Whoever thought this is a differnt style for Glass has been drinking too much of the "I'm more special than you" Koo-Aid. The Timpani concerto is different only in that it's impossible to write arpeggios for the instrument. Still Glass pulls his usual tricks of using the same chord progressions repeatedly to make sure we all know this is Glass. The only real reason to get the album is for Evelyn Glennie who never ceases to amaze.

Philip Glass seems adept at writing for any instrument, the cello notwhithstanding. But, as enjoyable as the Cello Concerto is, the Concert Fantasy for 2 Timpanists is a tour de force! It starts with a bang and ends with a movement that is dizzying in its sheer exuberance. I can imagine the tympanists laughing out loud as they pounded their instruments. Dazzling!

This is a very different style of music from Philip Glass with a lot more depth than some of his previous works (at least to my ears and mind). I enjoy both works here. The Concerto for Cello and Orchestra is interesting, featuring a very familiar musical name, Julian Lloyd Webber. But my favorite work is the concert Fantasy for 2 Timpanists, featuring Evelyn Glennie. Wow, what a work of energy and excitement! If you like percussion, this is a great one! Enjoy!