Piano Music:
Adams:
China Gates
Phrygian Gates

Glass:
Orphée Suite

Canadian pianist David Jalbert plays three works for solo piano by John Adams and Philip Glass, two living composers that have greatly influenced the musical landscape of American contemporary music. When John Adams composed China Gates and Phrygian Gates in the 1970s, he resided in northern California near the Pacific Ocean. Adams was inspired by the natural movement of water, and his fascination for the modulating waveforms is the basis for the two works featured on this recording. Philip Glass’ Orphée Suite for Piano is based on his own chamber opera of 1991, which was in turn inspired by Jean Cocteau’s 1950 film, Orphée. The work was transcribed for piano by Paul Barnes in 2000 and premiered in New York City in 2001.