Reviews

• The thrill of discovery. The heroism of a Shoshone woman. The greatness of a rich land and its native
  peoples. These elements of the Lewis and Clark journey were captured in the form of a piano concerto by Philip Glass. Titled AFTER LEWIS AND CLARK, the new concerto, which is divided into three movements, features many elements that have defined the Glassian sound,
  repetition, irregular meters and minimalism.
  
  The first movement, titled “The Vision,” conveys the determination of the explorers as they embarked on the
  journey. Irregular meters are at the heart of this movement and comprise the core of its driving intensity. The slower second movement, “Sacagawea,”
  based on the Shoshone Indian who became Lewis and Clark’s companion, has arguably the most mesmerizing musical themes of the piece. The slow, brooding duet
  between the American Indian flute and the piano features a traditional Shoshone musical theme as well
  as a middle section that is quicker and delightfully disjointed. “The Land” explored by Lewis and Clark is the theme of the final movement. The intensely busy movement incorporates a canon that features the overlapping of a theme and six variations. Thistechnique not only gives the movement a number of
  layers and voices, but lays the ground for an interesting dynamic between the piano and the orchestra. The piece develops into a fury of sound at the end that leads to an exhilarating climax, revealing to the listener that the land has finally been conquered.
  Ashley Hassebroek, Omaha World-Herald Bureau, 19/09/2004