 | | |
| Pieces in a Modern Style | 
 enlarge | Artists: Samuel Barber, Ludwig Van Beethoven, John Cage, Ferry Corsten, Henryk Gorecki, George Frideric Handel, Pietro Mascagni, Maurice Ravel, Erik Satie, Andre (aka Atb) Tanneberger, Antonio Vivaldi, William Orbit
Label: Maverick
Category: Music
List Price: $11.98
Buy New: $1.72
You Save: $10.26 (86%)
Buy New/Used/Collectible from $1.72
Avg. Customer Rating:  (94 reviews)
Sales Rank: 66631
Format: Enhanced
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 47596
UPC: 093624759621
EAN: 0093624759621
ASIN: B000046S1W
Release Date: February 22, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Customer Reviews:
 I like it.... February 23, 2005
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
The front cover photo of the lounging, pouting William Orbit and a glance at the titles on the rear ( works written by Beethoven, Ravel and Vivaldi, among others ) would lead one to believe the music in Pieces in a Modern Style is stuffy, uptight and pretentious. Nothing could be further from the truth. These songs are warm in instrumentation, and surprisingly varied in arrangement, considerig that they were all more or less programmed into ( and played by ) a computer. The opener, Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, is the selection here that stays most true to the original, with synthesisers taking the place of the strings in question. It is rich, full and lush. Really beautiful. Other songs stray a bit from the original arrangements, often to the point of being unrecognizable, but never to the point of disraction or the compromise of the integrity of the originals. John Cage's In a Landscape features gently pulsing bass notes with very minimal synth sounds floating on top, and reminds me of Brian Eno's earlier ambient works. Another highlight is Ravel's Pavane pour une Infante Defunte, which is simply a beautiful piece of music on its own, here made ethereal and otherworldly. Vivaldi's L'Inverno is made delightfully playful, with an arrangement that makes it sound as though it is coming out of a music box. My personal favourite is Beethoven's Triple Concerto. It begins with the electric guitar treatment Orbit used on Madonna's Beautiful Stranger ( it sounds rather like vibrato, and I am sure there is a technical term for it, although I've no idea what it is ), then goes into a short section of mournful strings before settling into a sensual throb, with backwards percussion, techno-inspired bass and other assorted odd noises. The two Gorecki pieces are simple but very effective, as is the closer, Beethoven's opus 132, lulling the listeniner into states of relaxation, meditation and reflecton. The negative reviews I have read here mainly concentrate on the fact that other musicians have done in the past exactly what William Orbit is doing here - remake classical music using synthesisers.The idea in and of itself is nothing new, and could certainly be seen by some as somewhat creatively lazy. Wendy Carlos and Tomita immediately come to mind. So the question for the potential buyer is this: does a recording have to be particularly groundbreaking to be of any artistic merit or to entertain? I am of the opinion that it does not, and have thoroughly and consistantly enjoyed this since I bought it several years ago. One thing is certain - the polarity of the reviews here. People have an intense like or dislike for this cd, which I suppose in the long run is better than ambivalence. The in-house Amazon reviewer also trashed this cd,( calling it "second-rate Vangelis" ) which is not surprising, considering the heaps of praise they give to the likes of Maroon 5 ( a third-rate Jamaroqui, who are themselves a third-rate Stevie Wonder ) and Ashlee Simpson ( who gives all new meaning to "third rate"). In closing all I can say is..."well, I certainly like it."
 Horses for courses January 16, 2005
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
Few people would claim that this is a work of great aesthetic beauty, or that it is stylistically original, lively or engaging. If the album is purchaed with these expectations in mind, disappointment is likely.
As an Ambient album however, it is extremely effective. The gentle pace, warm sounds, and well known melodies slowly stir the dozing uncritical consciousness back into life. Among the many Ambient works, from Eno to Aphex, few serve this purpose so well.
 Somebody has to love it July 30, 2004
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I read all the reviews and was shocked at the amount of bad reviews it had. This is the first review I've ever written; the reason is that it simply needs someone to rave about it, because there are practically no others. I, like some or most of the other reviewers, am familiar with several of the pieces and classically trained in multiple instruments. Instead of being disgusted with his destruction of originally beautiful pieces, I was absolutely fascinated with his rendition of them. I immediately loved this album the first time I heard it, and still do. He produced a modern sound and at the same time preserved the original melodies and emotions of the pieces. I also appreciated his ability to resist the impulse to "remix" these pieces, as so many dance artists would have been tempted to do. Rather, he simply gave them his own interpretation and kept the fairly ambient feel of the original pieces. All of the pieces re-worked here were subdued, gentle pieces to begin with. I am also a fan of much of William Orbit's other work, including the more dance-floor oriented or rock work he has done solo and with countless other artists: Madonna, Depeche Mode, U2, Seal, etc. I can appreciate the remixes on the second disc, though I am generally a fan of more underground electronic music, and these remixes are a bit too mainstream for me. However, my general opinion is that this is an absolutely sublime album. I even consider myself a purist and still like it. If you are a fan of classical music, William Orbit, or ambient music and can stand the thought of creative liberties being taken with time-honored classical (or Romantic, Baroque, or contemporary/modern) pieces, get it. Hopefully you won't be disappointed, but apparently it's fairly difficult to judge who will like this album. Personally, I love it.
 wanktacular May 27, 2004
11 out of 18 found this review helpful
I've been a fan of Orbit's other works for a while, and while he does have a very identifiable signature style, he's quite a good producer and technician. And electronic interpretations of classical music ar eoften quite interesting, like Wendy Carlos's landmark "Switched on Bach" or ELP's progged-up "Pictures at an Exhibition."Sadly, this one really misses the boat. Instead of benefitting from Orbit's prisitine production or from the depth of the original compositions, what this just manages to do is suck the soul out of all the compositions. It is slightly better than downloaidng a MIDI file of the same piece, but displays the same flaccid lack of emotion. It becomes a pretty self-indulgent exercise. The "single" of Barber's Adagio is paricularly flat as an electronic piece, removing the tension of the dissonant strings and replacing them with rather flabby whooshy pad sounds. The Corsten remix is a sight better, but only becasue it bears less resemblance to a classical remake and more to a novelty trance tune. Disappointing.
Not What I Expected - But Suprising! February 27, 2004
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Ah...this CD set - either you love it, or hate it.
It's not at all what I was expecting, but I feel it was a pleasant suprise.
Not a CD to listen to while driving at night - it will put you to sleep. So, with that said, it's a very relaxing CD...takes you to another world...I often find it in my CD player at night when I'm falling asleep.
I do prefer William Orbit when he's a bit more up-beat though, which is the reason for the 4/5 instead of 5/5.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| | |