Philip Glass' three operas based on films by
Jean Cocteau, inspired by the composer's youthful experiences in Paris, are among his most variegated works and perhaps among the ones most likely to win over those unpersuaded by the composer. This release took shape as
Katia and Marielle Labèque performed concerts devoted to two-piano arrangements of numbers from these operas in 2020 and 2023; the arrangements are by
Glass colleague
Michael Riesman. Many recordings of
Glass have come from his own orbit, but this one, released by the
Deutsche Grammophon label and a presence on classical best-seller charts in early 2024, shows the value in opening up the field. The
Labèques bring a fluent but lively quality to the music that illuminates the material out of which the operas are woven. Sample the ragtime-like opening, "Le café," from Act I at the beginning. Elsewhere, one hears echoes of
Gluck,
Bach, and more, all superimposed on
Glass' characteristic repeating patterns. The durable popularity of
Katia and Marielle Labèque, still at the top of the duo piano heap, is remarkable, and it has occurred in part because the sisters are unafraid to take on new repertory. Here, they have done a spectacular job. ~ James Manheim