Customer Reviews

Novus Magnificat: Through the Stargate

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(2)
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A fitting title for this one. Even after several years have gone by, this still has to be saluted as a precedent setting, awe inspring work. YOu may see that it has only two tracks, but they are quite lengthy, done in suite form. I am still amazed every time I listen to this at some of the "Bach-like" keyboard impressions she does here. The music continues to build in sophistication and depth. Bone chilling beauty is evident again and again. Put it to you this way: I am EXTREMELY picky about the music I like and buy. New Age is a very difficult genre to tap into, but once I heard some of COnstance Demby's work, I was hooked. Hers is the standard I hold a lot of music to now, especially new age or other electronic forms. Prepare to be taken on an incredible journey. Each of her albums is like a chapter in an ongoing epic. They are all must have treasures that are like fine wine: They only get better with age.

As with many other people, Novus Magnificat was my first foray into the world of contemporary space music, having first heard a portion of it during a planetarium program, and I must say, it captivated me! The intricate melodies of the various synthesized instruments practically take my breath away, while the organ arpeggios act as a stairway through the stars.

Each time I listen to this album, I feel as if I am travelling through space in a ship of music, experiencing the wonders of the cosmos while the secrets of the universe whisper to me in an ethereal song. This is truly an experience that is not only heard, but realized through all the senses. Gazing at the stars on a warm summer's night is my favorite setting for listening to this composition of melodic poetry.

While I have other good examples of contemporary space music in my collection, from Wendy Carlos to Michael Stearns and John Serrie, Novus Magnificat continues to be the cornerstone of my musical library. I highly recommend this album if you are looking for a truly musically-poetic experience that transcends the senses.

Johann Sebastian Bach would have been pleased.

I was in what weould best be described as a dour mood this morning and decied to listen to this CD for the first time in my car. I live in a city that has the 5th worst traffic in America. Gridlock and its spirit crushing frustration are a way of life here and it shows in the populace. I often try to listen to ambient or classical music to calm my demeanor when driving. While some of the production is dated, specifically some of the swirling arppegiator effects, this is a piece of music that is truly worth the praise. I was aware of the album when it first appeared in the 80's as I began my exploration of electronic/space music but for some reason never purchased it. I'm glad now that I happened to come across it the other day in a CD store and picked it up on a whim. It's a cliche but this music, I think, was ahead of its time. Denby's classical training shows, but beyond that, this music is composed to stir an emotional/spiritual response in the listener. I can say that it succeeded with me this morning. As I neared the office I saw two large flocks of geese flying over the highway just as I was thinking to myself that this music inspires the urge to fly. It was a neat experience. Thank you Constance for composing an inspired piece of music. Even if you could help give one person some solace for a day wouldn't it be worth it? Certainly this is the contribution she has made to others who have discovered this music. I look forward to exploring some of the other works by this artist but for right now I can't wait for the ride home!

Ms. Demby's masterpiece, "Novus Magnificat," has been described by many reviewers as "New Age." To equate Ms. Demby's work with a typical new age melody, is erroeous. The new age soud today has degenerated into elictric synthesized music, with an overbearing attempt to produce the ethereal, mystical, quasi-melodic sounds which stand alone, with no story to tell, no narrative.

Ms. Demby's "Novus Magnificat" avoids all these pitfalls by being true to itself, with a more classical, story-telling, stirring narrative in which , as in a tapestry, all the melodies are interwoven to produce a magnificent whole. Her music could be applied to Keats' EVE OF ST. AGNES and many other literary works. If you haven't read Keats' Eve of St. Agnes, you must, since you love Ms. Demby's music.

Finally "Novus Magnificat" has a healing prolpriety. If you are depressed by all means get assistance; but it the meantime listen to this magnificent recording,preferably with a few good friends who share your love of the beautiful.

If God had a window, this music would be the curtain you would pull back to see the Divine. I cried first time I heard this cd. This is a lovely and awe inspiring addition to anyone's cd collection.

When you listen to this cd you can imagine what the other side must be like, bring some joy to your world, buy this cd...

