Opera Sauvage

Vangelis

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1979
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polydor / Umgd
• ASIN: B000001FJZ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #26,703 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Noted film composer Maurice Jarre scored the soundtrack to The Year of Living Dangerously, but the theme everyone remembers from that film is "L'enfant" by Vangelis. That track originally appeared on Opera Sauvage, a Vangelis album that slipped in under the radar just before he scored Chariots of Fire. The simple pentatonic theme of "L'enfant," with the piano chirping out the sparse melody over a two-note synthesizer ostinato, remains powerfully evocative. The cinematic expressiveness of "L'enfant" can be found on most of the music from Opera Sauvage, including the mournful "Hymne," the tremulous "Mouettes" with its quavering thereminlike lead, and the surprising "Chromatique," one of the few times Vangelis uses an acoustic guitar. Perhaps the most surprising aspect of Opera Sauvage is that the entire album wasn't co-opted for soundtrack music. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Opera Sauvage Can Tame The Wild Beast, January 15, 2000

By	Armando M. Mesa (Chandler, AZ) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is the first and only Vangelis recording I have on an actual vinyl record. I truly cherish the entire album. So far, I have not replaced it with the c.d. format. For some odd reason I seem to love the warmth and nostalgic sound of all the pops and clicks created by the record's surface.

The best tracks are Hymmne and Reve. Some of the keyboard arrangements (such as in Reve) do sound a bit dated. However, for 1979 it was pretty high tech stuff. Quite a few of the elements and sounds that Vangelis created for Opera Sauvage served as a prelude to the same sonic characteristics he would later utilize for the soundtracks of Bladerunner, Antarctica, and The Bounty for the early'80s. There is something naturally organic, yet technically mechanical to Opera. This is a fantastic production to listen to late at night for having a good night's rest! It is also a great introduction into Vangelis' next musical career phase for recording movie soundtracks ( though, not sure if Opera Sauvage was a European film or not)...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is music from Heaven, January 4, 2003

By	Carl Tabet (Paris, France) - See all my reviews

Every time I listen to either Hymne or Rêve, I'm simply speechless, exhilarated and transported to another world, another dimension, or whatever you want to call that place. And it happens with every Vangelis album I listen to, from L'Apocalypse des Animaux which dates back to 1973 (30 years!) to the more recent Fifa 2002 Anthem. Vangelis has produced one of the most beautiful works of electronic music, possibly the best ever.
I do believe that he started using synthesizers like no one else before, back in the late 60's. Opera Sauvage is no less enchanting than his other magnificent albums. Vangelis is a man who never advertises his products, we never see him, we know nothing about him or his personal life, but he still manages to touch us deep down with his truly heavenly music. I hope that this genius will stay with us for many years to come, always creating timeless music for us.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful musical soul-journey, despite the title track., June 14, 1999

By A Customer

If you want to hear "Hymne" as it was meant to be played, buy "Portraits" (1996). The remake is SO AWESOME. I'd give this CD five stars if the remake were inserted in place of the original. The rest of the CD is serene, reflective, and relaxing. For one of his earlier works, this album is great. However, if all you want is the title track, (you'd sure be missing out on the rest) "Portraits" has that majestic sound.