Evelyn Glennie à Luxembourg

Viewers new to Evelyn Glennie will find no mention here of the Scottish-born, Grammy award-winning percussionist's near-deafness (Glennie prefers not to discuss the topic in press materials or interviews, although she is the willing subject of Thomas Riedelsheimer 2005 documentary Touch the Sound—which explores the artist's ability to feel the vibrations while playing a wide range of percussive instruments). No matter: the music speaks for itself, and Glennie is unquestionably a virtuoso musician, even if this September 2004 concert is not the best showcase for her work. The first quarter of the program—a vibrant reading of Beethoven's “Leonore Overture No. 3” (one of four overtures written to open his opera Fidelio) performed by the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg under the baton of Bramwell Tovey—does not feature Glennie at all. She finally joins the proceedings for the second number, Askell Másson's “Konzertstück for Snare Drum and Orchestra,” featuring a long and repetitive (though technically impressive) snare drum roll solo. Fortunately, the last half of the concert is much more melodic, with Glennie performing Matthias Schmitt's lovely “6 Miniatures for Marimba Solo” on marimba, and closing with Vivaldi's “Concerto in C Major,” successfully substituting vibraphone for piccolo. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and stereo, the disc includes an eight-minute interview with the artist. Larger collections may want to consider this uneven concert devoted to Glennie's classical side (she's also worked with Kodo drummers, pop chanteuse Björk, and Brazilian samba bands), but for others this is an optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)