Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, England. Includes liner notes by Michael Cunningham.
THE HOURS was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.
Composer: Philip Glass.
One of America's best-known composers, Philip Glass may be widely regarded as a minimalist, but he demonstrates his strength as a storyteller with his soundtracks, and THE HOURS is no exception. Onscreen, it doesn't seem possible to find a more perfect accompaniment to Michael Cunningham's lovely story with searing tragic elements and bottomless yearning. On its own, however, the album feels lighter and more promising, a reminder again of Glass's resourcefulness and penchant for melody.
Pianist Michael Riesman and the Lyric Quartet enhance the classical tone of some of these pieces. "Morning Passages" and "Unwelcome Friend" have lovely piano solos that move grandly enough alone, but then are suddenly and delightedly joined by Glass's signature, blissfully sparse, but warm strings. "I'm Going to Bake a Cake," and "The Kiss" are reminiscent of Glass's more contemporary compositional style, three repeated arpeggios and only slightly shifting block chords. As ever, what saves these pieces from feeling repetitive is Glass's feel for romance and the dramatic arc.
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