Rautavaara: Angel of Light

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Angel of Light is Einojuhani Rautavaara's seventh symphony. Written in 1994, Angel of Light is a slowly unfolding sonic landscape of misty impressions and elevated language. It has no program, but the music does evoke a serene mood and is very hymn-like. This is one of Rautavaar's most "user-friendly" symphonies. Annuciations (1976-77) employs a large wind orchestra and concertante brass quintet, as well as an organ. The spectrum of sound Rautavaara gets from this combination has to be heard to believed. Rautavaara's music is the shimmer of the aurora borealis. Spooky. Enlightening. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

Excellent choice.......2005-02-09

I had not heard these particular recordings prior to purchasing the CD, and was hoping they would live up to the Ondine versions of Cantus and Angel of Light, with which I was familiar. I find no fault with Vanska's readings of either of these great pieces, and in fact think each is excellent. Dances with Winds is also good. In brief, if you want Angel of Light and Cantus Arcticus on one CD, you won't go wrong purchasing this CD.

A rhapsodic apogee of Angels........2003-04-05

As difficult as it might seem (perhaps because he has yet to be a "household name" for classical music lovers in the U.S.), Einojuhani Rautavaara has now been composing highly original - yet accessible - music for more than 50 years. Born in 1928, his first "official" published composition - Pelimannit ("The Fiddlers"), Op. 1 - dates from 1952, thereby putting his compositions past the half-century mark. Now 74, he is as busy as ever, working on three newly commissioned works to appear in the next few years or so.

Despite not being a household name, Rautavaara hardly "labors in obscurity." Two of his most popular works (Cantus Arcticus and the Symphony No. 7) have now made their way onto three different record labels: Ondine, the "official" Finnish label (and the one which has "first dibs" on all Rautavaara premiere recordings), Naxos, the bargain label which makes it inexpensively possible to sample music previously unheard, and the Swedish BIS label, which released this recording.

Having now heard the new Naxos recording of the Symphony No. 7, and being familiar with the Ondine recordings of both these popular works as well as the Naxos recording of Cantus Arcticus, I think it reasonable that this BIS recording be recommended to anyone looking for a coupling of these two popular works.

It is likely fair to say that Cantus Arcticus has been "the way in" for many Rautavaara "newbies." Most anyone hearing this work for the first time is held captive in its thrall. Now more than 30 years old, it predates the beginning of Rautavaara's rhapsodic "Angels" period by several years, yet it has much in common with these "Angels" works in terms of harmonic daring and freely flowing thematic materials. Subtitled a "Concerto for Birds and Orchestra" by Rautavaara, the work integrates taped bird song with music that shows its homage to Sibelius. In terms of the deftness and completeness of this integration, Cantus Arcticus may well be the best (or at least the most effective) realization of the integration of taped wildlife sounds with music.

This Vänska/Lahti S.O. recording is clearly superior to the alternative versions available on Naxos and Ondine by virtue of the fact that it is the only one of the three recordings that utilizes Rautavaara's revised tape recordings. And the imitative sounds of "honking" oboes and other double-reed instruments are better realized here than in those other two recordings.

The 7th Symphony is, if anything, even more enthralling than Cantus Arcticus. The mood is set early on in the very Sibelius-like, freely-flowing first movement, in which Rautavaara utilizes vibraphone and celeste to magical effect. The harmonies seemingly modulate endlessly yet logically, a true Rautavaara "fingerprint" that seems an immediate "identifier" of his late-period music. The second-movement scherzo, marked "Molto allegro," is quite Prokofiev-like in its sound-world, and provides a break in the midst of what is largely a slow, meditative and totally rhapsodic work. Nowhere is this meditative, rhapsodic nature captured better than in the third movement. Scored more lightly (mainly for strings, woodwinds and solo French horn) than the rest of the work, this movement truly is the apogee of Rautavaara's "Angels"-period works; "Sibelius meets mystical minimalism," if you like. The final movement opens with brass perorations as a brief introduction to chorale-like writing for massed strings with woodwind figures reminiscent of Cantus Arcticus. A "study in orchestral sonority and harmonic lushness," sounding in spots as if it had been influenced by the music of Ralph Vaughan Williams, the movement proceeds in a totally magical way toward a hushed close, with no obvious concluding coda (a style I am beginning to recognize as yet another Rautavaara "fingerprint").

