Customer Reviews

Visions of Light and Mystery

5 star:		(5)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This disk is an ear opener that such music is being written in the United States today. Originating in world music with its sounds and motifs, the basic material is then transformed with great knowledge and skill into an arch of emotional outpouring and, as the title states, vision. Very impressive.[ASIN:B00000J71E Visions of Light and Mystery]]

Amazing! Finally modern classical music dares to be beautiful again! Dares to reclaim the classical genre away from the minimalist, 12 tone, intellectually masturbating, pseudo-conceptualist, John Cage, Schoenberg, Philip Glass, etc., unmusical Mafia. Hooray! This Composer blends true classical complexity with rich modern rhythms, timbres and evocative melodies: a pure delight to the senses. I haven't been this excited about classical music since the first time I heard Debussy and Messiaen. Bravo Sainte Croix!!!

Judith Sainte Croix is one of--if not the most-- exciting of our contemporary composers. All of the pieces here have tremendous emotional power, evoking visual imagery that shimmer in the Bright Leaf Trios and thunder in Tukwinong, my favorite. Although Sainte Croix is deeply influenced by Native American music, history, and social themes, there is nothing "New Age" about any of the pieces here.

"Dear One", based on letters exchanged between Anton Chekov and Olga Knipper, a young actress, brought tears to my eyes.

"Vision I", from Judith's opera set in the rain forest, contains a flute solor that is truly unearthly. The "Bright Leaf Trios" are shimmering.

Most of the works here were in part inspired by the American Southwest--which I find very refreshing in our East Coast-dominated music scene. I highly recommend it to anyone who cares about music (you don't have to love modern music to love this CD), Native America or the Southwest. I have heard all of the pieces on this CD in concert--some several times. The sound quality is so pure it sounds even better on a good sound system than in a concert hall.

I happened to come across this recording & am in bliss after listening.! I never imagined that the Indigenous Peoples' awareness could be translated so beautifully & with such grace into rich & luscious landscapes of Classical music. I am in awe!...Thank you Judith Sainte Croix...

This is absolutely fascinating music. It has the effect of stirring up all kinds of feelings. It's been on the CD changer since I bought it two months ago. I play it 8 or 9 times a week. Each time I hear different things in it.

"Vision I" sounds like a journey of two exotic birds flying over landscapes that reveal new details on each listening. The orchestra provides sounds I've never heard come from instruments before. The percussion is very exciting.

The dipiction of nature's force in "Tukwinong" for solo piano is completely accurate. The music conveys the thrill of extreme natural phenomenon very directly.

"The Bright Leaf Trios" are witty sonic poems,each evoking a light filled scene in the Southwest.

"Vision II", dedicated to the Cherokees, is an emotionally powerful, wordless narrative of their history. Beautiful string harmonies support oboe and Native flute solos which convey pathos at one moment, then joy and suddenly, fierce resolve.

On one of the tracks, "Dear One", the male vocalist unexpectedly leaps into a high falsettto. It gives me goose bumps!

The musicians are remarkable, performing this complex music with effortless clarity and lush tone.The recording quality is flawless throughout. Get it! You're in for a treat.

Sorry, I listened to this, and while there may be some interesting materials, they don't develop into anything more than superficial drivel.

By the way, to one of the reviewers, I definitely find the works of John Cage and Arnold Schoenberg to be more musical. But if it makes you feel better, it is better than Glass.

OK, I did a search that found no matches but Amazon delivered this work of "Art" in response. No, I did not buy it, but I sampled the downloads and, well, you gotta be kidding - this is awful. Not just a little awful, but really really super awful. Do yourselves a favor: turn off your PC fast before you accidently click on any of this offal.