Orange Mountain: OMM0043

Glass, P: Book of Longing

premiere recording

An eagerly awaited new work by Philip Glass based on the deeply personal and sometimes provocative poetry of Leonard Cohen, Book of Longing is a two-disc set of the complete song cycle written for ensemble, singers, spoken word and imagery. It is the culmination of years of mutual admiration between two of America’s most celebrated and uncompromising artists: “Leonard and I first began talking about a poetry-and-music collaboration nine years ago,” says Philip Glass. “We met in Los Angeles, and he had with him a manuscript that became the basis of the collection of poetry now published as the Book of Longing. I found it intensely beautiful, personal, and inspiring. On the spot, I proposed an evening-length work of poetry, music, and image based on it. For me, this is both a departure from past work and a fulfilment of an artistic dream.”