Les Enfants Terribles - Glass
Les Enfants Terribles is a chamber opera by Philip Glass that has been released here as a suite for two pianos, performed by the Labèque sisters and arranged by Glass collaborator Michael Riesman.
I have long been a fan of pieces for multiple keyboard instruments; I can easily be seduced by a release by The 5 Browns, have loved the Bach concerto for Four Harpsichords, etc.
This is not the first time hearing this work translated to piano; Martha Argerich recorded a rendition back in 2015. I do not have access to the original setting, so I cannot relate to the context of the opera's story with the music. The original work was debuted in 1995-96 and was one in three operas Glass wrote based on books by Jean Cocteau.
I can relate to Glass's musical style, and there's no mistaking this as Philip Glass, sampling from either track. The dynamic energy and dynamic range is quite good, I think In fact, in a track like Paul's End there's almost too much energy for putting on Philip Glass as I sometimes I find myself doing, to provide a sonorous curtain to my work at the computer, or driving/commuting in the car.
The recording is well done too, I think, far more technicolor than the aforementioned Argerich recording.
An additional nineteen and a half minutes are taken on the recording with the Études no. 17 and no. 20. Each sister takes one alone.
As impeccable as I believe these performances are, there's something missing, I think, in the work's reconstruction for keyboards. DG is marketing the release with music videos which is something, but the dance, the story, the visual of performance here I think, some combination perhaps, would add to the work. I have also found taking the movements alone, too, seem to add something to the enjoyment.
Through Glass's harmonic language and the dynamic range employed, there are an especially wide dynamic of emotive colors produced, nothing lacking, I think, from the sonority of piano(s). I'm less convinced that the 11 pieces that make up Les Enfants Terribles work as well as a, well, piece, or suite.
I auditioned this via Qobuz without liner notes. I am hoping whatever liner notes may have been produced (inexcusable, I think in this day, for not including them with a digital album) provide the context of the story. While researching the story online gives me context to the story (there is also a film version of the book, if you haven't read it), it would be nice to get more as part of the package. Which leaves us with an oft considered paradox: is the music enough to live without the inspiration?