This Vänska/Lahti S.O. performance is quite close, even a "near-ringer," in terms of timings, to the newer Naxos performance, but with better-detailed sound and superior orchestral playing. However, my overall preference among the three versions available remains the authoritative performance by Leif Segerstam and the Helsinki P.O. on Ondine (incorrectly identified by a previous reviewer as being under the direction of Max Pommer). Segerstam infuses the work with much more feeling (and even better orchestral playing and recorded sound), with a more spacious reading of the three slow movements (each approximately a minute longer than Vänska's interpretation). The rhapsodic nature of the work benefits from this approach, even if the timing differences are not immediately noticeable.

The third work on this CD, "Dances with the Winds," is a concerto for multiple flutes (piccolo, flute, alto flute and bass flute) played by a single soloist (here, performed to excellent effect by Petri Alanko). Cast in four movements, with the opening movement nearly equal in length to the remaining three movements, the work is very accessible if not obviously virtuosic (save for the fact that the soloist does perform on the four instruments noted). The work, if not quite at the level of Nielsen's famous concerto for this instrument, is nonethelss totally enjoyable; a nice "throw-in" to go with the two more famous works on the CD.

I seldom comment on the actual playing length of a CD, preferring instead to let the music speak for itself. But it must be said, in the context of comparing this BIS CD with the Ondine and Naxos CDs, that it contains nearly 75 minutes of music, or about 10 minutes more than the Ondine CD, and nearly 20 minutes more than the Naxos CD, containing the 7th Symphony (but not the Cantus Arcticus). A well-filled CD, then, by any measure, even at its "full" price.

Bob Zeidler

Angel of (en)Light(enment).......2000-03-27

Truly a good, well-performed, and powerful recording. It's played a little quicker (by two minutes) than Pommer's Ondine recording, but that has no bearing at all on this masterful performance. The ONLY thing that the Pommer recording has over Vanska's is that the final climax near the end of the 4th movement is more pronounced, slightly more heart-renderingly performed and recorded. I recommend owning both recordings. You notice nuances and instrumental shadings that each conductor and producer chose to enhance. Rautavaara is definitely one of our greatest living composers (others include Ruders, Part, Vasks, Yoshimatsu). Other works that I recommend by Rautavaara include: Symphony No. 6, the opera Vincent, Symphony No. 5, Cantus Articus, and the choral masterpiece Vigilia.

Rautavaara - a new revelation.......2000-01-31

My hearing the first note of Rautavaara had been delayed for too long, mainly since I was busy excercizing my role as a professional conductor. I had read many articles on the composer which labeled him anything from being a "mystic sage" to a "musical prophet". Finally my day had come. I was expecting the ususal scenario where I would seek out to champion a "real" composer that would transport me that other dimension (which we all desperately seek but too often are left again in the bitter cold). Rautavaara's Symphony No. 7 "Angel of Light" was a revelation to me in the form of a catharsis. I was so deeply moved by it that it was hard to remember any piece that I have heard in the last twenty years that has even come close to its communicative power. The "Angel of Light" is visionary. It is a perfect entry for anyone into the world of Rautavaara. The spiritual power of this symphony has completely changed my philosophy on the meaning of music and music in our time. The listener will be completely gripped by its power and grand sonorities that it is hard to believe that the 35 minutes are over. I have listened to it again and again countless times played by the Lahti Symphony under maestro Osmo Vanska, and each time, I dig deeper into a goldmine of compositional and inspirational mastery. This symphony has changed me profoundly.

Rautavaara: Symphony No. 7 "Angel of Light"

Average customer rating:

More convincing than the average Rautavaara
Another decent Rautavaara effort by the RSNO, but nothing special
Rautavaara's modern romanticism
Rautavaara's seventh symphony: simply beautiful!
Competition for Segerstam's versions at half the price

Rautavaara: Symphony No. 7 "Angel of Light"
Einojuhani Rautavaara , Hannu Koivula , and Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Rautavaara: Cantus Articus; Piano Concerto
Rautavaara: Symphonies 1, 2 & 3
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Rautavaara: Garden of Spaces; Clarinet Concerto; Cantus Arcticus

ASIN: B00007FKQH
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Tracks:

