Monthly Record Guide: Classical (1)

Classical Glass, Philip: Koyaanisqatsi.'' (Antilles, ASTA 1) - My opinion of Glass's other current disc, ''The Photographer'' on CBS Masterworks, keeps wobbling up and down. But this one sounds better each time I hear it, after some initial reservations because of its close resemblance to ''Satya-graha,'' the Glass opera that eclipses all his other recent works. Unlike most movie scores, this isn't program music, since the film is a plotless series of images aimed at criticizing ''the acceleration and density of modern society.'' While that may sound threatening, the record is anything but, with its pulsing energy and restful repetition. The visceral appeal of Glass's best pieces rarely emerges here, partly because the instrumental textures seem unfocused at times. One hopes his style doesn't continue to grow more conservative as his ensembles grow larger and more diversified. He certainly is giving us a lot of music, though, and this disc is a listenable example of its latest (if not most inspired) form.