NEW ALBUM: Vangelis - Nocturne: The Piano Album

[Ruby]

VANGELIS ~ Nocturne: The Piano Album



What can I say? This is Vangelis’ ode to the night sky and by association, outer space, and by further association whatever else takes his fancy, which is fair enough! It is a simply beautiful listen and I mean that in the exact sense of the word. I wasn’t expecting to be enchanted by the theme from “Chariots of Fire”, for example, but what a sensitive touch and interpretation – fascinating - I love it. This is an album of gourmet musical deliciousness without being too slick and overly sentimental; he doesn’t get all frilly and gymnastic on the keys (with the exception of one or two tastefully placed trills) – just plays with heart and grace. 

It’s not actually solo piano as has been bandied about – there is synth orchestration backing up the gorgeous grand, one wholly synthesized track, and Irina Valentinova-Karpouchina plays the piano on Movement 9 from Mythodea – stunning piece of work. Altogether quite magical, IMHO. 

Track listing (six of the seventeen are new arrangements of tracks from previous works – the rest are brand new):-

1. Nocturnal Promenade 
   
2. To The Unknown Man (new arrangement - from Spiral)
   
3. Movement 9 (new arrangement - from Mythodea) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGdlMuxVwjo
   
4. Moonlight Reflections 
   
5. Through The Night Mist 
   
6. Early Years 
   
7. Love Theme (new arrangement - from Blade Runner)
   
8. Sweet Nostalgia 
   
9. Intermezzo 
   
10. To A Friend 
    
11. La Petite Fille De La Mer (new arrangement - from L’Apocalypse Des Animaux)
    
12. Longing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7xl_vvW3aE (not from Blade Runner as per mistaken uploader)
    
13. Chariots of Fire (new arrangement) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKQjd9lK2ao
    
14. Unfulfilled Desire 
    
15. Lonesome 
    
16. 1492: Conquest of Paradise (new arrangement)
    
17. Pour Melia