Showing posts with label new age. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new age. Show all posts

Echoes: The Einaudi Collection Review

Echoes: The Einaudi Collection
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Echoes: The Einaudi Collection ReviewIt is the first cold, rainy morning of the fall season, and I'm sitting here listening to one of the most beautiful piano albums I've heard in awhile. Italian composer/pianist Ludovico Einaudi is something of a sensation in Europe, especially in The UK, where his music is featured on Classic FM. The first fourteen tracks are from Einaudi's four previous releases; the last three are new and were recorded live in London earlier this year. The music is complex, but very accessible. It would make a wonderful backdrop for other activities, but deserves active listening to enjoy the beauty of the music as well as Einaudi's evocative playing.
All of the pieces are strong and individual, and several include other instruments besides the piano; one, "Calmo," is a harp solo. The collection opens with "The Waves (Le Onde)," a gorgeous solo inspired by Virginia Woolfe's book of the same title. With gently rolling chords, Einaudi captures the ocean at peace. The theme recurs several times, a little differently each time, just as the ocean is constantly changing and yet is always the same. I absolutely love this piece! "Out of the Night" is piano and strings, and is a bit darker and more brooding, born at the end of a period of frustration and writer's block. "The Dark Line" comes from the Woolfe book again, and describes the place on the horizon where clouds and the sun meet the sea. Rather melancholy and mysterious, it is also deeply passionate. "Eden Roc" is quite different - Celtic in flavor - with piano, guitar, and string quartet. It is livelier and more upbeat, with a pensive melody on strings and a dancelike rhythm on guitar - a very interesting piece! "Nefeli" is a real gem. Composed for an energetic little girl, the piece is flowing, slightly melancholic, and absolutely gorgeous. "Tonight" was inspired by the 16th century French folk songs Einaudi's mother played for him as a child. Romantic and hopeful, this is one of the more upbeat and dynamic tracks with a brilliant left hand accompaniment that sounds like a guitar being strummed - very beautiful! "Odd Days" is another big favorite. Describing "one of those days," the piano and string quartet blend wonderfully in a darkly passionate mood piece that would work well as a film theme (Einaudi has done a lot of work in films as well as other media). "Behind the Window" is one of the newer pieces, and describes the moment when you are looking out a window and something grabs your attention. Light in mood with lots of open spaces, it is a bit less structured than some of the other pieces.
It is fascinating how "Echoes" has a variety of moods and styles of music, and yet carries a pretty consistent mood of calm introspection. This has become one of my favorite albums, and I hope more of Ludovico Einaudi's work becomes available in the US. I give it my highest recommendation.Echoes: The Einaudi Collection Overview

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Solo Para Ti Review

Solo Para Ti
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Solo Para Ti ReviewOttmar Liebert plays a very good guitar and he wants to share his expertise with a global audience. His music is truly beautiful and very relaxing. When listening to this CD you can partake in just about any activity. If you like to read or have creative endevors this is perfect music that stimulates but does not demand your complete attention. The songs for the most part are very mellow. Lush and lyrical the arraignments are a sophisticated blend of pop flamenco that works. There is an intersting version of the "Marvin Gaye's" classic "Mercy, Mercy, Me". The difference here is that it is sung in Spanish in a flamenco style that would make the deceased Motown artist proud. Lots of good tunes here, with a variety of tempos to keep your interest. One of Lieberts better efforts that he has released over the years, this CD has withstood the test of time. Released in 1992, the fine instrumentation keeps it alive. A highlight from this CD is the duet with Carlos Santana which I never get tired of. The song is 'Samba Pa Ti", originally penned and made famous by Santana. The different arraignment makes it hardly recognizeable as Liebert has taken creative freedom to make something new. The music is enchanting and bordering on mystical inspiration. An excellent addition to any complete collection of nuevo flamenco.Solo Para Ti Overview

