Philip Glass: La Belle et la Bête

This is an extraordinary retelling of the classic story "The Beauty and the Beast", this time based on the Jean Cocteau film La Belle et la Bete. Philip Glass, one of our reigning minimalists, studied under Darius Milhaud and Nadia Boulanger in Paris and his music has always had a quiet Debussy-like character to it. What is amazing is that Glass is one of the minimalists who have made a successful transition into opera (John Adams is the other). And catch the scary silent-movie-house organ! This is a superlative recording of a clear masterpiece. Highly recommended. --Paul Cook