As the title suggests, there is a link to the classical and baroque sacred choral works in this "new" Magnificat. The use of modern electronic instrumentation provides coloration and power unavailable to composers of their era. Although definitely of the Space Music genre, there is an emotional quality to the music that is often missing in the type. I certainly recommend the music to people who have a love of music from the "romantic" era of classical music as well as appreciate the great variety of shading and hues available from modern electronic instruments.

My first introduction to "new age" music was from the likes of Andreas Vollenweider and Ray Lynch. One day, I was browsing through the NA section of the local CD store and found this. At the time, no sampling was allowed but I loved the cover art and thought it looked intriguing. It only took about 1 minute of the first track -- I was immediately hooked!!!

I've purchased this CD for a number of friends who are also into sacred space music/dark ambient and they love it as well. It's fantastic background for love-making in front of the fire place and will transport your mind (and body) to the nether reaches of the universe.

VOTED -- "ONE OF THE 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL
AMBIENT ALBUMS OF ALL TIME." - NAV (New Age Voice)

VOTED -- "One of the 10 best albums of the decade. " - Pulse! Magazine

VOTED -- "Editor's Choice" - Third Annual Digital Audio

VOTED --" Top 50 definitive CD New Age Library" - CD Review

VOTED -- "One of the 25 best gateway New Age albums" - NAR

"One of the greatest musical works of our time." - Pathways

"The Mozart Requiem of our Age." - Audio Amateur
 
"A landmark recording in the New Age genre." - Digital Audio
 
"One of the finest pieces of contemporary sacred spacemusic we know." - NA Media

"One of the great works which will take us into the 21st century with power and grace."- New Dimensions

"There is no other recording in the electronic genre rooted in the harmonies of Bach and the romantics that is so heartfelt, so devout...you will be moved "- USA Today
 
"Awesome passages, majestic melodies, vibrant chorales - this is cosmic space music at its very best."- Common Ground
 
"The standard for the use of electronics against which future New Age albums should be judged. " - New Sounds (Harper & Row)

"A masterpiece that will be listened to hundreds of years from now & still take people's breath away." Alt Sounds

"...Compels your attention, demands your participation with it. Demby delivers a genuinely moving performance. " - Magical Blend Magazine

"A powerful, emotive, uplifting symphony capable of moving the heart and soul... Novus Magnificat sets exceptionally high standards for the artistic use of electronics, space, and classical elements in contemporary music. " - Digital Audio

"Monumental...symphonic space music at its best... the orchestra of the century, the choir of the millennium. It's a Bach's organ toccata and a series of massive orchestral expressions worthy of Mahler..." Carol Wright, New Age Retailer
 
"When we played [Novus] on our radio show, more people responded with appreciation than for any other music we have ever played " - Enlightenments

"That we might really be traveling "through the stargate" is an extraordinary thing to accomplish with sound alone . It never fails to move and excite me." - The Absolute Sound

"ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ALBUMS EVER! This CD belongs right up there as one of the great inspirational and spiritual compositions of all time!" -Jim Brenholts -"TRACKS ACROSS THE UNIVERSE: A CHRONOLOGY OF AMBIENT AND ELECTRONIC MUSIC"

"The first New Age album to give this writer goosebumps. Don't miss it. " - Pulse! Magazine

"....Bach, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Rachmaninoff, Wagner, and Puccini, stand aside. And at the very pinnacle, Beethoven himself must share some space with you." - Schmidt Memorial Institute

What else can I say? There are some passages reminiscent of Bach, but I think Novus Magnificat stands on its own, without the need for comparisons with earlier compositions, unless it is to give a new listener an idea of what it sounds like from examples. Arpeggios abound here, as well as soaring lines that take off like an eagle winging through the space lanes. I cannot, however, compare Ms. Demby's music to the grand moments in Mahler, except for the sheer beauty of it. Mahler's climaxes have a power not even approached here, but why worry about that? Novus Magnificat shimmers with iridescent gorgeousness. It's a feast for the ears. Put it on and let your soul sail through the vastnesses of space and time. I find it soothing without being syrupy and cloying... restful, with glimpses of Heaven. And powerful, without the bombast associated with so many composers.

I have more than 500 new age cd's but this is the a the top of my list, in fact I belive it is the best new age cd ever. It can make your soul have an spiritual orgasm!