Search - Andreas Vollenweider, Andreas / Ladysmith Black Mambazo Vollenweider, Andreas / Nascimento, Milton Vollenweider :: The Essential Andreas Vollenweider

A Stunning Collection

Steve Vrana | Aurora, NE | 02/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This anthology spans the twenty-year recording history of Swiss harpist Andreas Wollenweider from 1981's Behind the Gardens... to 1999's Cosmopoly. [There is nothing from his 1979 debut Eine Art Suite, which is now available on The Trilogy.] His mostly instrumental music is in turns majestic, intimate, personal, tranquil and it all centers around Wollenwieder's signature sound of his electracoustic harp. I was first introduced to his music by a co-worker who played Down to the Moon for me back in 1986. I've been hooked ever since. I now own all of his albums--most on vinyl or cassette. So this anthology--whose selections were handpicked and mixed and remastered by the artist himself--was a wonderful way to get these songs on CD. If you're new to the music of Wollenweider, it makes a wonderful introduction. If like me you're looking for an inexpensive way to upgrade your collection, you also get the added bonus of "Pace Verde," which was a single-only release in 1983 and one of the standout tracks on this collection. [This track is only otherwise available on The Trilogy, which also includes his first four albums on two CDs.] This is music to feed the soul. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED"

From Solo Piano Publications

Kathy Parsons | Florence, OR United States | 04/10/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to confess that in all the years I've been listening to new instrumental music, I've avoided Andreas Vollenweider because I really don't like harp music. When I received a copy of "The Essential Andreas Vollenweider" for review, I kind of thought, "Oh great - another harp CD." Vollenweider's is such a huge and well-respected name that I decided that this would be an opportunity to educate myself. Many "best-of" and "greatest hits" albums are compiled by labels without any input from the artists, but this collection was chosen by Vollenweider himself from albums dating from 1981-1999. Several of the older tracks were remastered by Vollenweider, so this was a great chance to get to know a bit about this artist. It really didn't surprise me that quite a few of the songs were familiar from radio play, but I was surprised that many of them I never would have guessed as being played on harp. Vollenweider developed his electracoustic harp, which has quite a different sound from the standard acoustic harp. In addition to the harp, Vollenweider sings and plays wind instruments, guitars, accordion, keyboards, percussion, and "special fx". I was also surprised at how much I found myself enjoying this album! Musical influences can be heard from all over the world, and most of the music is lively, rhythmic, and infectious. I especially like "Moon Dance", "Dancing With the Lion", and Pace Verde", but the album as a whole is a wonderful sampler for those of us who are relatively new to Vollenweider's music, and is an excellent "best of" collection for his longtime fans. I will definitely be adding more of his music to my collection! The CD is multimedia-enhanced and contains the music video to "Pearls and Tears". Highly recommended!"

A Musical Experience

randyw41a | Indianapolis, Indiana | 03/28/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This composer has never let me down from the very first time I heard his CD entitled, Down To The Moon. I was in a restaurant having lunch, and even though I was having a conversation with three other people, I was constantly drawn to the music playing in the backround. I asked the waiter for the name of the composer. After lunch, I ran out and purchased the CD. That was several years ago. I now have all of his works, and find that each one is as moving as the first time I listened to him. With this album, you'll get a sampling of his work, that will keep you coming back for more."