Because it embraces linked interpretations of six tracks from David Bowie’s ‘Berlin period’ album “Heroes”, this will reach a far wider audience than any of Glass’s previous works. Like 1993’s similarly scored version of Low, this pursues the aesthetic, rather than intellectual, end. However, more intriguing to these ears was the companion offering, also recorded last summer by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Marin Alsop.
Reinforcing the idea that music is as much a science as an art, 1987’s The Light envelops you with the feel of a dream in motion. And this despite – or because of – its lack of an instantly familiar V2 Schneider, Sense Of Doubt and, of course, “Heroes” itself. Yet, if you persist with The Light, it could outstrip your appreciation for the “Heroes” reworkings.
