Nights from the Alhambra - (Jewel 2 CD + DVD) [LIVE]

Loreena McKennitt

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2007)
• Original Release Date: August 21, 2007
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Live
• Label: Verve
• ASIN: B000SO7OM0
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,911 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #2 in	Music > Folk > Live Albums
  #13 in	Music > World Music > Celtic > Fusion
  #14 in	Music > World Music > Celtic > New Age

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
After nearly a decade off the scene, Loreena McKennitt returned to the performance and recording stage in 2006 and 2007. The Canadian singer picked up exactly where she left off, traveling through the Celtic-Middle Eastern fusions she explored on The Book of Secrets with her latest studio album, An Ancient Muse. Now, with momentum behind her, she's released a DVD document of her performance at Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. This is the same performance that has been running on PBS station pledge drives for the last year, but with a double CD included. McKennitt's renditions of songs from An Ancient Muse and her earlier albums are impeccable. As she is something of a perfectionist, there isn't much deviation from the original studio versions, but McKennitt is in fine voice and the band gets to rave it up a few times on tracks like "The Bonny Swans," where violinist Hugh Marsh and guitarist Brian Hughes trade increasingly frantic leads. This is an expanded group for McKennitt, with players from England, Greece, and the Middle East playing oud, dumbek, kanoun, hurdy-gurdy, duduk, and other ancient sounds from the British Isles to Turkey. The advantage of this edition of the Alhambra performance over that seen on PBS is that we're spared McKennitt's earnest and precious interstitials, talking about the location and her inspirations while slowly running her hands over Celtic carvings. But if you want it, that version of the performance is also on the DVD, as the commentary track. The CDs wisely drop even the between-song patter, which is fine, but not something to sit through on repeated listenings. Although the performance is beautifully, if conventionally filmed, and it's great to see this virtuoso band playing in communion, it's ultimately McKennitt's songs themselves that brim with visual imagery as she creates her ancient evocations as effectively on the concert stage as she does in the studio. --John Diliberto

More from Loreena McKennitt

An Ancient Muse	The Book of Secrets	The Visit
To Drive the Cold Winter Away	The Mask and Mirror	A Winter Garden: Five Songs for the Season
Parallel Dreams	Elemental	Live in Paris and Toronto

Product Description
An enchanting musical performance, set beneath the stars in the breathtaking Moorish heart of medieval Spain. Captured in concert in September 2006, singer/composer Loreena McKennitt leads viewers through the multi-textured landscapes of her catalog, from traditional Celtic ballads to literary narratives and highlights from her latest recording, An Ancient Muse.

Filmed in rich HDTV, Nights from the Alhambra evokes the otherworldly magic of Granada's palace of dreams, the fiery and inspired performances of a stellar cast of supporting musicians and, of course, the unforgettable voice and songs of Loreena McKennitt herself. The package includes the complete footage on DVD and 2 separate audio CDs that encompass the complete evening.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

84 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Concert, August 24, 2007

By	jr_Tech (Portland OR. area) - See all my reviews

For fans of Loreena McKennitt, this is the concert video that we have all been waiting for... it is just stunning!

There is a possible point of confusion here, as there are TWO versions of the same performance offered on Amazon. The ONLY difference is the packaging, both contain 3 disks (2 cd's and one DVD). This set is packaged as a jewel box set, and the other is packaged in a DVD sized container. At first, I ordered both, thinking that one set was a DVD video and the other was a CD audio version. After I realized my mistake, I canceled this jewel box order and got the DVD sized package (which was cheaper at the time).

Whichever version you buy, I am sure you will be captivated by this magnificent performance, recorded in a magnificent setting!

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Visual and Aural Extravaganza, November 7, 2007

By	Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If this box set did not include the DVD, it would not take on the significance it has. After all, most long time fans of Loreena McKennitt are already quite familiar with most or all of the songs on it. Without the DVD, it would just be an excellent live concert CD. With it, the listener can grasp a fuller sense of the visual and aural extravaganza that Nights From the Alhambra was.
We all like McKennitt's unique sound and the way her songs borrow from a wide swath of cultures stretching from the Emerald Isle to Anatolia. Here we can not only relish that sound, but we can see how it is created by an array of strange and wonderful instruments, many of which are unfamiliar to the average listener.
Each CD offers a little more than three quarters of an hour's worth of music. The DVD is a bit longer than the two CDs combined because the songs are interspersed with McKennitt's commentary. On the DVD, the cameras wander around, providing the viewer not just with a lot of close-ups of McKennitt and her band, but also of the Alhambra itself.
Of course I have my favorites, but I find the entire package a delight. If you are already a fan of Loreena McKennitt and have not yet heard or seen Nights From the Alhambra, then its time to do so now. This is one of those CDs likely to be regarded by posterity as an essential work of the early 21st century.

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous, August 29, 2007

By	E. Rohman "Rhiannons_Childe" (Mt Pleasant, MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't feel 5 stars does Loreena McKennitt any sort of justice. I had the distinct pleasure of sitting 6 rows away from her this April in Ann Arbor, MI, and she is enchanting. Her band is the most diverse, talented, and passionate group of musicians I have ever seen live, and Loreena herself is a mystical, soulful, playful presence who is just as grateful that we were there as we were to be there.

This CD/DVD set completely captures the ambiance of her live performance style, and while it is no replacement for seeing her live, will certainly tide me over until I do get the pleasure of seeing her perform again.

Certainly an international treasure, I cannot say enough good things about Ms. McKennitt.