Customer Reviews

Heartsounds

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

 

 

David Lanz's style had not yet matured when he recorded this. Though some of it reflected the style of his later works (his quiet ones, anyway), a lot of the pieces have a kind of meandering tunelessness to them. Valencia, the first track, is a perfect example: the main theme consists of a major scale going straight down for two octaves. A lot of it is kind of repetitive, too. My favorites are Dream Field and Rosario, which echoes his later work Prelude to the Dance. Heartsounds is also nice, but there's a much better version on Return to the Heart. If you're a Lanz fan, I do recommend this CD just because it's an interesting glimpse into the beginning of his career. Most of it's quiet and mellow, making good background music for relaxing or reading or enjoying the weather. (Unless it's a thunderstorm. Then you want his Skyline Firedance!)

Once more David Lanz proves that he is not some lucky person who puts out a cd or two and calls himself famous. He brings and delivers with this long and luscious album as Heartsounds truly sounds like it came form his heart. One can not imagine how much can be done with a massive object such as a piano, from delicate and wispy to hair risingly good it can alter the mood in seconds and every single on these pieces does exactly that.

I must admit that lately this is the only kind of music I like to listen to while reading, I put it on very softly, light some of my favorite candles and feel my stresses melt away. It's even better to crank it up and sit back in your favorite comfy chair, with a cat in my lap and a blanket over. Some pieces such as Valencia are fast and galloping, Embrace is soft and moody, Gideon's Arrival has spunk and hidden depths, and it makes music sound like liquid jewels, Stargazer sounds like a cool desert night, Day Star sounds like morning's first rays as the warm up and opens a field full of sleeping wilted flowers after a cool night. Each song sounds so different and evokes emotions I wouldn't be aware of feeling on my own in a quiet room. Farewell Amparo is melancholy and silky as notes are very tender and lovingly played; Heartsounds is full of hope and brightness with bit of a jazzy feel. Rosario sounds like a live Cezanne landscape captured on a crisp canvas, with lavender and honey colored fields of wheat, I cannot begin to try and describe each one fully as all the pieces are magnificent and on constant rotation in my listening repertoire.

Even my kitties like it, as they prance around to it, it never bothers them like my other music choices.

- Kasia S.

I am also surprised at the harsh reviews of this album. Although, I play Return to the Heart more often, I still listen to Heartsounds a lot and find it very peaceful and relaxing. Recently I discovered John Nilsen who is a great pianist, and if you are shopping around for good piano music, consider checking out Nilsen also.

I think the other reviews are too harsh. This is solid new age piano. Sometimes the earliest recordings by artists, are the most inspired and fresh! Similar to "Nightfall", which is my personal favorite.

This CD is David's first album, so it is worth listening if you want to know how he began his musical career. It is not good and the songs just repeats itself for about 2 or 3 times. When I firt listened to the first song, I thought it was good at the begining but later it gets really boring. I mean really boring. I don't think you will like it.