Best Of 3CD (The Platinum Collection on the first 2009 issue) is a triple-disc set that contains one disc of Enigma’s greatest hits, one disc of remixes, and one disc of “The Lost Ones,” brief instrumental snippets that were used as source material and ideas for full-length tracks. Naturally, this last disc is what’s interesting for the hardcore fan which, unlike the rest, consists of unreleased material - but even the hardcore may find this slightly ephemeral; after all, these were designed as something like work tapes, not for release. The rest of the set is a good overview of basics, but it’s still unclear exactly who this is for, as this recycles too much for the hardcore, and it’s too lengthy for the casual fan.
Electrifying conductor, brilliant composer, gifted pianist, inspiring teacher: Leonard Bernstein is one of the most famous and influential musicians of all time. Highlights of this two-disc sampling of the Maestro’s legendary recordings for Deutsche Grammophon include his incandescent interpretations of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Mahler, composers for whom he felt a profound affinity. And Bernstein’s lifelong dedication to American music is vividly illustrated with Gershwin, Barber and, of course, his own iconic West Side Story.
Enigma brings the first album in eight years, and its Japanese edition exclusively includes two Japan only bonus tracks "Sadness" and "Return to Innocence." Also features Japanese original cover artwork & sleeve case packaging. The musical project, known globally as ENIGMA, has proved one of the most successful of the last quarter-century. It has delivered more than 70 million sales across seven albums, 60 Number One albums around the world, and received over 100 Platinum awards. Now, in 2016, Cretu reconnects with that very first multi-platinum album to transfer its bold, pioneering sound-world to here and now. The Fall Of A Rebel Angel is the musical parable of a sensitive artist's view on the human condition. The album tells the story of a protagonist setting off on a symbolic journey of development and change to find a new, fulfilling life.
Founded in 1996, ERA (an acronym for Enminential Rythmn of the Ancestors) is the project of French musician Eric Lévi, whose ethereal, evocative soundscapes began in the tradition of artists like Enigma and Deep Forest. ERA's self-titled debut LP was released in 1998 to widespread success. A mix of dramatic pseudo-orchestral fare and lyrics in a self-designed language similar to Latin and Greek, Era also incorporated elements of world music, electronic, and new age. Following up in 2000 with Era 2, Lévi returned in 2003 with The Mass - whose title track referenced Carl Orff's masterpiece O Fortuna - and sales subsequently hit platinum status in France and Switzerland. The Very Best of Era was released in 2004 and featured all the popular tracks from their previous three records as well as several remixes…
Sandra Ann Lauer, commonly known under her stage name Sandra is a German pop singer, who enjoyed a mainstream popularity in the 1980s and early 1990s with a string of European hit singles, produced by her then-husband and musical partner, Michael Cretu, most notably "(I'll Never Be) Maria Magdalena" (1985), "In the Heat of the Night" (1985), "Everlasting Love" (1987), "Secret Land" (1988), "Hiroshima" (1990) and "Don't Be Aggressive" (1992). Her albums Into a Secret Land (1988) and Close to Seven (1992) have won Sandra high critical acclaim.
Ronnie Lane is one of the finest songwriters the UK has produced. This is the first time that comprehensive look at Ronnie's post Faces career has been undertaken. In many ways, Ronnie Lane remains an enigma in the story of rock 'n' roll. An artist who was determined to chart his own destiny and break free from the demands of the music "business". His sense of disillusion with the rock 'n' roll lifestyle led him to leave his hugely successful band for a ramshackle country farm and a life on the road. He would create The Passing Show - a now legendary circus tent tour of the country with assorted clowns, acrobats and comedians. Ronnie created a sound and style that leaned heavily on an array of influences particularly folk, country music and later R&B with welcome contributions from the band of musicians he surrounded himself with.
Enigma is a German electronic project formed in 1990 by Michael Cretu, David Fairstein and Frank Peterson. Cretu is both the composer and the producer of the project.
Exactly what it says on the label, this collects the finest moments from Castle Music's acclaimed series of ELP official live bootlegs…
Barbirolli made later recordings of all the works on this CD and these have become cornerstones of the catalogue. These are earlier recordings that he did with his own orchestra, the Halle, in the 1950s. To start with, the recording quality is pretty amazing. They were recorded on 35mm film tape rather than half inch recording tape by the Mercury team and have astonishing immediacy and amazingly lifelike. Barbirolli uses an organ in the finale of the Enigma Variations. The recording is a little bass heavy but this is a small caveat. For people who consider Barbirolli to be a bit indulgent as a conductor, these recordings may come as a surprise. The performances are very direct and nicely flowing. They therefore complement rather than compete with the later recordings. Of course, Barbirolli's later recording of the Cello Concerto with Jacqueline du Pre is a very famous and special rendition of the work. However, it is not without its detractors. Andre Navarra, by contrast, plays with golden tone. He plays gorgeously. Highly recommended.