For lovers of minimalist composition, there are few modern composers who top Philip Glass. Even if you don’t frequent concert halls, you may have heard his haunting and emotional work: he composed the original score for The Hours, wrote pieces for The Truman Show soundtrack, and featured heavily in the soundtrack for Mishima. While “minimalist modern composer” may strike fear into the hearts of people worried over long run times and dissonant chords, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ presentation of Philip Glass’s Complete Etudes was incredibly accessible. The emotions captured by his melodies and counter-melodies are universal, and their delivery was world-class.

10 concert pianists took the stage to perform the Complete Etudes. The setup itself was simple: a single Steinway & Sons grand piano with a semi-circle of individually-adjusted benches behind it. After their personal bench had been brought to the piano, each pianist performed 2 successive etudes under moody stage lighting, taking the audience through the complete 20 pieces.

With each successive pianist’s personal interpretation of Glass’s emotional, repetitive pieces, the through-line of Glass’s lifetime of minimalist compositions was laid open on the stage. The rumbling bass lines, sparse but gripping melodies, and yearning chord progressions left ample room for reflection. The performers refused to rush the 2.5 hour performance and instead relished in the introspective qualities of the music.

Highlights of the night included Daniela Liebman’s emphatic opening with Etudes 1 and 2, Timo Andres’ lively and rapid interpretation of Etude 5, Jenny Lin’s melodic performance of Etudes 15 and 16, and, our personal favorite, Inon Barnatan’s delicate and heart-wrenching Etude 17. After Maki Namekawa finished the show with the Etude 20, a trance-like piece that left the audience rapt until its final note, the performers received their applause and eventually brought out Glass himself, who smiled and bowed humbly in front of the night’s strongest cheers.

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