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Instrumental Moods Review

Instrumental Moods
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Instrumental Moods Review"Instrumental Moods" continues the "Moods" series of New Age music. It is probably the weakest "Moods" CD, but then again, these are instrumental songs, so they don't have any searing vocals in them. The few vocals that *are* in the songs have no real lyric to them. Here's a quick run-through of the ones I liked:
1. "In the Full Moon Light"--3rd Force. A jazzy instrumental dance piece combining piano, percussion and some kind of brass instrument that sounds like a trumpet. Very cool, great opener.
2. "Knocking on Forbidden Doors"--Enigma. A very nice piece, and certainly worthy of being in the "Instrumental Moods" compilation. Just remember that since it is instrumental, it is not one of this artist's best works.
3. "Barcelona Nights"--Ottoman Liebert. A peppy flamenco song featuring distinctive percussion and guitar work. It's sure to make you sweat!
7. "Tempest"--Jesse Cook. Another flamenco song, but a bit more contemporary than "Barcelona Nights", and just as much fun to listen to!
8. "Cliffs of Dover"--Eric Johnson. A great electric guitar instrumental, and the only roof-shaker on the CD. Curiously, however, it reminds me more of Hawaiian surfers than cliffs in Delaware.
10. "Weather Storm"--Massive Attack. See #2.
13. "Widescreen"--Vanessa Mae. An achingly beautiful song, featuring a seductively played violin.
14. "Gabriel's Oboe"--Ennio Morricone. A slow song, featuring the soothing sounds of an oboe. A wonderful example of the brilliant soundtrack for "The Mission".
15. "Cristofori's Dream"--David Lanz. This exquisite piano piece has the honor of being the most beautiful song I've ever heard, and my favorite one on the album. It's also in "Pure Moods III".
"Monteczuma" and "Cradelsong (Dawa)" are two good songs that are also in "Pure Moods II", but "Monteczuma" is much shorter in this CD, and this edition of "Cradlesong (Dawa)" doesn't feature Cherokee Rose, so if you're only buying this CD for those two songs, just stick with "Pure Moods II".
The rest of the songs ("Heat [from The Fifth Element]", "Midnight Express", "Samba Pa Ti", "Sure-As-Not", "Gathering of the Tribes") are just dull, forgettable techno. However, I would still say that this CD is worth buying, and is certainly one of the best instrumental compilations out there. A "Pure Moods IV" will be released in October--I can hardly wait until then!Instrumental Moods Overview

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Celtic Treasure - The Legacy of Turlough O'Carolan Review

Celtic Treasure - The Legacy of Turlough O'Carolan
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Celtic Treasure - The Legacy of Turlough O'Carolan ReviewThis CD is absolutely incredible. O'Carolan is about the best composer that ever lived, it is about time that someone compiled some of his best works. I listen to this CD nearly every day. I find it very relaxing. Whenever I hear Planxty Burke, or Eleanor Plunkett - my mind is bombarded with images of rolling greens and Irish rain. A truly beautiful compilation of music that flow and work very well with each other.Celtic Treasure - The Legacy of Turlough O'Carolan Overview

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Silk Road Review

Silk Road
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Silk Road Review
If you enjoy new flamenco-type music this will be a welcome addition to your collection.Silk Road OverviewJavid- Silk Road - New Flamenco : InstrumentalSignifies an impressive milestone for this prodigious guitar duo husband & wife (Javid & Naoko).the eleven new songs contained herein are certain to enhance the collection of even the most demanding Flamenco aficionado.

