Symphony No. 10 (2012)

As always there were moments of quirky charm, as in the third movement, which was like Massenet in his sexy-oriental mode crossed with 1970s grooviness.

the essential element that made the work a qualified success was its … emphasis on rhythm. The sizeable percussion section, including a tam-tam standing about eight feet tall, dominated in the faster movements, working with braying brass to give the syncopations definition and a momentum that pushed towards driving rock music rather than classical.

The slower movements … were … atmospheric, thanks to the orchestration that suggested the influence of Aaron Copland.

The first movement was jaunty and somewhat bluesy, the brass section prominent against a backdrop of percussion – snare rim shots, woodblock, marimba, tambourine. At the end, a four-to-the-floor bass drum (you can imagine the club remix) set the groove for the hundred-strong orchestra, with strings frantically playing descending chromatic scales before it ended abruptly.
The second movement was more obviously signature Glass, an ominous waltz that grew to a bell-heavy climax, suggestive of a tea dance on a slowly sinking cruise liner. Another percussion-heavy waltz followed, this time with Asian inflections, exacerbated by a pulsing drone effect from the cellos and basses. The pretty fourth movement, all flutes, marimba and trumpets, provided a tender respite before the final movement, when the crowd-pleasing bass drum reappeared. Judging by the standing ovation and screams that greeted Glass’s appearance on stage at the end, the house was suitably rocked.