Tranquillo
Molto Allegro
Come Un Sogno
Pesante
Angels And Visitations

Amazon.com

To get to the second piece on this CD first, "Angels and Visitations" is Rautavaara at his darkest and most mysterious (the work was inspired by the composer's childhood dreams). It isn't exactly tonal--melodies and motifs pile up on one another disturbingly--but it's not rehashed Romanticism, either. It's a unique blend, and the menacing lower strings are offset by the calming upper ones; insane brass interruptions are as interesting as the occasional background bells. The Seventh Symphony is an altogether different matter. It floats along, sometimes evoking nature at its most benign (a flute and harp interlude in the first movement, horns and woodwinds in the third), sometimes at its most unpredictable (in the brass throughout). The playing of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra is excellent, and Hannu Koivula clearly understands Rautavaara. If Leif Segerstam's performances of these works (on Ondine) are a bit more potent, well, Naxos's price--less than half--makes up for that potency. Rautavaara is a great composer, easy to get to know and fascinating. Recommended. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

More convincing than the average Rautavaara.......2006-10-30

Music by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara tends to be entertaining the first time one hears it, and rather empty afterward. I first discovered his work through various other discs, and ultimately I was disappointed by the fluffy feel of writing and lack of rigour or any fresh perspective. These two orchestral works, performed here by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Hannu Koivula, are more successful.

Symphony No. 7 "Angel of Light" (1994) is one of Rautavaara's most acclaimed works, giving the composer a sudden popularity in much the same fashion as Gorecki's Third Symphony gave to that Polish composer. As it is a purely instrumental work, any clear programmatic basis is sure to depend on the subjective interpretation of the listener, but Rautavaara has made it plain that he didn't intend the work to evoke New Age pictorial images. Cast in four movements but not with the classical form, it is a boldly Romantic work that subjugates overt melody below an ambience created by tonal chords over a pedal point. What's striking about the work is that the effect is so strong from the very beginning, even when the composer is writing only for selected portions of the ensemble, and when orchestral tuttis come, they sound grand indeed. The scherzo comes in the second movement here, the only lively portion of the work, and has some very charming writing for percussion.

The 20-minute "Angels and Vistations" (1978) is a very different work. Based on childhood dreams which apparently were quite frightening, its soundworld is filled with conflict. It opens with images of doom in the bass kept in balance by tinkling percussion, but ultimately these bright tones fade out and grimness sets in. It's an engaging piece, just as successful a depiction of nightmare as, say, the second movement of Carter's "Symphonia".

Sure, none of the material here shows symphonic writing of the strength of Per Norgard, Alfred Schnittke, Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, or even Sofia Gubaidulina. But it's a lot better than the average Rautavaara. If you must get something by the eclectic Finn, this is one disc that won't seem tired after the first few listens. Indeed, it even draws the listener back rather often.

Another decent Rautavaara effort by the RSNO, but nothing special .......2006-03-14

I bought this on spec when I spotted it at a local record shop, having been blown away by some of Rautavaara's earlier works. It isn't his greatest piece, but nor can I say I was disappointed in it. The Presto is the highpoint - Angels can be jolly too, apparently, and there's lots of chromatic fun here.

The RSNO put in a solid performance, but again, there's no real magic. If you like Rautavaara, then this is certainly worth a fiver. If you're unfamiliar with him, Cantus Articus or the 6th Symphony are better introductions to his music.

Rautavaara's modern romanticism.......2005-03-21

Finland's Rautavaara, after exploring the world of serialism as a young man, turned toward lush romanticism later in life. With this Symphony No. 7 "Angel of Light" (1994), he dramatically expanded his audience, as he tapped a popular longing for tonality and meaning in classical music. The meaning is only hinted at -- he says the "angel" is not to be taken literally -- but still it has seemed to resonate with the Zeitgeist. This is excellent music which continues the romantic symphonic tradition.

The structure of the piece is a conventional symphonic form, with a fast second movement and a slow third movement, but it is an odd juxtoposition of styles and moods. The first movement invokes, for me, a Scandinavian nature tableau, a grand panorama of wind, waves and craggy shorelines that Sibelius would recognize as his offspring. Then comes the ironic scherzo with mocking horns, a Prokofievian turn, and an element that does not seem to clearly fit with the rest of the work. It is the slow movement (Come un sogno -- Like a dream), that has most impressed listeners with its sense of spirituality, wonder and awe. It seems to combine romantic melodiousness with the holy minimalism of Part. The finale returns to a heroic Sibelius mode. The accompanying piece, "Angels and Visitations" (1978), is a more disturbing work, which contrasts frightening, powerful blasts of dissonance with somber, Part-like interludes.

