Maya Beiser - Maya Beiser x Philip Glass (2021)

Cellist, arranger, and producer Maya Beiser is joined with a group of all-stars cellists to perform Maya Beiser x Philip Glass. Drawn from her latest album (which was recorded at Hudson Hall in the winter of 2021), the immersive performance brings together an astounding group of avant-garde cellists to create a multi-layered sound sculpture, exploring and unveiling new dimensions in some of Philip Glass’s most powerful and achingly beautiful works. Maya’s multi-cello arrangements include Glass’ piano Etudes Nos. 2 and 5, Mad Rush, Music in Similar Motion, and selections from Naqoyqatsi, part of Glass’s Qatsi Trilogy with filmmaker Godfrey Reggio.

"In making this album, I searched for layers of sound that might reveal something new about Glass's ingenious creative power. I was thinking about stratum, the layering that occurs in most sedimentary rocks formed at the Earth's surface. I imagined the layers of my cello becoming porous and Glass's music flowing vociferously through each layer, like lava, endlessly creating new patterns, expanding into the landscape. For me, recording a solo album is an introverted, solipsistic process. I go inward and build the sound from within, building my cello's layers one at a time. In the live performance, I wanted to create a shared communal experience, to expand that powerful communion that enfolds between myself and the audience. I reached out to some of the most brilliant artists/cellists I know, wanting to create another communion between the five cellists performing. It's a different kind of magic. It's a dialogue that allows for multiple journeys to happen at once." (Maya Beiser)

Defying conventional norms with her boundary-crossing performances, cellist Maya Beiser has been hailed as “the reigning queen of avant-garde cello” by the Washington Post. She has graced world-class stages including Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and Royal Albert Hall, and has collaborated with the likes of Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Brian Eno, among many others. Her recent albums, Bowie Cello Symphonic: Blackstar (2020) and delugEON (2019), topped the classical music charts. Her soundtrack work includes extensive collaborations with composer James Newton Howard and M. Night Shyamalan.

Maya Beiser, cello

TRACKLIST

1. Maya Beiser - Etude No. 5 (Arr. M. Beiser for Cello)
2. Maya Beiser - Etude No. 2 (Arr. M. Beiser for Cello)
3. Maya Beiser - Mad Rush (Arr. M. Beiser for Cello)
4. Maya Beiser - Music in Similar Motion (Arr. M. Beiser for Cello)
5. Maya Beiser - Naqoyqatsi (From "Naqoyqatsi") [Arr. M. Beiser for Cello]
6. Maya Beiser - Massman (From "Naqoyqatsi") [Arr. M. Beiser for Cello]
7. Maya Beiser - New World (From "Naqoyqatsi") [Arr. M. Beiser for Cello]
8. Maya Beiser - Old World (From "Naqoyqatsi") [Arr. M. Beiser for Cello]