Timo Andres: Tiny Desk Concert
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Published 2024-02-07
It's a longstanding tradition for musicians to leave a small something-or-other on the thoroughly disorganized wall of "stuff" that backdrops our Tiny Desk. My favorite is the Johann Sebastian Bach bobblehead.
But now, move over Bach. Here comes Philip Glass.
When Timo Andres arrived at our office to play a pair of etudes by Philip Glass, the director of Glass' publishing house, Adrienne White, tagged along and generously donated the only remaining Philip Glass bobblehead to NPR — an appropriate gesture to mark the composer's 87th birthday on Jan. 31.
The wiggly statue depicts Glass standing at one of his trusty Farfisa organs, an instrument associated with the early days of his career when he played intricate patterns over and over in his SoHo loft, as fans and fellow musicians, like Laurie Anderson, laid on the floor and let the music wash over them.
Much of Glass' music can have that transforming, mesmerizing effect, including these two etudes. They are opposite twins from a set of 20, pieces Glass wrote over a two-decade span, beginning in the early 1990s. Andres knows the music intimately — he helped edit and design a gorgeous new folio facsimile of the sheet music.
With Etude No. 6, Andres combines sewing machine precision with a deep feeling for Glass' melodies, stitching together delicate arpeggios and thundering chords. Etude No. 5 is, by contrast, a meditation in slow motion. A see-sawing rhythmic idea sets the foundation for a journey wherein time seems to stand almost still while the spaces between the notes speak volumes.
SET LIST
Philip Glass: Etude No. 6
Philip Glass: Etude No. 5
MUSICIANS
Timo Andres: piano
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Tom Huizenga
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Phil Edfors
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Photographer: Elizabeth Gillis
Tiny Desk Team: Joshua Bryant, Hazel Cills
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
#nprmusic #tinydesk #timoandres #philipglass
All Comments (21)
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you know a tiny desk is going to be good when the thumbnail is just one person and a piano what a stellar recording of these etudes, every time i hear a Glass piece i fall a bit more in love with his composing style.
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Superb, once again Tiny Desk gives the fantastic opportunity to hear great music of every genre.
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Thank you Timo! And thank you NPR for the scope and depth you continue to bring with Tiny Desk! Truly thankful for you all. Opens me up and makes me better.
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oh thank you! Philip Glass is a living legend and one of my all time favorite composers!
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Etude No.5 is sublime, Etude No. 6 the preparation. Goodness! 🙌🏾❤
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Thank you so very much NPR Music. Your guests bring me so much musical love and joy. Thank you Mr. Andres, you made my day very happy. 🌷🌷🌷 (Holland)
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Just found out Timo and Philip today, and it's a good good day.
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Phillip Glass has a very recognisable compositional style. Very pretty and very well played!
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Philip Glass writes music that sounds like breathing feels.
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What an amazing pianist, musician. Bravo Timo. I just got back from a Carnegie Hall concert of his - breathtaking technique and sense of music ❤️🙌
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This makes me SO happy!!! A phenomenal performance of some truly stunning music.
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The first intense ascension at 4:23 seems to have too much emotional baggage, yet it makes Philips work closer to human. Timo’s choice to reverse the etudes 6 to 5 was a Brilliant interpretation choice as well.
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Tiny Desk concerts never ceases to astound. Thank you!
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That sequence at 4:00 holy cow.
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That no 6 is just stunning, looks well rehearsed both in the mechanistic like accuracy of his technique and overall deft fluidity with which he varies dynamics. An inspiring and well considered performance.
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This is a very captivating and enjoyable experience of Philip Glass’s music - I really appreciate Tiny Desk bringing it to me today!
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Masterful interpretation of Glass' evocative compositions. 👏 👏
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I have no idea who this guy is but when I saw the video’s thumbnail I could tell that I was about to witness something amazing. And I was wrong. “Amazing” is an understatement.
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Loved it! Thank you.
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Amazing performance, thank you!!
