Cristal: Glass Music Through the Ages

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The haunting, ethereal tone of the glass armonica, which was invented by Ben Franklin in 1761, was said to drive its players insane. On Cristal, Dennis James risks madness as he surveys three centuries of music composed for Franklin's armonica, and two other glass instruments called the seraphim and the cristal baschet. Most of the selections date from the armonica's first period of popularity, which started in the late 1700s and ended in the 1830s, and include compositions by Hasse, Apell, Scmittbauer, a composer who also made armonicas, and Mozart, who composed the Adagio and Rondo for armonica just weeks before he died. James is joined on the Mozart piece by the Emerson String Quartet, who also play on Garry Eister's Quintet for Glass and Strings, one of the few 20th century pieces written for armonica. Cristal was produced by Linda Rondstadt, who also sings a duet with Ruth Ann Swenson on a lovely arrangement of Fauré's Pavane. Ronstadt wisely avoids trying to turn this into a pop crossover and instead lets the fragile beauty of the music speak for itself. --Michael Simmons

Tracks:

Irish Lullaby
Quintet For Glass & Strings: Dance
Quintet For Glass & Strings: Song
Quintet For Glass & Strings: Brisk
Non Temere Alma Immortale - Linda Ronstadt
Allegro
Caprice
Pavane, Op.50 - Ruth Ann Swenson
Largo In G Minor
O Cessate Di Piagarmi - Linda Ronstadt
Adagio In C Major, K.356
Adagio And Rondo In C Major, K.617: I. Adagio
Adagio And Rondo In C Major, K.617: II. Rondo
Cantate 'L'armonica' (Excerpts): Recit Accompagne - Adagio
Cantate 'L'armonica' (Excerpts): Air - Andantino
Petite Impression

Amazon.com

The haunting, ethereal tone of the glass armonica, which was invented by Ben Franklin in 1761, was said to drive its players insane. On Cristal, Dennis James risks madness as he surveys three centuries of music composed for Franklin's armonica, and two other glass instruments called the seraphim and the cristal baschet. Most of the selections date from the armonica's first period of popularity, which started in the late 1700s and ended in the 1830s, and include compositions by Hasse, Apell, Scmittbauer, a composer who also made armonicas, and Mozart, who composed the Adagio and Rondo for armonica just weeks before he died. James is joined on the Mozart piece by the Emerson String Quartet, who also play on Garry Eister's Quintet for Glass and Strings, one of the few 20th century pieces written for armonica. Cristal was produced by Linda Rondstadt, who also sings a duet with Ruth Ann Swenson on a lovely arrangement of Fauré's Pavane. Ronstadt wisely avoids trying to turn this into a pop crossover and instead lets the fragile beauty of the music speak for itself. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews:

This ranks 20 stars!.......2007-05-03

Great Music - for relaxing, calming atmosphere- just feeling better about the world in general!

A great addition to your library.......2006-08-22

While I have enjoyed other performers renditions of some of the songs (Mozart K. 356, K 617; Apell 'Non temere alme immortale') as performed by Thomas Bloch, there are some songs on this album that make it worth it. The arrangement of Fauré's Pavane Op. 50 is amazing. That track alone is worth buying the album. In addition Quintet for Glass and Strings by Garry Eister is a very good set. If you are new to glass harmonica I would recommend Thomas Bloch's album entitled 'Glass Harmonica' under the Naxos label.

Heartbreaker.......2004-11-10

So let's see. Dennis James has spent years of his life recreating Ben Franklin's true glass armonica and making himself a virtuoso of the instrument.

The label is Sony, the producer is Linda Ronstadt and the Emerson Quartet are the session men.

No expense, no trouble, no love has been spared.

Except that the disc, while so beautiful, is utterly, utterly useless.

Instead of Mozart's specified accompaniment of FLUTE, OBOE, VIOLA, CELLO in K617, we get a fricking STRING QUARTET !!

HELLO ? It's a GLASS ARMONICA !

ETHEREAL, YES ?
DELICATE, YES ?

DON'T YOU THINK THAT JUST MAYBE WOLFIE MIGHT HAVE GOT IT RIGHT ?!
DON'T YOU THINK THAT JUST MAYBE IT'S HIS CALL ANYWAY ?!

Are oboes and flutes suddenly endangered species ?

Is everyone associated with the project quite insane ?

Hmm. I may be onto something there. They do say the instrument drove its hearers mad back in the eighteenth century...

I enjoyed this.......2004-06-02

I wasn't sure what to expect. The novelty of this instrument passed quickly. And soon I was absorbed by the music. "Glass Music," as they call it, adds an etheral quality to these classical pieces. But it doesn't detract. And the accompaniment is top notch. My favorite parts were the guest vocalists. And Linda Ronstadt, who has already proven herself in the classical world, blends in effortlessly with her voice. You don't stop and think, "Oh my goodness. That's Linda Ronstadt singing." She sounds like any of the other pros on the album. And could possibly be segue-ing into a comfortable classical career from here (hasn't that always been her destiny?) Let me wrap up and say that I was enchanted by this music. (And Dennis James, please record more.)

Celestial sound.......2002-03-21

You must hear this CD to believe it. The glass armonica and other glass instruments produce, in the hands of Dennis James, an otherworldly resonance that seems almost mesmerizing. Of particular note are Garry Eister's "Quintet for Glass & Strings" and his exquisite arrangement of Faure's "Pavane." Though classical clear through, this CD should appeal to fans of Ronstandt as well as Faure.

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