Customer Reviews

Mythodea: Music for the NASA Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Having listened to Vangelis' music over the years, I've come (like many others) to expect a certain "sound" from his albums: something electronic, with lots of synths and effects - Albedo, Direct, etc. As such, when I first bought Mythodea, which was noted as being "operatic," I did not know what to expect. It could have been another Voices or Oceanic, which would have been a pleasant experience, but instead, Mythodea is something else altogether.

As a rule, I am not a fan of the opera. In fact, Mythodea is the only CD I own (out of perhaps 700 or so) that comes close to being "operatic." Vangelis has broken the rule for me, perhaps because I'm already a fan of his music...or perhaps because he has simply pulled this off so well.

This is truly vintage Vangelis, a pinnacle of the composer's career that has found him taking a more subtle role behind the music. It's undoubtedly Vangelis, but with the addition of the orchestra, the choir (as well as the sopranos, Battle & Norman, whose voices are quite haunting), Mythodea achieves something that previous albums have been hinting at for quite a while. I haven't felt the urge to weep since "So Long Ago, So Clear;" Mythodea sent shivers up my spine at every turn. The commercial hook of the album labels it as "Music for the NASA Mission: 2001 Mars Odyssey," but I rather believe this is an exploration of humanity itself, and its undying desire to explore.

Whether or not this was intended by Vangelis to be his definitive opus, only he will know. However, I'm quite positive that Mythodea has become my most cherished piece of music to date.

The attempt to compare an artist's new project to previous ones is understandable and natural. But in order for one to be fair, one must rate only the quality of the work as it is presented. Is this new effort typical of Vangelis? No, not by a long shot. Is it bad because it is not like his previous works? Again, no, for it stands out as a truly unique form. An artist doesn't grow if he/she stays with only one form. Experimentation is a good thing, and Mythodea works successfully because of that. While I agree with those who had said it is not one if his best works, I don't agree with those who dismissed it solely on the fact that it is not like his previous electronic efforts. Therefore, I rate this highly as an orchestral work, not an electronic one. Being a fan of both orchestral and electronic music, Vangelis has historically satified my desire for both, and Mythodea more than satisfies.

Vangelis' Mythodea: Music for the Nasa Mission/2001 Mars Odyssey is indeed a classical music odyssey in its vision, sound and presentation.[...]. I have several Vangelis albums collected over many years, and this one is vintage Vangelis without sounding dated.

I was especially interested in Mythodea since it features BOTH Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman, working together again after many years. Their individual soprano styles (Battle, the lighter and more ethereal soubrette/lirico; Norman, the dramatic, and more resonant as in her interpretations of Wagner and Strauss) serve the music beautifully as their voices contrast greatly with each other, but blend so well.

The 10 movements might represent the progression of Man's desire to reach past Earth and out into our solar system and even beyond. The symphonic elements are played with great passion and also great solemnity. The National Opera of Greece choir shines impressively in the acoustic of the Megaron/Athens Music Hall. Much credit to the engineering behind this project to highlight the great talents of not only Vangelis, Norman and Battle, but also of the choir and the London Metropolitan Orchestra.

Close your eyes and enjoy a magical journey to Mars and beyond.

I've been listening to Vangelis work, and I always have thought of it as AMAZING. As far as I go, I think that he's one of the composers of this century, and a musician that has given LOTS into music. Perhaps him, Jean Michel Jarre and very few others.

As for Mythodea... I found it VERY powerful, EPIC, a score that you can listen to again and again, specially on a 5.1 system such as mine, but also with a GOOD set of headphones late at night...

It gave me the chills, and I believe that Vangelis does show thru this score. Anyone that KNOWS his work will recognize the songs as his.

If you like epic, STRONG music, then you have to go for this score, and you should go for it if you're Vangelis' fan.

In this recording Vangeli teams with The London Metropolitan Orchestra and The National Opera of Greece Choir to create his vision of theme music for the 2001 NASA Mars Odyssey Mission. The CD as a whole falls short of the mark.
Some of the tracks do seem to be a tribute to the Red Planet, conjuring images of raw, powerful but barren landscapes, or of the mythological God of War for which the planet was named. Other tracks will bring to your imagination scenes of the cold, lonely depths of space, and man's almost feeble attempts to bridge the emptiness between ourselves and our celestial neighbors.
The problem with this CD lies in several tracks (3-5, and perhaps 6) that seem to take a different tack from the others, making the CD as a whole sound discordant. Not that these tracks are bad recordings, they just do not seem to fit with the rest of the tracks.
Having heard several Vangelis recordings in the past I had high hopes for Mythodea, but it is not quite as good as I had expected.

Vangelis has been a master of the virtual-symphonic for decades, be it electronic or analog (any tympani he's ever done is real--there's probably no way of using a sampler or synth for that particular sound) and he's indeed come a long way from the onetime keyboardist for the Greek acid-hippie outfit Aphrodite's Child. For comparisons to this album from his past catalog, don't look to the apocalyptic cyberpunkish "Blade Runner" (which only proved that he's so gifted that he can even do a score for a downer sci-fi ...), instead try the more pastoral "Mask" and "Soil Festivities". Only in this case it's mostly real orchestra, with his mighty synths only sneaking seamlessly in here and there. Still, if they'd played a track from this album on the radio without an intro, I would still have known whose work it was--the Vangelis style is unmistakeable. When I heard of the opera he composed a few years back, I was disappointed that he never recorded it--this effort makes up for that. Vangelis proved years ago that he's no mere space music weenie. And with this effort--despite the work's high-tech theme--he proves that he can do it without being all that dependent on high-tech machinery.

Yes, this CD is different from Vangelis' other works. With a full orchastra, a choir, and two top sapranos, Vangelis has expressed so much of his vision and emotion in this album that I have never heard before. Rich and beautiful! I have listened to it so many times. I wish this album is recorded in SACD and DVD-audio! Such a masterpiece deserves the best sound quality.

Turn off the lights, close your eyes and be prepared to experience a trip in space and time. The Master signs here what I consider one his best releases !

You can choose this one without any doubt, you won't regret. I own many Vangelis albums and this one is one of my favourites !

I'm amazed at the diversity of reactions in the reader reviews here. Perhaps it's because I've been listening to Vangelis since HEAVEN AND HELL (a loooong time ago now), but is this really THAT different? The orchestra and chior give it an immense sound, but there are many moments that evoke that masterpiece, as well as many subsequent classics. True, there's fewer melodic "hooks" here . . . nor is there the deep sonorous atmosphere of "1491" or "El Greco". But it's definitely the work of an mature artist who has explored his artistic boundries over the years and is revisiting familiar territory with different tools . . . a real orchestra and chior. If you've been along for the ride of all things Vangelis I don't think you'll be dissapointed.

Vangelis branches out beyond his recent El Greco album to give us a glorious almost classical symphony. If you like opera this is for you. I'm not much a die hard opera fan but the arias in this CD along with Vangelis' distinctive electronic style creates a majestic sound unlike anything you've ever heard. Buy it, sit back and enjoy!