Customer Reviews

Caverna Magica

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I own Down To The Moon. It is one of my "10 CD's to take if I'm on a deserted island". When I received "Caverna Magica" it was ANOTHER wonderful journey! This man is a New Age genius!

If you like electronic music and a great feeling of a concert given within the cave then this is a must have.

Listen to the samples for a very understated example of how wonderful the album is.

Andreas at his best.

If you need something to relax with, this cd is wonderful. It got my husband through a very tough time in the hospital.

This one flows. It is intricate and the transitions from cut to cut are seamless. Really enjoyable and doesn't get old or tired. Down To the Moon and White Winds are good but this is a 5 star to their 4's.

I'm a huge fan of Andreas Vollenweider, in fact I purchased "Caverna Magica" when it was first released on vinyl. I have several of his albums which I've recently purchased on cd. The sound of his harp is truly mesmerizing!

I'm an Andreas Fan from the 80's. I have seen Andreas in concert. I have the first 6 or so albums on CD, back in the day when CDs cost big cash. I noticed that these are remasters by Andreas himself, in 24 bit. I assume we dont actually get a 24/96 or better CD, physically. I think it was remastered in 24 bit, and then down to 16/44 for this disc. I am not sure because there is a label that states, 24 BIT HIFI DEF DIGITAL. I am not sure if that is physically possible on a standard CD. I think you need SACD/ DVD-A/ Bluray for 24/96. Even a 24/96 or better download ( DSD?) would require a DVD-A/Blueray burn. Any opinins on this?

The music quality is just freakin awsome. Now, that I know, I will go Amazon the rest. I think I payed 8-10 bucks for this with Shipping, thats a great price for new copy of this album. The bonus material is a little disturbing because I have heard this album hundreds of times, and know it. Suddenly the end is not the end. However, it is good and meshes right in. So, the bonus material is welcome after all. I have not viewed the PC bonus material, this would not play on DVD/DVD-A/SACD player. I think you need PC for playback.

PS...I went back and bought three other remasters of first several albums. Even in 16/44, Caverna sounds so pleeeeasssinng, awwwwwe.

I love this album! It's my favorite CD to test a new sound system with. The music is 3D, you can close your eyes and feel the music, the cave, all around you!

I have some of Andreas Vollenweider's CD's (Caverna Magica is his second CD), and this one is a replacement of the original edition. I couldn't believe in my ears when I pushed the Play button in my Cd player. Louder, brilliant and clear sound. And there are some very nice bonus (extra tracks and videos) too! What can I say? Now I'm planning to buy the other ones that I love (there is a "huge" difference in sound quality!). Check it out, now!

I was a complete vinyl audiophile freak in the '70s and '80s, and first saw this in a pile of demo records at a local high-end audio store. The cover was so beguiling that I had them put it on their million-dollar tube set-up, and whoa! The glistening, shimmering music was made even more sublime by the incredible binaural production effects. I was captivated, bought the album along with Behind The Gardens, and still listen to them today with much pleasure.

I've enjoyed almost every AW recordings since then, and while he's occasionally a bit twee, sounding New Agey slick and limp at his worst, his catalog is for the most part excellent (and he was doing some of the best New Age music before it had a name). Vollenweider has since this early album played with various vocalists and many styles of musicians, but Caverna still reigns supreme for those who want to hear his electric harp work its magic as unadorned and purely as possible.

Every track here has a lovely melody, which is his forte. If you love melody married to sweet harmonic lushness, Vollenweider is your guy and this is the place to start. Then Gardens, Air, and many others, along with the fine 2 cd live album which covers much of his best stuff, a fine sampler.

But it's his early productions that still sound and feel best to me, Caverna above all. The opening little laughter bit with his wife, their coughing (a subtle recommendation to enhance the listening experience as you see fit), and then the glorious unfolding of the 3D soundstage into that inimitable harp soundscape that Andreas creates so perfectly. And make sure to listen to Caverna a few times on good headphones; this stuff is like Pink Floyd if Roger Waters was in a really good mood. CM is also a perfect album to play in thick traffic; it'll calm you down and wrap you in a tranquil cocoon of warm sound that will float your stress away. You might even let that guy cut in front of you, and with a smile!

This cd remaster is very nicely done; compared to the vinyl, it's less three-dimensional and not quite as warm, but still lovely, and the bonus tracks are pleasant. If you've never heard AW, or are looking for the best place to start, this or the live album are perfect, as is Gardens. They verge on cheesy at moments, but always pull back into the highest category of easy listening, in the best sense. I recall a long-ago musical journey listening to Ella's Cole Porter Songbook, then the first Black Sabbath album, then Caverna, then Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life, then Bill Evans with Jim Hall on Undercurrent, and Caverna held up perfectly along with those other four peerless records, no mean feat. It's all music, after all, and the quality comes from the consciousness and emotional intention of the musician, whatever the genre. AW has plenty of both, and at a very high level in a very laid back fashion.

I recently checked out his website and was happy to see that he has made many fine humanitarian efforts, including protesting various wars while many were waving the flag for more violence and hate. If ever there was truly peaceful, loving music, this is it, and it's no wonder that its creator is a spokesman for peace. I salute you for that, Andreas, and thank you for many many hours of blissful relaxation and re-creation.

If you're looking for beautifully produced, harmonically-rich music that will slow you down and put a sweet smile on your face, you can't do much better than Caverna Magica.

I just rediscovered this cd after not listening to it for I don't know how long. I am reminded that one of the things that sets Andreas Vollenweider apart from other new age artist is that his music while relaxing, still has momentum and diversity. Not just another boring ride through snoozville. I also liked white winds, and down to the moon. Dancing with the lion was pretty good.