The Hours: Music from the Motion Picture

Wonderful that it was put on vinyl. Now if we can Kundun on vinyl 🙏

I've seen the movie. It was okay, but mildly depressing. I've read the book, which was better ( and made me a fan of all of Michael Cunningham's work as a writer). But the best thing about "The Hours" is the soundtrack. This is perfect music for painting, writing, or just chilling out for relaxation. It is evocative, dramatic, wistful, pensive, and non-obtrusive. I like Phillip Glass but not all of his work moves me like this .It does not feature his usual stuttering keyboard lines, his trademark chords and chord changes, or even his usual style. This is more of a string quartet with keyboards sound, a bit Baroque but not a bore. I find it especially useful as background music. I may have already written a review of this album; I'm on my second copy so Amazon prompted me to review it again. I also listened to the piano version of these tracks on YT but this is so much more textured and enjoyable. It's one of my favorite movie soundtrack albums. Excellent quality all the way around and worth every penny spent.

I am somewhat glad to NOT have viewed this at the theatre, as I feel that I would have had the need to leave my seat for a break periodically. This subjectivity is not meant to be a critical review of the movie, nor of the music of Philip Glass. I enjoy(ed) both immensely. Much of what the movie portrayed seemed to come home to me, reminding me of a painfully critical part of my own life. How these themes within the movie dispel romantic fantasies thrust onto young women, yet tell a painfully tragic truth of how life really can be within the confines of being lovers, wives, and mothers. OOOFF! The movie hit me like an emotional migraine.However, the music of Philip Glass is transcending, plying its non-verbal intuition rather surreptitiously, sneaking up on your level of hearing before you realize that maybe you are breathing with its platitudes, that maybe your heartbeats are matching the heartbeat of the dramas which unfold within this real as life music.Some don't care for Philip Glass' music. His work really works here. The movements from gentle to intense and back again morph well. I enjoy listening to it for a quiet evening alone. I like listening to it away from the movie and its components. The music seems to have its own personality in this capacity. See what you feel.

a lush, mournful feeling all its own. The soundtrack to  Mishima: A Life In Four Chapters (1985 Film)  has long been one of my favorite CDs by Philip Glass. The Kronos Quartet delivered a richly emotional performance then that finally revealed the emotional potential of Glass's compositions. With The Hours, the Lyric Quartet and Michael Riesman deliver in the same vein.I bought this because it was the latest from PG. So I haven't seen the movie and can't comment on how it works for the movie. But I can say with all candor that listening to this soundtrack has given me a powerful desire to see the film. Something that I wouldn't have imagined ever wanting to do.There are some recycled bits of music in this soundtrack (notably from Satyagraha), but even that track is transformed from a largely choral piece to a purely instrumental one and benefits thereby.For those whose only exposure to PG is  Glass: Einstein on the Beach (1993 Recording)  (ugh) or  Koyaanisqatsi (1998 Re-recording) , this will be a pleasant surprise. The tone is warm and emotional, the pace langorous rather than forced.Judged purely as a composition, The Hours will be placed as a footnote in the PG canon. Little, if any, new ground is broken. But I can't say it enough - this is passionate, powerful music that is moving and eminently listenable. I know I've already listened to it more than anything I've heard in the last six months.

I saw the movie and loved the background music, haunting.

Philip Glass is classified as a 'minimalist' composer and musician. It's not a style that appeals to everyone.....but I've grown to love his compositions very much. The many subtleties and slight variations that he employs so skillfully throughout are truly entrancing. Great music for meditation, or even accompaniment for doing one's prayers.In my humble opinion, Philip Glass is a true musical genius, and this music for the movie "The Hours" is one of his finest collections. If you wish to sample some of his compositons, along with bits from this CD, you can go to his web site where a listening app has been set up...[...]

I like most of Philip Glass's work but this is my favorite.I loaded this CD into my car stereo about four months ago and I haven't removed it yet.I'm never get tired of listening to it and don't expect to remove it from my car stereo soon.It's mesmerizing, moody, intense, and just beautiful.I've watched "The Hours" 3 times now and enjoyed it more each time I saw it, there is so much there.It would seem to me that either you like Philip Glass's work or hate it - hard to be neutral about it.Try it - if you like it then you are in for a great body of work.

I became acquainted with Phil's music back in the 70's with one of his early albums entitled "Glassworks." I haven't seen The Hours, so I don't know what one experiences hearing this music while viewing the film, but the music stands alone beautifully. Some people find Glass' style dark and oppressive, but I find it intriguing, somewhat meditative, and peaceful. It is another great example of crossover between what we call "classical" music and music written for film. Generally speaking, I feel that composers who write for film do not usually get the credit they deserve. If you like Glass' music, I think you will like this album.

This Cd contains some of the most beautful music you will ever hear. The piano pieces send chills up and down your spine. It is very moving and emotional. I love it and would think you would have to be a very hard hearted person to not hear the beauty and passion in the music. If you have seen the film it is possible to relate the tracks to partcular scenes in the film, but even if you have not seen the film, the music alone is simply beautiful. I recommend this Cd for relaxation or background music while you are working and going about your life. There is nothing negative to say about this.

I read the book. I watched the film and I was amazed how the Glass music "fixed" the film so well. I thought that the book was unfilmable until I saw the film and a really strong part of its success is how the music tells you where you are. Not since the great Bernard Herrman enhanced the films of Alfred Hitchcock have I heard a score that is such an integral part of the film itself. As a piece of Glass music it stands by itself so I hope that a suite from The Hours will soon be heard in recital. I can not speak too highly of this amazingly charged recording.

Wonderful, listening to it now. So relaxing. Bit of a virgin to minimalist music, but I'm getting there. This and Steve Reich's 'Music For Thirteen Musicians' are my favorites. Beautiful.Couldn't stop myself from changing the title of "I'm Going to Make a Cake" to "I'm Going to Make a Cake, I may be some time". More than grin.

Even if you are not a modern music fan, you will feel relaxed and moved at the same time by this amazing soundtrack. 'The Piano' famous music was/still is used as backing track to ads, TV docs/progs etc. The haunting 'Hours' music has become the same.A moving and thoughtful composition all round.

Gorgeous soundtrack, cannot get enough of it.My second hand CD arrived and was in fantastic condition, like new.