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Footsteps in the Sand Review

Footsteps in the Sand
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Footsteps in the Sand ReviewEmily Burridge's album has a magical feature. You listen to her very vivid and feminine compositions and you cannot let go of them. Emily Burridge's music lifts the spirit. And a strong Brazilian Indian chant's flavor is present in it. The artist masterfully interweaves natural and deep native singing with her gentle voice and classical cello, guitar, percussion and keyboards. Also, the album's music is enriched with nature sounds.
Emily Burridge's newest "Footsteps in the Sand" crosses the boundaries between various culture traditions. It can be characterized as all of humanity's music. And the world seems so small and beautiful when you listen to this very harmonious and truly unique project.
Serge Kozlovsky
[...]Footsteps in the Sand Overview

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Enchantment Review

Enchantment
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Enchantment ReviewI heard this CD playing in a metaphysical store & along with the smell of the incense in the shop I felt this huge wave of relaxation go over me. I asked the store owner what the music was & ordered my copy right away. This is a DELIGHTFUL CD and I play it over & over. You would never get tired of hearing this. I play it a lot in the car when I am driving and it just melts away the traffic frustrations. If you want something that will really make you "unwind" this will do it. I'm going to get more of this music.Enchantment Overview

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The Prayer Cycle Review

The Prayer Cycle
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The Prayer Cycle ReviewI first heard this as part of a radio program on the local NPR station, and was shamed into silence. The diversity of collaborators in this work (including US folk-rocker James Taylor, Yemenite singer Ofra Haza, Canadian rocker Alanis Morissette, the late Musrat Fateh Ali Khan [one of his last performances], the American Boychoir w/Devin Provenzano, the English Chamber Orch. & Chorus) shows the great number of fields that composer Jonathan Elias was drawing from.
The song "Hope" will lift your spirit, while James Taylor's melancholy vocals on "Grace" will move you to tears (At first, I thought he would be horribly out of place, but his voice fits the work perfectly!). The lyrics run all over the map in language. There are lyrics in Urdu, Mali, Latin, English, French, Italian, Hungarian, Dwala, Tibetan, German, Spanish and Hebrew, but they are listed in English in the CD booklet. I gather this is Elias' way of uniting the world. The lyrics are prayers, laments and pleas for forgiveness. The themes are loneliness, war and regret.
The style of music is definately classical, but does not limit itself to European roots. There are distinct influences from Africa, the Orient, and even various tribal nuances. For someone who was raised on European Classical music, it may be a shock to the system, but it works, and it is wonderful!
I forsee this recording to be one of the hand-picked few that future generations will draw upon for inspiration. As we as a people on this planet become closer, our world seems to become smaller. Our hopes, dreams, and cultures begin to overlap. This recording is proof that, when skillfully co-ordinated they can create incredible harmony.
Highly, highly reccomended.The Prayer Cycle OverviewALANIS MORISSETTE/JONATHAN ELIAS The Prayer Cycle (Deleted1999 US CD album featuring a choral symphony in nine movementswith music and text by Jonathan Elias featuring Alanis on the tracksMercy Hope Innocence and Faith plus also includes JamesTaylor Perry Farrell John Williams Ofra Haza Linda Ronstadt andmore. Complete with picture sleeve with deletion drill hole through thespine in a stickered jewel case and sealed from new)

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All Songs Considered from NPR Review

All Songs Considered from NPR
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All Songs Considered from NPR ReviewMy name is Bob Boilen; I am director of NPR's All Things Considered. If you know the program, you may have found yourself curious about the little music snippets you've heard between news stories. I pick much of that music. After many years and many thousands of requests, there is this CD. It contains some of those great "buttons" that have been a signature of our daily news program.
This CD is filled with mostly unknown independent artists. There is a great piano tango, remarkable guitar music, a Norwegian fiddle tune, Hungarian Cymbalom music played with 8 "bowhammers", Spanish accordion, American jazz, a rock dirge and other music that is better heard than described.
I compiled this cd so I'm biased, but the musicians on this record are remarkable, and I hear a lot of music. Each song is a wonderful journey. I tried to put together a collection that on the one hand is eclectic but on the other is very accessable. The cd also benefits National Public Radio. Enjoy !
Bob Boilen Director All Things Considered, Host of NPR's online music program, All Songs ConsideredAll Songs Considered from NPR Overview

