The International Classis Music Awards, one of the most prestigious international competitions, yesterday announced the nominations for the best recordings for 2023. The nomination is for the album it released in January with Orange Music Mountains. The world premiere includes a recording of Philip Glass’ Symphony No. 12 “Lodger”. The Brno Philharmonic gave the Czech premiere last year and will perform it for the first time for a New York audience on a major U.S. tour next year in Carnegie Hall and with the personal participation of Philip Glass.
Under the direction of Principal Conductor Dennis Russell Davies, the recording is dominated by the multiple Grammy-winning Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo, and she is joined by one of the most acclaimed contemporary organists, Christian Schmitt. “I’m really excited about this, I remember once discussing with Philip the idea of composing a symphony. He had successful operas, a couple of orchestral works and I was keen to get his music into concert halls and play it with a symphony orchestra,” said Davies, who has a long-standing friendship with Glass.
He also used it in the recording of the Twelfth Symphony, which had its world premiere in 2019. Thanks to Davies, the score has undergone many revisions and minor changes to the text. Dennis Russell Davies has worked extensively with Angélique, including the European premiere. “Angélique and Dennis really got the piece into shape during the many performances together as it went through numerous revisions on the way to its final form. I am grateful for their continued dedication in this way. Christian has brought his well-known experience to a prominent organ part, and the Brno Philharmonic under Dennis’ direction sounds great,” Glass said.
Glass’ Symphony No. 12 was given its Czech premiere with Kidjo and Schmitt by the Brno Philharmonic at the Prague Spring Festival and repeated at the opening of the Moravian Autumn Festival. “Next January we will take it to Leipzig and then mainly to Carnegie Hall. We will start our big American tour with it, when on 8 February it will be given its New York premiere in the personal presence of the composer,” said Marie Kučerová, director of the Brno Philharmonic.
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