The Story of Iceland

Track Listings

1. Circle of Fair Karma

2. Circle of Fair Karma

3. Sweetness of Candy

4. Hour of Fair Karma

5. Hour of Fair Karma

6. 10:10 (The Beloved One)

7. Ayanamsha

Tracks:

The Story of Iceland: Cricle of Fair Karma
The Story of Iceland: Circle of Fair Karma
The Story of Iceland: Sweetness Of Candy
The Story of Iceland: Hour of Fair Karma
The Story of Iceland: Hour of Fair Karma
The Beloved One
Ayanamsha

Customer Reviews:

Falls just short of Virginal Coordinates and Orchestra Dim Bridges . . ........2006-05-14

. . . but awfully good just the same.

Eyvind Kang has a unique musical conception. When he's on, as he usually is, he can evoke never-before-heard sensibilities and soundscapes--heck, even when he's off, he still conjures musical bedlam entirely worth hearing.

He's generally on here. The only possible exception is "10:10 (The Beloved One)." Its aesthetic is weird enough, all right. For me it's just a question as to whether extremely stylized vocals (making Mike Patton, for example, sound like Mel Torme) mapped onto some bizarro psychedelic-rock/cabaret vibe really works. In the end, I guess I don't care: The whacky weirdness carries the day, although one must admit that the "music" purveyed on this cut stretches the term almost beyond recognition.

What he's doing on this disc, I think, is laying the groundwork for his masterpiece, Virginal Coordinates. "Circle of Fair Karma," with its plodding, dirgelike tempo, the brilliant trumpet of Lesli Dalaba, herself a New Music composer and performer of note, its elegiacism, its weight of glory, its floating strings over chthonic tuba, its Uillean pipes and Scottish fife-and-drum drumming, evokes that same eerie timebound timelessness of much of Virginal Coordinates.

"Sweetness of Candy" has that same sweet/sick vibe that much of his earlier astounding disc, The Sweetness of Sickness, has. I am especially taken by the faux-naive violin solo of Karla Ramnath. Strangely resonating with Indian double violin playing, her approach lends the piece a mesmerizing exotic sheen.

What to make of "The Hour of Fair Karma"? To me it sounds like Peter Garland meets the Claudia Quintet--that is to say, probably the most fantastic musical amalgamation I could imagine. Reeking of old mystery, nay, some kind of wholesome spiritual alchemy--what Secret Chiefs Three would be if they hadn't sold out to dark Kabala--encountered through the musical diaphragm of fake-folk sensibilities, these are sounds, far-fetched, to sooth the alienated Western psyche.

To me, Evying Kang ranks up there with my absolute favorite musical artists: Peter Garland, John Hollenbeck, Tucker Martine, Sylvie Courvoisier, Susie Ibarra, John Wolf Brennan, Peter Epstein, and Omar Sosa. Anything he does is worth hearing, and this is probably his third-best outing. Highly recommended.

Solid effort from a very interesting musician.......2000-06-29

Eyvind Kang has perfected the art of recording music that is utterly beautiful and yet completely sick and twisted at the same time. "The Story Of Iceland" is his third release on John Zorn's Tzadik label. "7 NADEs" was noisy and experimental, "Theatre Of Mineral NADEs" was simple and tuneful. "The Story Of Iceland" falls somewhere in between, being very listenable, and yet having it's themes stretched and developed to their full potential. There are no insane noisefests like on "7 NADEs", however. Kang's work is very unique, but some reference points I can offer: Sonic Youth, Phillip Glass, Michael Nyman and Secret Chiefs 3 (with whom he plays).

Average customer rating:

Fine orchestral music for wartime movies

Vaughan Williams: Film Music

Manufacturer: Marco Polo
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Tracks:

49th Parallel: Prelude
Story Of A Flemish Farm - Suite: The Flag Flutters In The Wind
Story Of A Flemish Farm - Suite: Night By The Sea - Farewell To The Flag
Story Of A Flemish Farm - Suite: Dawn In The Barn - The Parting Of The Lovers
Story Of A Flemish Farm - Suite: In A Belgian Cafe
Story Of A Flemish Farm - Suite: The Major Goes To Face His Fate
Story Of A Flemish Farm - Suite: The Dead Man's Kit
Story Of A Flemish Farm - Suite: The Wanderings Of The Flag
Coastal Command - Suite: Prelude
Coastal Command - Suite: The Hebrides
Coastal Command - Suite: U-Boat Alert
Coastal Command - Suite: Taking Off At Night
Coastal Command - Suite: The Hudsons Take Off From Iceland
Coastal Command - Suite: Dawn Patrol ('Quiet Determination')
Coastal Command - Suite: Battle Of The Beauforts
Coastal Command - Suite: Finale
Three Portraits From The England Of Elizabeth: Explorer
Three Portraits From The England Of Elizabeth: Poet
Three Portraits From The England Of Elizabeth: Queen

Customer Reviews:

Fine orchestral music for wartime movies.......2002-04-06

We know Vaughan Williams for his film score to "Scott of the Antarctic" which became his 7th symphony. In Vaughan Williams, we had a great maker of film music. He scored 11 films - sometimes with the helping hand of Muir Mathieson, among others. I wonder how some classic sci-fi movies from the 1960's to present-day would have sounded like under his gifted musical direction . . .

An interesting thing to mention is the admiration Bernard Herrmann, "one of the most influential film composers of all time," had for British composers like Elgar and Vaughan Williams, among others. In regards to film music, i don't know if one had an influence on the other, but it is quite significant that Herrmann enjoyed the music of Vaughan Williams : As he declared in an article for the Musical Times, "in reading the warm and affectionate tributes paid to the late Vaughan Williams by his many friends, I began to think about the personal enrichment that his great art had brought to my musical life [...]." In the United States, Herrmann conducted some works by the eminent Englishman - notably the London Symphony (Symphony No.2) and the Oboe Concerto.

Most of the tracks here were composed in the 1940's and early 50's. The record includes the fascinating Prelude to "49th Parallel", as well as solemn and atmospheric music from "The Story of a Flemish Farm". In the same vein, "Coastal Command", a wartime epic, reveals some of the best aspects of the British composer : Tension and disquietude are sustained, along with very enjoyable music ("Dawn Patrol" and "U-boats" are highlights here). In the "Three Portraits" - also finely recorded by Previn on RCA - we recognize a typical "mood" that belongs to this most amazing composer. I enjoyed "Poet", in particular, for its sheer beauty.

The numbers are appropriately well-rendered by conductor Andrew Penny and RTE ; they reproduce faithfully the Vaughan Williams "signature" sound. It's undeniable that we have here a most interesting soundtrack music disc. The dark and, sometimes, heavy atmosphere of those vintage films is really what you hear on this cd (of course, the dominant theme is war). Though Rumon Gamba (Chandos) provides excellent renditions, i still favor Andrew Penny for his fine delineation in "Coastal Command". V W was convincing in his film music writing and certainly proves a delightful illustration of the fusion of two art forms. *****

Track Listings: