A Character of Quiet

On one level, A Character of Quiet showcases music by two composers separated by two centuries—three mesmerizing études by Philip Glass, followed by one of the piano’s greatest works, Schubert’s final sonata, D 960. But there’s more at play here. Performing from her home, Simone Dinnerstein explores the ties that bound all of us during 2020’s lockdown by discovering links between these two apparently contrasting composers. The gently insistent figuration that underpins Glass’ “Etude No. 2,” for instance, forms the backbone of Schubert’s glorious “Andante,” a movement that thrives as much in its expectant silences as in its transcendent sounds. But zoom out, and you’ll simply hear two composers expressively yet tentatively finding a way forward. A beautiful meditation on human vulnerability.