Customer Reviews

Skyline Firedance

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This 2-CD set contains one CD with solo piano works, and another which includes many of the same songs, but with orchestral accompanyment. David Lanz is known for his evocative music. His music tends to move the listener to "see", or to "feel" whatever the song title suggests. "Dancing on the Wall" is a celebration of the tearing down of the infamous Berlin Wall. It is at times triumphant and giddy in it's joy, while at other times, it is serious and almost strained, as it recalls the sadness and pain that the wall once stood for. "Nights in White Satin", which I was SURE I wouldn't like, comes across quite well. Lanz can take passages that you think wouldn't sound right played on a single instrument, and change them ever so slightly. The result is a new way of hearing the passage; one that adds to your enjoyment of the piece while still remaining "true" to the original composer's vision. As far as I'm concerned, however, the beautifully evocative piano solo, "The Crane", is worth the price of the set. If you close your eyes, you can almost see a solitary crane, a dark silhouette in the mist, slowly and quietly lifting one thin leg at a time, as it moves through the still waters of a fog-shrouded pond. I can't think of enough adjectives to describe the many melodic wonders on these two CDs. If you like piano music that moves you and involves more than just your sense of hearing, this 2-CD set is for you. (PS. It's a bargain, too.)

"Skyline Firedance" is my all-time favorite David Lanz recording. A double-album, one CD contains ten piano solos, and the second CD is contains the same pieces with full orchestration. Many of these songs are much more up-tempo than David's previous and later releases, and several are among his very best. Titles include "Dark Horse," "Dancing on the (Berlin) Wall," and "Vesuvius." It also includes "The Crane," which David composed for the 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, and his beloved arrangement of "Nights In White Satin." Most of these songs are also in "The David Lanz Collection" book of piano solos - my favorite book for teaching my students.

To start off, if you got here by mistake, and are wondering who the heck this David Lanz guy is, BUY THIS ALBUM, because if you have any spirit whatsoever, it will practically blow your mind. This album, to me, is probably the album that shows the entirety of David Lanz's career over any other. While it is his most energetic solo album, and probably most energetic overall, he combines fiery pieces like "Vesuvius" and "Firedance" with more mellow ones such as "the Crane," as well as solo and orchestral versions of each song, to create a musical masterpiece. I have only played piano for a little over a year and a half, and this album at the moment has run full circle for me; the first piece of his that I played was "Firedance" and the latest one is "the Crane." Even though I have heard this album many times, I pick up new elements seemingly every time I listen to it. Also, I would recommend David Lanz' work in general to pianists of any level. I consider his pieces much like learning chess: easy to learn, hard to master. Most or all of them have a "hook," or a "chorus" to them, some pattern that he returns to several times, yet he is so good at just changing that pattern slightly, adding a chord here or transposing it into a different key, that it becomes difficult to master his songs. Also, while these songs, to an untrained ear or to someone who isn't listening for it, seem to be relatively simple, it is only when you start playing them that you realize Lanz' true piano-playing talent. He has extreme control over the dynamics of his hands- such that at times you don't hear half the notes in the left hand unless you listening to them, and he has some of the hardest, quickest patterns for the right hand on this album that I have ever played. "Dark Horse," one of my favorites, is a perfect example. It is extremely quick and played much of the time in quarter-note triplets (which Lanz loves composing in), to a point where I can barely play maybe an eighth of the song at the tempo he plays it. David Lanz is probably one of the best contemporary pianists, and while it's a shame he didn't win the Best New Age Grammy for "East of the Moon" this year, I consider it an atrocity that this album, or any song from this album, wasn't nominated for a Grammy when it came out eleven years ago.

This CD is a must for piano lovers. I myself play the piano and have a book of David Lanz songs. I have never played or heard anything quite as enchanting as Dancing on the (Berlin) Wall. The two contrasting views in the song sang out with the triumph of the destruction of the wall. A wonderful CD.

This is the first thing David Lanz did after his ground-breaking record, Cristofori's Dream, and it is written in a very different style. Gone are the mellow, hypnotic pieces like Green into Gold or Wings to Altair. Gone are the quiet, introspective mood pieces like Nightfall or Cristofori's Dream. This is really energetic stuff, from the fast-paced fanfare Vesuvius to the exultant and angry Firedance. It combines Lanz's gift for finding depth in simplicity with the grandeur of the greatest classical showpieces. My favorites are the dark, exotic Masque of Togaebi and the aforementioned Firedance. Dancing on the (Berlin) Wall was perhaps the most dramatic. The only thing that bored me a bit was the orchestral version of Nights in White Satin--much too long. I also second the comment below that The Crane is worth the price of the set; it is the only quiet piece, but even here there is vitality. This is the perfect music for watching the fury of a thunderstorm with the windows open, especially The Firedance. I wish he would write more music like this.

David Lanz's "Skyline Firedance" double CD is an excellent purchase. Lanz is accompanied by the IFS Philharmonic Orchestra of Munich on the first disc, and goes solo with his piano on the second.

The music couldn't really be more different than his previous releases. There is tremendous energy in the music, and Lanz combines melodic beauty with amazing piano technique..... a rare combination indeed. It says something about Lanz's talent that his solo-piano version of the tracks played by an orchestra on disc 1 more than hold their own. Indeed, many might argue the solo piano disc 2 surpasses the first disc.

There are many highlights on this CD. One can only sit back and admire Lanz's technique on the opening track "Vesuvius". What energy here! "Dark Horse" is another favourite, plus Track 7 "Prelude to the Dance". I'm not quite sure about "Nights in White Satin"- there's no disputing it's beautifully played, but it seems a little out of place here. The disc closes with a gorgeous track entitled "The Crane". This is peaceful and soothing.

Super value for money, this disc is highly recommended.

David Lanz's power, magic, and spark have joined together in a stunning peace of power. With great effects, amazing piano, and shocking power, Skyline Firedance is a classic that will get you to love this composer.

Very rich in music, fully orchestrated and full of energy. I highly recommend this album for everyone who loves New Age music and to all those who like Classical Music. David took it to another level on this one. I myself like New Age artists that incorporate Orchestra to their music and that is why I loved this album. If you like this album, I recommend you to explore Yanni, Secret Garden, Giovanni and Bernward Koch.

I am a huge David Lanz fan, and this is my favorite of his works. The orchestra on the first CD provides a depth and richness that cannot be expressed on the 88 keys.

If you are a fan of power piano solos, this is your music. Both CDs have the same music, one recorded as Piano Solos and the other with an Orchestra. This is a departure from the moodieness of some of his other work.