Search - Bulgarian Voices Angelite, Moscow Art Trio :: Mountain Tale

Second collaboration pales next to the first

woburnmusicfan | Woburn, MA United States | 06/04/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This is the second CD to combine the Bulgarian women's choir Angelite with the Tuvan throat-singers of Huun-Huur-Tu in order to form a hybrid of two ageless, otherworldly sounds. The first album, "Fly, Fly My Sadness" was successful and sometimes spellbinding. This time around, the Moscow Art Trio, which was used sparingly to bridge the two cultures on "Fly, Fly" has a more dominant role, and the Tuvans' participation is little more than an afterthought. The result is much less compelling, largely because the Bulgarian and Russian musical cultures don't have the high contrast of the Bulgarian and Tuvan sounds. The most successful tracks are "New Skomorohi", which pairs Russian singer Sergey Starostin with the Bulgarians, and the closing "300 Pushki", which Angelite performs alone. "Midnight Tale" is a simple but effective piece that is reprised at the end of the CD. Mikhail Alperin's aimless piano noodling detracts from the Bulgarian folk tune on "Sad Harvest". "Mountain Fairy-Tale" is a jarring, annoying variation on a Norwegian cattle call, while "Early Morning with My Horse" includes the jaw harp that is the bane of most Tuvan recordings. The CD's centerpiece, the 12-minute "Grand Finale", segregates the three cultures instead of bringing them together, giving each of the ensembles a few minutes to perform on its own. "Fly, Fly" was a synthesis and a revelation; "Mountain Tale" is just product."

Bulgarian-Russian-Tuvan Transcendental Fusion

Erika Borsos | Gulf Coast of FL, USA | 12/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is Misha Alperin's exploration of fusing Bulgarian folk/traditional music with Russian jazz improvisations & the Tuvan music of Huun-Huur-Tu. What otherwise *could* become a clash or cacophony of cultures, melds into a unity and harmony which is very enjoyable and natural. I have not heard the first CD, so have no basis of comparison. Angelite (The Bulgarian Voices, a female choir/chorus) starts out the first track, later a male Russian soloist sings a totally different song as a complementary counterpoint: beautiful, spiritual, transcendental!!! The qualities are enhanced by the combination of cultures. The second track, "Sunrise" is like a worship service: Angelite provides the harmonies, just like waves rushing up onto the shore, creating sculptures of sound. Track #3, "Early Morning with My Horse", starts out with the "clip - clop" of horse's hooves on a pavement, the sound for which the Tuvans are famous. It continues with their unique male vocals accompanied by ancient Mongolian instruments, combined with the harmonies of Angelite. Track #10 is the only disappointment. The liner notes explain the music is based on the composer's wife's experiences in Norway, hearing how the Norwegians called their cows. Well, it *could* be intriguing, if done with taste & creativity, since the Tuvans create masterful hoof beats with their instruments ... Instead, the outcome is ludicrous, adults "mooing", like kindergarten children! Please leave the cows in the pasture!! The composer is forgiven as it is *only* 1 track out of 10 which falls short of artistic merit. Obviously, he lost creative perspective (or had a deadline to meet). 90% of the CD is great! The ethereal voices of Angelite are without comparison! The Moscow Art Trio provides the modern instrumentation: piano, French horn, clarinet, and folk reeds. Huun-Huur-Tu provide the earthy rhythms, ancient instruments, and authentic vocalizations, such as "throat singing" from their Mongolian homeland ('Throat singing' has similarities to Buddhist chanting). If you are open to artistic exploration, try folk-jazz fusion, it is out-of-the-ordinairy and will lift your spirits. Erika Borsos (erikab93)"