Customer Reviews

Walking Through Clouds

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Bernward Koch's style is New Age. When we discuss New Age music, we speak of compositions that border on classical, are soft, relaxing, and can be almost unnoticeable when played except for the feeling of calm that fills the spaces between the events in our lives.

This CD presents Bernward Koch doing some of his most soothing New Age compositions. The title Walking through Clouds sets the tone of the album; soft, expressive, wordless songs that fill as background music providing peace and enjoyment.

The piano is his instrument, lilting its way through short, original compositions that delight and invoke a soft emotional response of ease and tranquility. The piano is accompanied by various instruments that provide backfill and enhance the experience. We hear various keyboard effects, bass, guitar, glockenspiel, flute and soft percussion. Christiane Boehm fills in with a very experience flute and Christoph Koch provides some percussion as well as some lovely guitar accompaniment on two tracks.

There are 16 tracks on this CD, providing a total time of 60:45. Each track is light, airy and soft. The melodies, while short, are not superficial. There is real melody development here, some of them bordering on the tip of familiar, but not really. The melodies can become familiar however and you will find yourself humming along if you take time to listen to it a few times. The pieces are not long, running from about two and a half minutes to a little over five minutes.

If you are working, they make the perfect fill at the office. Each piece has its own character, and never bores or drones, never becomes repetitive nor does it distract. It can be calm in a madhouse, set the pace for a day of continuous work, and provide for an enjoyable break from everyday work.

At home, this can provide atmosphere for dinner, quiet evenings on the back porch, while reading or relaxing in a tub. Again, it is not intrusive and is perfect for personal time.

My only disappointment with this CD is that Mr. Koch has the ability to compose some very memorable melodies, but they never develop beyond the simple yet elegant short pieces. These compositions leave you wishing they were built upon and developed further.

A few noteworthy tracks on this CD include "Touched by Love", the opening track, which almost comes across as an anthem or a prayer, and has a very memorable melody. A strong composition that does not overpower the listener but gently make its presence known.

The title track "Walking Through Clouds" gives us another memorable melody, almost ethereal in feeling, as suggested by the title. Again, soft but with strong composition and piano, having the added bonus of a lovely flute accompaniment that makes this a poignant piece.

"Following Stars" gives us a contemplation piece with subtle guitar accompaniment. A lovely arrangement, allowing for drift but providing the anchor with a strong melody.

The track "Evoking Wonder" is almost pensive, contemplative in its structure, but never broods. A lovely, lyrical piece of music that provides a good example of Mr. Koch's composition skills.

I especially liked the closing track "Travel Lightly" which almost dances away with itself. Again, good strong melody, lyrical, memorable and a delightful close to this CD.

This is background music for a gentler way of life or the calm point in the middle of a storm. It breaths stillness and serenity. If New Age music is your soundtrack, then this will quickly find a place in your life. A wonderful addition to your New Age collection and a lovely introduction to the works of this artist. maf

I must confess to not really being a fan of Bernward Koch's before purchasing this CD. If ever Amazon wonders whether it is worth having music samples on its pages, here's the answer: Yes it is. Without hearing some of these pieces, I would have stayed away from this CD based upon my past experiences of this musician whose compositions have previously done nothing for me. But I was captivated by "Gentle Touch", and this was enough for me to buy the CD.

I was not to be disappointed. "Gentle Touch" was joined by several other pieces which I am enjoying, such as the title track, "Walking Through Clouds", "Sunday Sky" and "Travel Lightly". As ever, Real Music's production values and presentation are top notch. I did notice that the track times for 12 and 16 are the wrong way round, and for some time, so were the music samples for these two pieces.

The music is generally melodic, quite minimalist and very relaxing. Piano is the main instrument, and the tracks benefit from synth washes. A few have guitar or flute as an accompaniment.

The CD is 60 minutes long and is a welcome addition to my collection. If you enjoy beautiful, soporific music, then this CD might just be for you.

Finally a new album of Bernward Koch, and what a beauty! His unique relaxing piano style with some flute, guitar, keyboards and percussion is really effective, such gorgeous music! I have listened to the album many times now,
and it becomes only more beautiful each time. Not surprising, Bernward Koch's compositions on WALKING THROUGH CLOUDS are assimilable with the quality of Beatles songs, such timeless melodies, but in a relaxation mode, outstanding!

I have always loved good piano music and compositions. Berward Koch's "Walking Through Clouds" is truely a very peaceful, serene, soothing and relaxing CD. Koch's piano compositions are rich and flowing with a beauty all of its own. I often just lay on my couch with my eyes closed as I listen to the CD and I am moved to place of beauty and serenity. There is also bass and flute in some of the compositions. Music has always been a source of relaxation for me and being a musician myself I can really appreciate Koch's magnificent work on the piano. A must have for music lovers.

I bought this CD to bring with me to the hospital when I went into labor and it was worth every penny! Even my husband found it relaxing. I still listen to it now to unwind and my newborn seems to enjoy it as well. Absolutely one of the best CDs I've bought yet.

Outstanding, interesting, relaxing, and did I mention, not boring? Not just piano, but such a great mix! Just love this one ... can play it over and over.

I bought this CD to play when we have dinner guests. It is absolutely lovely.

" Walking through Clouds " is a subtly sublime album flowing with dreamy, tranquil, soothing melodies. The album noted that Bernward Koch was the performer on the piano, keyboards, bass, glockenspiel, guitar, and programming, his wife Christiane Boehm on the flute, and his brother Christoph Koch on the guitar and percussion on tracks 9 and 13. All tracks were composed by the couple, and are made up of soft percussive melodies (piano principally) encompassed in an airy ambience, accompanied in a few tracks by a flute duet briefly. The complementary timbres are subtle and shimmery.

The reviews are largely positive and I echo the responses. The music is thoroughly quiet but melodic and enchanting. The melodies appear simple yet rich and fresh. The background music sounds mild but subtly affective. Hence, it is unlike many tuneless, formless, or heavy ambient relaxation albums. Not much mentioned is track eleven ' The silver veil ', which is a poignant romantic song with an elegant character. Somewhat heavier in tone are ' Deep green summer ' and ' Mysterious way '. The overall style may be described as classical, jazzlike, and atmospheric. Its exceptionally slow tempo, soft quietude, and sublime ambience render it well suited for relaxation, meditation, spa & massage, healing, and bedtime especially. An album from a long labour of love.

Walking through clouds is one of the best tht Koch has done to date. The particular piece that rates an eleven out of ten is:"One step at a time". What an inspiration to come up with a pice of music so serene, so nostalgic.

I had heard several of the songs on webcasts or XM and was drawn to this disc. However, for the most part, the 2-3 songs that were being played tend to be the best on the disc. The remaining songs are not quite of the same caliber. Still, they are somewhat enjoyable, but I think for overall cohesiveness the disc could have been better if all the songs followed the style of 3 best songs.