Galileo Galilei cover

Released 13 years ago this November

Galileo Galilei

Philip Glass · 2013

87 min · 10 tracks · opera

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Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

69 /100
Treeline
Higher than 49% of albums we've rated

The scene sequence gives the opera a clear dramatic path, while its recurring minimalist patterns can make the musical texture feel more persistent than its episodic subjects.

What we noticed

  • The ten tracks follow named scenes, moving from the recantation and trial to experiments, the telescope, and an opera within the opera.
  • The scene order sets public judgment beside private acts of observation: the trial is followed by the dialogue on competing world systems and later by a walk in the garden.
  • Glass’s repeated instrumental patterns underpin sustained operatic vocal lines, so changes in text and orchestral layering do more of the dramatic work than sharply contrasting musical styles.
Composition 25% of the score
7/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
7/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
6/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
6/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
7/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 3/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

Disc 1

  • 1 Galileo Galilei: Scene 1: Opening Song 10:17
  • 2 Galileo Galilei: Scene 2: Recantation 10:05
  • 3 Galileo Galilei: Scene 3: Pears 8:18
  • 4 Galileo Galilei: Scene 4: Trial 10:12
  • 5 Galileo Galilei: Scene 5: Dialog Concerning the Two Chief Systems of the World 9:10

Disc 2

  • 1 Galileo Galilei: Scene 6: Incline Plane 7:25
  • 2 Galileo Galilei: Scene 7: A Walk in the Garden 8:21
  • 3 Galileo Galilei: Scene 8: Lamps 6:43
  • 4 Galileo Galilei: Scene 9: Presentation of the Telescope 7:12
  • 5 Galileo Galilei: Scene 10: Opera within Opera 9:41

What to play next

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Reference: MusicBrainz