This is, I believe, the second recording of the 7th Symphony, following Segerstam's on Ondine. Hannu Koivula and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra are superb, and there is no need to fear that the low Naxos price indicates low quality. This is a recording that has met with universal critical acclaim.

Rautavaara's seventh symphony: simply beautiful!.......2004-07-31

I praise Rautavaara for writing such music! The seventh symphony is clearly one of the most beautiful compositions ever! I know, some people (mostly so-called 'professionals' and critics) will call it sentimental, too sweet and perfect for Hollywood romantic feature film. But if you are a normal human being and feelings, you should simply close your eyes and let the sound colours touch your heart. The angels are mysterious, nice, gentle and caring (first and third movement), sometimes a bit nasty (malicious second movement) and glorius (fourth movement).

Angels and visitations are the composer's written experience when he visioned a nightmare as a child. This angels were obviously not friendly. The music contains some soft but tense beauty and terror-like explosions in the orchestra. The masterful orchestral fantasy and a fine example of so-called 'post-modernism'. Rautavaara, thank you very much for providing us with such great classical music of the new age!

Competition for Segerstam's versions at half the price.......2003-03-14

A friend once asked me to explain how Rautavaara achieves his usually instantly recognizable sound-world, and off the top of my head, and trying for humor, I replied, 'Well, imagine Debussy had a baby by Sibelius. When he grew up he'd be Rautavaara.' Not very funny, but afterwards I kept thinking about it and realized that I probably wasn't far off the mark. Combine the harmonies of Debussy with the dramatic use of the lower orchestral instruments by Sibelius and you come close. Add the Martinu-like layering of blocs of horn chords and string chords, all in minimalist slow harmonic motion, and you get even closer. Yet, somehow Rautavaara manages something new that I can't quite put my finger on. He accomplishes ecstasy and drama in equal measure. However he does it, his music is unfailingly beautiful.

Leif Segerstam has recorded both the Seventh Symphony, subtitled 'Angel of Light,' and another 'Angels' piece, 'Angels and Visitations' (prompted by some childhood dreams of Rautavaara), but they are not on the same disc. His performances are a bit more edgy or, if you prefer, more potent than these performances here. But Hannu Koivula and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra do very well by these pieces, too, and actually, to my ears, achieve more of the ecstatic stasis that occurs in spots in both these works. The performances are quite good, the price is certainly terrific, and the recorded sound is clean and truthful. If you want either or both of these pieces, and don't already have the Segerstam performances on the Ondine label, I'd suggest you go for it!

Rautavaara: Angel of Light
Average customer rating:

More convincing than the average Rautavaara, but get the Naxos version

Reply to, "Hmmm....thoughts anyone?"

Mind-Blowing: pristine and emotionally amazing.

Genius.

The best recording of one of the best symphonies of all time

Rautavaara: Angel of Light

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000378X
Release Date: 1996-05-21

Tracks:

Angel Of Light (Symphony No. 7): I - Tranquillo
Angel Of Light (Symphony No. 7): II - Molto allegro
Angel Of Light (Symphony No. 7): III - Come un sogno
Angel Of Light (Symphony No. 7): IV - Pesante - cantabile
Annunciations (Concerto for Organ, Brass Group and Symphonic Wind Orchestra)

Amazon.com

Angel of Light is Einojuhani Rautavaara's seventh symphony. Written in 1994, Angel of Light is a slowly unfolding sonic landscape of misty impressions and elevated language. It has no program, but the music does evoke a serene mood and is very hymn-like. This is one of Rautavaar's most "user-friendly" symphonies. Annuciations (1976-77) employs a large wind orchestra and concertante brass quintet, as well as an organ. The spectrum of sound Rautavaara gets from this combination has to be heard to believed. Rautavaara's music is the shimmer of the aurora borealis. Spooky. Enlightening. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews:

More convincing than the average Rautavaara, but get the Naxos version.......2006-12-11

Music by the Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara tends to be entertaining the first time one hears it, and rather empty afterward. I first discovered his work through various other discs, and ultimately I was disappointed by the fluffy feel of writing and lack of rigour or any fresh perspective. The first work here is more successful, though the second is typical of the composer's output in the 1970s. They are performed here by the Helsinki Philharmonic and Leif Segerstam.

