collection of both electric and acoustic
instruments. This recording makes use
of several synthetic sounds, marimba,
flute, saxophones, guitar, the electric
violin and bass guitar in addition to
Rowland Sutherland’s occasional vocalise.
The work in many ways foreshadows Glass’s
more recent film scores with long tones
sitting atop the intense and persistent
ostinatos that form its foundation.
Instruments slowly enter and exit to
create an entrancing sonic wall. The
effect is hypnotic and relaxing, though
not really soothing. It simultaneously
engages and excites the mind while numbing
it. The performance of this work is
really quite profound.
Music with Changing
Parts is as close as Glass ever
came to modern jazz. There are improvisatory
elements in the work; there is room
for musicians to respond to the acoustic
effects of the room during the performance
or recording. The improvisation is carefully
controlled, giving the performers only
a few options, but there is also room
for expression that does not exist in
many other Glass works.
The recording is pristine
and performance remarkably tight. Performing
long minimalist works is an exceptionally
draining experience for many performers,
but Icebreaker respond to the challenge
exceptionally well. As a listening experience
this piece is performed masterfully.
Patrick Gary
rec. Dartington College of Arts, 
