Customer Reviews

Illumination

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This follow-up to "Vision" (which features the same composer lineup of von Bingen and Souther) is a definite step up. The lush arrangements of Souther's synths mixed with the ethereal sequences of von Bingen combine to form a tapestry that is not only sensual but downright erotic at times. Track 2 - O ignis Spiritus Paracliti - is a prime example. Cello's dark harmonies with the slow, driving beat lay a rich throb to accompany Sister Germaine and Ms. Riain's angelic melodies. Interspersed between the lyricism is Souther's own complex, yet appealing, contrapuntal accompaniments.

Fans of Deleirium's "Karma," Dead Can Dance, and other beat-driven ambient works may profit greatly from listening to this recording and its prequel.

Richard Souther transports the listener to an ethereal realm on each and every note and instrument, with each original arrangement. While the music and words were initially composed and written by Hildegard von Bingen, a highly evolved 12th century mystic, artist, and healer, Richard Souther rekindles the flame with updated interpretations and instruments (synthesizer, keyboards) to appeal to modern ears. Nothing is lost in the transition ... the heart of the listener expands ever wider as the music of the past greets the present, giving and receiving the gift of Spirit.

Sister Germaine Fritz, OSB sings vocals on "Kyrie" (track #1) accompanied by Davey Spillane with a low whistle while the all female string quartet, Cello, accompany on their instruments. It provides a deeply spiritual peace, comfort and solace. Another track, "The Fire of Spirit," ignites a flame which burns brighter the more one hears the music. The lyrics in Latin are a soulful meditation for anyone seeking peace and joy in tumultous times. The intro is sung by Noirin Ni Rian, whose distinctive voice adds the right qualities to the sacred text. Sister Germaine and Katie McMahon provide lead vocals with other worldly adoration and praise for life and all of creation.

Occasionally acoustic drums add a down to earth natural appealing rhythm. The African djembe sounds nearly like a harp, bringing the listener closer to the angelic realm. The lyrics are in Latin, which has mystical and ethereal qualities sung by first class female vocalists. The mellow tones of the Cello quartet vibrate in harmony with each word sung in Latin. Anyone desiring to feel closer to Divinity and the Source should own this CD. The music celebrates life in all its myriad of forms and expressions ... providing Grace to all who listen.
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

When Richard Souther finished recording Vision in 1994 for Angel Records he was soon asked to do 'Vision II' which was no surprise considering the critical and commercial success of Vision.
At this point he chose to change record labels and signed a 7 album deal with Sony Classical. This seems to have played a major role in the shaping of Illumination. With the financial weight of Sony behind him Richard had the freedom to pick and choose his guest musicians. The line-up speaks for itself.

Where as Vision has a strong musical identity and is basically a showcase for the extraordinary talent of Richard Souther, Illumination explores new musical terratories.
Like Vision, it is not a straight cover of Hildegard's gospels but a musical impression of her works that is uniquely interpreted. There is more of a world music feel to Illumination with contributions from the likes of Davey Spillane (Riverdance) reinforcing this feel.
There are some haunting vocal passages and a wide and varied mix of tones and textures that give this album an almost cold and disconcerting edge when compared to Vision. It certainly requires a little more time to absorb than its sibling but as the music unfolds the listener is treated to an aural tapestry of beautiful atmospheres and sublime musicianship.

Another essential purchase for music lovers with vision.

This is my favorite cd of all time. I was browsing through the library's cd collection about 8 months ago when I caught the name "Hildegard von Bingen" out of the corner of my eye. Being a fan of all things Hildegard, I borrowed it from the library and took it home with me... Dear God, I was blown away! I've never heard anything more beautiful. It manages to reach incredible soaring heights without ever truely increasing the sound level, and it really is like a journey. Ok, that sounds pretentious, I know, but it's like a story unravelling. Anyways, enough of my raptured sighs - get this cd, listen to it, you will LOVE it!

I use this cd for everything from housecleaning to prayer/meditation. There is enough strong rhythym to keep you moving through your daily "stuff" and enough beautiful instrumental and voice to sit and meditate with. It's one of the few cd's I can use for meditation as most music you might try to meditate with tends to have a new age repetativeness to it that is wearisome. Illumination travels through different moods and states...very cool. It's also helpful to have some understanding of who Hildegard von Bingen was/is...definately adds to the mystery of the music.

I'm not sure why anyone would think "Vision" was a better cd than this except that maybe it was more "traditional" and this one takes a more worldbeat/rhythmic approach. This in fact, is why I absolutely love it and many others are sure to enjoy it (and have) as well.

The vocal performances by Germaine Fritz are spellbinding and the lush ambience and etherial touch blended with the flowing soft rhythms make make this cd a soothing and hypnotic listening.

Track #2 "Fire of the Spirit" even sounds a bit like Tori Amos' "Caught a light sneeze" and is by far my favorite song and the entire reason I bought this album.

This album infact, reminds me alot of Pilgrimage's "9 Songs of Ecstacy" cd and also the popular classical-crossover ARIA. Fans of both these cds as well as Enya are sure to enjoy this masterpiece.

A wonderfull collection of songs. As a seasoned collector of von Bingen recordings, this has been a very gratifying CD to listen to. This recording surpassed my expectations.

I'll have to admit that this is one of those CDs I put into the player with great reluctance, because judging from the liner notes, I did not think I was going to like it. As I have noted in these pages before, however, doing one's duty can bring great rewards, and in this case, my ears were richly rewarded with an original and enjoyable musical experience. What had put me off in the liner notes was that the music on this CD was largely "assembled" from recordings of the music of Hildegard von Bingen by Richard Souther. I thought the end result would be a New Age mishmash, and I have heard too many of those sorts of things to be able to have any enthusiasm. However, much to my surprise I found that Souther had put things together with great care and creativity, with the end result being a sonically and musically satisfying recording that is particularly fun to pop into the system late at night and enjoy in the dark. Blending a variety of voices, instruments, synthesized sounds, and even acoustical settings into a coherent whole is no easy task, but Souther has pulled it off. The subtitle of this recording is Hildegard von Bingen: The Fire of the Spirit, and the fire of the spirit is just what Souther seems to convey with his musical montage.

Believe me, I receive "New Agey" CDs fairly often, but very few make it past a listen or two, because I find most of them insipid, boring, and just plain crummy. Illumination, however, is a keeper, and I recommend it highly.

I thought Souther's Vision was brilliant. Everybody will find the blend there of old and new very gratifying. The instrumentals here tend to be monotonous, but even the vocals lack the drama of Vision.

Overall, a worthy attempt, but having heard both Vision as well as studied Hildegard's music in its original, and the performance by Anonymous Four, I ultimately found this album somewhat lacking. First, most of the cuts do not even feature Hildegard's music. Sure, some of the plainsong modulations are picked up in the synthesizer meditations, but where is the substance of Hildegard's work? I do like the mix of multi-cultural motifs, which chant lends itself to, but it overwhelms the timeless genius of the great nun. What there is of Hildegard is re-worked to the point that it is unrecognizable. The one cut I did NOT care for was track 9 "Spirit of Fire" which could have been renamed "Spirit of Ennui" or "Spirit of 'I just got this new keyboard let me see how it works.'"

I, for one, like "Vision" much better - but then, I also prefer Enigma's Return to Innocence.