Two stunning, off-the-beaten-path CD's:
Many fine choices above, am lucky enough to own a few dozen of them. Here are two you may have never heard of.
#1, Jonathan Elias, The Prayer Cycle
A choral symphony in nine movements. Stunning recording. And yet the sonic qualities pale in comparison to the emotional experience. Words fail me to describe the music.
Typical of the reviews by listeners on Amazon:
"...I 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. ..."
No one has yet given this CD less than the full 5 stars on Amazon.
I would be very interested to hear from anyone else who has discovered this CD.
URL:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000ICMK/qid=1053404522/sr=8-4/ref=sr_8_4/102-4643195-9660129?v=glance&s=music&n=507846
#2 Less significant than the above, but exceedingly lovely:
Rosa Passos, "Eu e meu Coracao"
Brazillian singer/guitarist/composer, samba music. The songs and liner notes are in Portugese. It does not detract. In fact, I think I enjoy the music all the more for not being able to understand the words. The album is just Ms. Passos singing her songs and playing her guitar, accompanied by only an upright bass. Absolutely liquid vocals.
This is an import, but is available from Amazon. No one has yet reviewed it there. I think I may have to be the first. I found it at a local Borders.
When I think of how much money the college boys spend on alcohol trying to coax their coed counterparts into, uh, all-night study sessions, let's just say that I would have loved to have discovered this album 20 years ago!
Again, if anyone else out there is familiar with this recording, I would love to hear what you think.
Regards, and thanks for your ideas above,
GnD
