Gentle Giant - In a Glass House - 2026 Remix - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

The combination of oboe, clarinet and bassoon attracted several French composers in the first half of the last century and inspired witty and elegant divertissements from the likes of Ibert, Francaix and Poulenc. But the character of the trio held an appeal to composers farther afield, as this album shows, and that appeal was by no means confined to 'light music', even if all the music on this album - from Switzerland, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary - shares a lightness and airiness of texture. The composers from eastern Europe - Lutoslawski, Schulhoff and Veress - all suffered under totalitarian regimes, and Schulhoff died at the hands of the Nazis, but their painful histories do not cast a long shadow over the pieces on this album. In fact, the origins of Lutoslawski's Trio are found precisely in the exercises of counterpoint he realized in the winter of 1944-5, when he had been forced to flee Warsaw, together with his mother, following the consequences of the Warsaw Rising. The Trio is a quirky, restlessly experimental work. The wind trio as laboratory also held appeal to Sandor Veress, who found a very personal synthesis of his own research into Hungarian folksong with the 12-tone theories of the Second Viennese School. The outer movements of his Sonatina abound in the madcap humor of his compatriot Ligeti, while the central Andante introduces a gravely memorable theme on the bassoon. Schulhoff's Divertissement is naturally the most French-sounding work on the album, a set of seven compact character sketches including a Charleston (No.4) and 'Florida' (No.6). Known in some quarters as the 'Russian Brahms' from the country of his birth, Paul Juon is the least-known figure here, but not the least accomplished, and his Arabesque is a substantial, four-movement structure launched in fine style by Commodo movement with echoes of Nielsen at his breeziest.

In A Glass House Gentle Giant - Bass, Violin, Acoustic Guitar, Percussion, Backing Vocals - Ray Shulman, Drums, Percussion - John Weathers, Guitar, Mandolin, Percussion, Recorder - Gary Green, Keyboards, Percussion, Recorder, Vocals - Kerry Minnear, Vocals, Saxophone, Recorder - Derek Shulman.

Few albums in progressive rock history hit as hard or reach as deep as Gentle Giant's In a Glass House. Built around the aphorism Inchthose who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones,Inch the album is a seven-track journey through rock, jazz, folk, baroque, and medieval influences - performed on over 30 instruments by five virtuosos at the peak of their powers. Uncompromising, layered, and endlessly rewarding, it remains one of the most celebrated albums in progressive rock. Now, more than fifty years on, it has never sounded better. Grammy Award-winning producer Eber Pinheiro and Gentle Giant's Derek Shulman have newly remixed and remastered In a Glass House from the original tapes. For the first time ever, the album is available in 5.1 surround sound and Dolby Atmos - and the difference is staggering. Available on 180g vinyl LP, limited edition clear vinyl, CD, and deluxe CD/Blu-ray with stereo, 5.1, and Dolby Atmos mixes.