Symphony No. 7 "Angel of Light" (1994) is one of Rautavaara's most acclaimed works, giving the composer a sudden popularity in much the same fashion as Gorecki's Third Symphony gave to that Polish composer. As it is a purely instrumental work, any clear programmatic basis is sure to depend on the subjective interpretation of the listener, but Rautavaara has made it plain that he didn't intend the work to evoke New Age pictorial images. Cast in four movements but not with the classical form, it is a boldly Romantic work that subjugates overt melody below an ambience created by tonal chords over a pedal point. What's striking about the work is that the effect is so strong from the very beginning, even when the composer is writing only for selected portions of the ensemble, and when orchestral tuttis come, they sound grand indeed. The scherzo comes in the second movement here, the only lively portion of the work, and has some very charming writing for percussion. I've heard both this performance and that of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Hannu Koivula on Naxos. While Segerstam gives a more energetic go at the second movement, giving the work some needed contrast, I don't think the differences between the two are big enough to go with this much more expensive edition than the budget-priced Naxos disc.

"Annunciations" (1976-1977) is a organ concerto, but the scoring is novel. Making great use of brass and a symphonic wind group, the resulting ensemble is more like a united super-organ than a partner in conversation with a soloist. Unfortunately, the music content is extremely small, and as a result it seems pleasant enough for the neophyte and dull for anyone with much classical or modern-classical experience.

Sure, the symphony here shows little orchestral writing of the strength of Per Norgard, Alfred Schnittke, Kaija Saariaho, Magnus Lindberg, Sofia Gubaidulina, and so forth. But it's a lot better than the average Rautavaara. Still, seek out the Naxos disc if you just want to try to symphony, as the second piece on the Naxos disc, "Angels and Visitations", is also very strong.

Reply to, "Hmmm....thoughts anyone?".......2000-05-06

Yes, this symphony is very seductive. I don't believe it is hollow. The very first time I heard it in 1996 in New York City, I knew that I had to have it. And each time I listen to it, I am amazed, mystified, and awe-struck at the sheer strangeness of it. It is indeed a musical angel full of light. The Annunciations is truly one unique piece of music. The way this music gripped me was so intense that I truly thought I was having a heart attack, at 20 yrs of age no less! This came about when the pipe organ was suddenly turned off, with the sound swirling around like a fiery breath. Really, no words can describe the way this music moves me with each listen...SIMPLY STUNNING! So no, don't feel guilty listening to it. Absorb it with all the passion that music affords humankind with.

Mind-Blowing: pristine and emotionally amazing........2000-05-04

With his Seventh Symphony, Rautavaara achieves a level of musical mastery beyond any living composer. This piece has it all: advanced "cyclic" form (as in Mahler), balance beyond belief, orchestration crafted delicately and powerfully, and themes conceived so pristinely as to make every composer jealous. The slow movement of "Angel of Light" is amazingly beatiful, as is the entire piece. But my reaction to the 3rd movement of this astounding work was unlike any I've ever had. I could feel my mind growing to percieve this wonderous music. I could not move- I couldn't do anything save listen. It was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Now you might think that that is a bit over-the-top, but you have not heard this music. I immensely recommend this to all of you. IF I could live with just one piece of music- this would be it.

Genius........1999-12-30

Orchestration: brilliant. Music: superb. Easily of of the greatest symphonies of all time. In "Angel of Light" (Symphony No. 7), Rautavaara strikes gold. In a time where most living composers will be forgotten, he stands apart. With this CD, anyone can have a taste of the future that music will have. And a bright future it is. Highly recommended. Five stars.

The best recording of one of the best symphonies of all time.......1999-12-30

Rautavaara is, along with Arvo Part, the best of todays' composers. On this CD, containing his 5th and 7th symphonies, (both with word names- i.e. "Angel of Light") Rautavaara is at hids best. The slow movement of his "Angel of Light" symphony is among the most beautiful music EVER written. Highly recommended. Five stars.

