Philip Glass was introduced to Ravi Shankar during a recording session, in Paris, in the year of 1965. The two were collaborating on a soundtrack for Conrad Rook's film "Chappaqua", Glass as a conductor of the music and Shankar as the composer for the project. During the sessions, each musician had formed a favorable impression of the other, with Ravi the elder, passing on much musical knowledge to the then rather young Glass. After the session was over, the two went their separate ways, not often meeting again.
Moving forward into the summer of 1989, Peter Baumann [ founder of Private Music and one time member of the German electronic ensemble Tangerine Dream ] was enthusiastic about a suggestion for reuniting these two composers for a new collaboration to be released on his Private Music label.
Philip Glass has long acknowledged an influence of the Tibetan Buddhist musical practices. Buddhism itself is an offshoot of Shankar's native Hindu background, so in very real sense, there is a natural compatibility of spiritual esthetic between these two composers different musical sensibilities, as was also found in that work of 1965.
We can hear these mutual musical sympathies on this CD, which contains six new pieces. Two Glass works on musical themes presented by Shankar. Two Shankar works on musical themes presented by Glass and one work by each composer that relies solely on their own respective compositional strategies.
The music found on "Passages" offers us a beautiful realization of an ongoing present moment. A place where both tradition and innovation meet to carry us forward towards a new sense of rhythm and musical tranquility. May you find, in the invisible thread which connects the 40+ musicians on this recording, a sense of your own place within the compositions as an audience member at one with the music. (by Nicholas Croft)
Moving forward into the summer of 1989, Peter Baumann [ founder of Private Music and one time member of the German electronic ensemble Tangerine Dream ] was enthusiastic about a suggestion for reuniting these two composers for a new collaboration to be released on his Private Music label.
Philip Glass has long acknowledged an influence of the Tibetan Buddhist musical practices. Buddhism itself is an offshoot of Shankar's native Hindu background, so in very real sense, there is a natural compatibility of spiritual esthetic between these two composers different musical sensibilities, as was also found in that work of 1965.
We can hear these mutual musical sympathies on this CD, which contains six new pieces. Two Glass works on musical themes presented by Shankar. Two Shankar works on musical themes presented by Glass and one work by each composer that relies solely on their own respective compositional strategies.
The music found on "Passages" offers us a beautiful realization of an ongoing present moment. A place where both tradition and innovation meet to carry us forward towards a new sense of rhythm and musical tranquility. May you find, in the invisible thread which connects the 40+ musicians on this recording, a sense of your own place within the compositions as an audience member at one with the music. (by Nicholas Croft)
Ravi Shankar & Philip Glass
Personnel:
S.P. Balasubramanyam (vocals)
Joe Carver (bass)
Jeanie Gagne (voice)
Jon Gibson (saxophone)
Philip Glass (piano)
Gorden Gottlieb (percussion)
Peter Gordon (french horn)
Jack Kripl (flute)
Ronu Mazumdar (flute)
Theresa Norris (flute)
Keith O'Quinn (trombone)
Richard Peck (saxophone)
Lenny Pickett (saxophone)
Alan Raph (trombone)
Michael Riesman (piano)
Ron Sell (french horn)
Ravi Shankar (sitar, vocals)Shubho Shankar (sitar)
Abhiman Kaushal – tabla
T. Srinivasan – mridangam
Partha Sarathy – sarod, veena
+
violin section: Barry Finclair, Karen Karlsrud, Masako Yanagita, Mayuki Fukuhara, Regis Iandiorio, Sergiu Schwartz, Tim Baker
viola section: Al Brown, Barry Finclair, Masako Yanagita, Richard Sortomme
cello section: Batia Lieberman, Beverly Laudrisen, Fred Zlotkin, Seymour Barab
+
Madras Choir Orchestral
conducted by Ashit Desai, Michael Riesman, Suresh Lalwani
Tracklist:
01. Offering (Glass/Shankar) 9.40
02. Sadhanipa (Glass/Shankar) 8.31
03. Channels And Winds (Glass/Shankar) 7.56
04. Ragas In Minor Scale (Glass/Shankar) 7.32
05. Meetings Along The Edge (Glass/Shankar) 8.05
06. Prashanti (Glass/Shankar) 13.37
ARMU 2393 (zippyshare)