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Oceanic Review

Oceanic
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Oceanic ReviewThe brief, offhand comments tossed off by the editorial reviewer of this excellent album are obviously at odds with what a lot of fans are saying about this gem. Ocean waves lead into a short, majestic introduction with strings, harp, woodwind, a lovely violin. The follow-up is a quick climb to a pulsating, delightful "Siren's Whispering." The sirens sing vocalise, and are then answered by an exciting men's choir. There is grandeur in the sound of this music, and yet it is always restrained and calming.
I am, admittedly, a big Vangelis fan, but there is perhaps no other work of his that has such focus, a completely felicitous combination of pop and classical elements. I have played this on low volume at night as the crew and I fall asleep after a long day of sailing; then my vessel is filled with a rich and soothing, peaceful music.
The excitement dies down and the well-named "Dreams of Surf" is a serene interlude for piano and a luminous background of electronica.
Spanish Harbor is edgier, a quiet rocker with long crescendos and decrescendos. The highlight is the Spanish guitar, accompanied by an atmospheric orchestral background, shimmering and luminous.
In Islands of the Orient, Vangelis explores Asian rhythmic complexities in a meditative piece. There is a jazzy subtext to this music, and it ends with considerable energy and percussion.
Fields of coral is another quiet piece, of lento mood and reverberant arpeggios. A bell-like keyboard makes this a particularly attractive piece.
A lovely theme is explored in Aquatic Dance, which is, as the title indicates, more oriented toward movement. The nostalgic Memories of Blue, reverent in tone, and the finale, Song of the Seas, bring this beautiful album to a contempative close.
I love so many Vangelis albums, despite the occasional bombast and misfire. Here, however, there is no exaggeration, no self-indulgence, and the result is one of the sweetest, most endearing recordings Vangelis ever made. I'll end by noting that this is not merely innocuous music. There is an intensity under the slickly produced sheen of clear sound, a careful selection of ingratiating musical themes with subtle development that renders them larger than life, noble and uplifting in feel. It's quite an accomplishment, I'd humbly observe.
Oceanic Overview

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Narada Decade: The Anniversary Collection: Selected Works: The First Ten Years (2-CD Set) Review

Narada Decade: The Anniversary Collection: Selected Works: The First Ten Years (2-CD Set)
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Narada Decade: The Anniversary Collection: Selected Works: The First Ten Years (2-CD Set) ReviewI really love this two-disk collection. The music is very peaceful and calming, while still being musically interesting. I find myself humming many of the melodies throughout the day, as they are very catching. This CD has had heavy playing time since I bought it; I listen to it while studying, reading, cooking, etc. It rarely ever gets stored on the shelf--more like a permanent home next to the cd player, if not *in* the cd player. All in all, this is a fantastic collection.Narada Decade: The Anniversary Collection: Selected Works: The First Ten Years (2-CD Set) Overview

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A Windham Hill Christmas Review