Average customer rating:

The Essential Rautavaara

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00005MIXY
Release Date: 2001-09-25

Tracks:

Cantus Arcticus: I The Bog - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
Cantus Arcticus: II Melancholy - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
Cantus Arcticus: III Swans Migrating - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
A Requiem In Our Time: I Hymnus - Finnish Brass Sym/Hannu Lintu
A Requiem In Our Time: II Dredo Et Dubito - Finnish Brass Sym/Hannu Lintu
A Requiem In Our Time: III Dies Irae - Finnish Brass Sym/Hannu Lintu
A Requiem In Our Time: IV Lacrymosa - Finnish Brass Sym/Hannu Lintu
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Narbolaisten Braa Speli - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Kopsin Jonas - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Klockar Samuel Dikstrom - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Pirun Polska - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
The Fiddlers/Pelimannit: Hypyt - Ostrobothnian CO/Juha Kangas
Isle Of Bliss/Lintukoto - Helsinki PO/Leif Segerstam
Sym No.7, 3rd Movt: 'Angel Of Light' (Come Un Sogno) - Helsinki PO/Leif Segerstam
Pno Con No.1: I Con Grandezza - Ralf Gothoni
Pno Con No.1: II Andante - Ralf Gothoni
Pno Con No.1: III Molto Vivace - Ralf Gothoni

Average customer rating:

Aurora Borealis

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000K37G
Release Date: 1999-09-21

Tracks:

Cantus Arcticus: 1. The Bog - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
Cantus Arcticus: 2. Melancholy - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
Cantus Arcticus: 3. Swans Migrating - Leipzig RSO/Max Pommer
The Tempest Ste No.1, Op.109/2: The Storm - Helsinki PO/Leif Segerstam
Lento Cantabile - Tampere PO/Tuomas Ollila
Four Compositions: Arietta - Tampere PO/Tuomas Ollila
The Ambush: Adagio - Karelia PO/Oleg Soldatov
Extinguished Torches - Finnish RSO/Sakari Oramo
The Iron Age, Op.55 Ste: Lemminki In Tuonela - Helsinki PO/Okko Kamu
The Thinker - Ostrobothian CO/Juha Kangas
Portraits Of Country Fiddlers, Op.26: The Fiddler's Favorite Tune - Ostrobothian CO/Juha Kangas
Angel Of Light (Sym No.VII): Come Un Sogno - Helsinki PO/Leif Segerstam

Amazon.com

Finland has turned out a remarkable number of great composers in the past 100 years, and this collection is a terrific introduction to several of them. From Rautavaara's Concerto for Birds and Orchestra through Nordgren's glowing and homespun "Fiddler's Favorite Tune" to Sibelius's stormy "Storm" and Merikanto's lushly Romantic Lento, this CD enchants consistently. Nature is omnipresent in Finnish music, and that's about the only stereotype one can find here, although all of these composers were obviously well-schooled in the music that preceded them--one can catch a bit of Debussy here, a hint of the Russian romantics there. In any case, this is ravishing and highly recommended. --Robert Levine

Average customer rating:

A guilty pleasure
To correct

Earquake

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00000379G
Release Date: 1997-09-16

Tracks:

Hanson's 6th
Invocatio
Mountaineers
Ala et Lolly
Prism
Night Of The Mayas
Aladdin
Malambo
Weapon Dance
Nostalgic Thoughts
Machine
Bacchanale
War Dance
Can-Can
Angel Of Light
Hekla (Volcano)

Customer Reviews:

A guilty pleasure.......2003-07-27

I kind of feel bad recommending, and with four stars nonetheless, a recording of such shameless and unartistic music. However, if you just got a new speaker system or something and need to break it in, this is your CD.

The word of the day for this CD is LOUD. Clear? Sometimes. Impassioned? Occasionally. Artistic? Rarely. But deafening with a side of deafening served with stentorian sauce? Yes, and incessantly.

If that's what you're looking for, then I suppose it should get five stars. The real caveat here is that the informational liner notes so oft-expected with classical music recordings are simply missing. There are liner notes, but any respect for the represented artists is downgraded further when sometimes the name of the piece you're listening to is unclear. The makers of this CD were so enamored with their own "Track Title"s that the real names of the pieces are often butchered.

Oh, well. This is still a lot of fun to listen to. You're just going to have to do your own research for the rest of the story.

To correct.......2003-07-18

The previous reviewer thinks that Hekla is the name of the composer who wrote this record's final track. It is not. The composer's name is Jon Leifs (1899-1968). Hekla is the name of the volcano.