A Windham Hill Christmas
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A Windham Hill Christmas ReviewSometimes, you find a cd that speaks to your heart in such a way, that you want everyone to know about it. "A Windham Hill Christmas" is such a cd. Through the years, Windham Hill has provided a peaceful alternative to most traditional-like Christmas music. This is no exception! With this latest Holiday recording (just released this October), various Windham Hill artists have compiled new instrumental arrangements of traditional carols, just for this cd. With a remarkable lineup of talented musicians...George Winston(solo piano), Liz Story(solo piano), Will Ackerman(baritone guitar), David Cullen(guitar), W.G. Snuffy Walden(guitar), Tracy Silverman(violin, electric 6-string violin & keyboards), Thea Suits(flute), Jim Brickman(piano), Steve Erquiaga(nylon-string guitar), Barbara Higbie(Celtic harp, violin, piano & synthesizer), Tim Story(piano & synthesizers), Paul Schwartz(piano), Nightnoise(guitar, piano, flute & violin), Alex de Grassi (solo guitar), Jeff Johnson (keyboards), Brian Dunning(whistles & accordian), John Fitzpatrick(violin) and Paul McCandless(oboe, English horn & keyboards)...how can you go wrong?!? If I had to describe the tone of this recording, it would be: Beautifully Serene! My favorite song is W.G. Snuffy Walden's arrangement of "The First Noel." It is very poignant and moves me tears. It is my favorite Christmas carol. The only flaw, per say, is an error in the sequence of songs. The cd cover list's song #5 as "Chirstmas Is Coming," by George Winston, and song #6 as "The First Noel," by W.G. Snuffy Walden. The actual sequence on the cd is just the opposite, with Walden's song being #5 and Winston's #6. Hey, believe me, it's no biggie. Just a slight mixup. It has no bearing on the quality of the music.
If you're a long time Windham Hill fan, chances are you already have this cd, or are getting ready to purchase it. If this is your first introduction to Windham Hill, you've come to the right place. This will be one of the most peaceful Christmas cd's you could ever own. Makes for wonderful background music while you're wrapping gifts, addressing Christmas cards, or hosting a Holiday get-together. It's especially nice to "cozy up with" by yourself, over a hot cuppa tea or cocoa :-) It sure would make for a nice gift, too. You may also want to check out "The Carol's of Christmas," another instrumental Holiday recording from The Windham Hill Collection, and another favorite of mine.
I predict "A Windham Hill Christmas" will be one of this Season's bigget sellers and become another Windham Hill
"classic." IT IS THAT BEAUTIFUL!! Do yourself a favor and buy it.
Merry Christmas!A Windham Hill Christmas Overview

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Songs From a Secret Garden Review

Songs From a Secret Garden
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Songs From a Secret Garden ReviewI first heard "Songs from a Secret Garden" playing in a music store eight years ago, and I was entranced from the very first note. The music was a blend of classical, Celtic and Norwegian, a stunning combination of piano, violin, orchestra and voice. It was unlike anything I'd ever heard before: deeply moving, relaxing, meditative, a journey to a secret garden, perfect music for reflection on a rainy day.
Secret Garden is made up of Norwegian composer Rolf Lovland on piano and Irish violinist Fionnuala Sherry. They have since released four other CDs: "White Stones," "Dawn of a New Century," "Dreamcatcher" (a best-of compilation taken from the first three releases), and "Once in a Red Moon," but for me "Songs from a Secret Garden" remains their masterpiece. It is by turns gentle, romantic, melancholy, playful and joyous. There is a Celtic element on some of the songs ("Sigma," with an Irish-language chorus and a boy soprano, "The Rap,"), but it is not as marked as their later releases, which to me sound like Riverdance imitations and have lost all of the "Secret Garden" magic for me. "Nocturne" features the stunning vocals of Gunnhild Tvinnereim, and this was the song that first catapulted Secret Garden to fame (it won the 1995 Eurovision song contest for Norway). My other favourite songs from the collection are "Songs from a Secret Garden" and "Sigma."
(I was lucky enough to pick up a copy of the sheet music to "Songs from a Secret Garden" and I play selections from it every day. The foreword is in English and Norwegian, and there are additional notes by Rolf regarding performance tips and inspirations behind the songs. If you play piano, this is a worthy investment for a Secret Garden fan. The collection features all thirteen songs from "Songs from a Secret Garden" and is available at their official website at www.secretgarden.no)
This is still a very popular album even though it was released in 1994: it is one of BMG Music Club's top-selling classical CDs, Barbara Streisand did a cover of "Heartstrings" for her wedding, adding lyrics and renaming it "I've Dreamed of You," and some of my favourite places in Québec City use "Songs from a Secret Garden" as background music (Aux Anciens Canadiens, 34 Rue Saint-Louis, Domaine Steinbach, 2205, chemin Royal
Saint-Pierre de l'Île d'Orléans).
This is the only CD I reach for after a long day. The stress just melts away and my spirits are lifted instantly. "Songs from a Secret Garden" is perfect for anyone seeking a quiet moment in their lives, a moment to reflect, dream, love, and explore their own secret garden.Songs From a Secret Garden Overview

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