Similar Albums:
Essential Winter's Solstice,
Windham Hill Christmas, Vol. 2,
Prayer: A Windham Hill Collection,
Windham Hill Chill: Ambient Acoustic,
Chakra Suite,
Winter's Solstice, Vol. 1: Silver Anniversary Edition,
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Windham Hill: The Renaissance Album,
Carols of Christmas [Windham Hill]
- Artist:
Various Artists - Rating:
- Release Date: March 04, 2003
- Type: Collection (various artists)
- Genre: New Age
Review
Windham Hill's Adagio collection features classical masterworks as reinterpreted by the label's roster of instrumentalists. Tracks such as Tracy Silverman and Thea Suits' reinvisioned "Arioso" by Bach, Paul McCandless' version of "Ave Maria," and Philip Aaberg's piano-driven interpretation of Barber's "Adagio for Strings" mix the pieces' timeless melodies and the performers' contemporary styles harmoniously and create an intriguing balance and blend of artistic identities. Some of the synth-based arrangements on the collection, such as Paul Schwartz's reworking of Handel's "Sarabande" and Patrick O'Hearn's take on Joaquín Rodrigo's "Adagio From Fantasy for a Gentleman," sound a little cold and out-of-place, but David Benoit's jazzy remake of Brahms' "Intermezzo No. 6 From Fantasies for Piano" manages to take the piece in a relatively daring direction without sacrificing any of the melody's warmth. Not surprisingly, some of the most restrained performances on Adagio: A Windham Hill Collection are among the best: Mike Marshall and Edgar Meyer's version of Bach's "Prelude in C-Sharp Minor From the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II" gets much of its loveliness from Marshall and Meyer's economical playing. Though it's not the most consistent of Windham Hill collections, Adagio still has its fair share of worthwhile moments for fans of the artists included as well as open-minded classical music devotees. ~ Heather Phares, All Music GuideTracks
| Track Title | Composers | Performers | Time |
| Air "On the G String" From Overture No. 3 in D | Johann Sebastian Bach | Philippe Saisse | (4:48) |
| Ave Maria | Franz Schubert | Paul McCandless | (4:07) |
| Arioso | Johann Sebastian Bach | Tracy Silverman, |
(3:09) |
| Nocturne From Lyric Pieces, Op. 54 | Edvard Grieg | Steve Erquiaga | (4:26) |
| Sarabande | Paul Schwartz | (4:37) | |
| Intermezzo No. 6 From Fantasies for Piano | David Benoit | (5:33) | |
| Adagio From Sonata in G | (4:26) | ||
| Adagio From Fantasy for a Gentleman | Joaquín Rodrigo | (6:33) | |
| Prelude in C-Sharp Minor From "The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II" | Johann Sebastian Bach | (2:43) | |
| Adagio | Tomaso Albinoni | (4:01) | |
| Adagio for Strings | Samuel Barber | Philip Aaberg | (6:09) |
| Largo From Concerto in D for Lute, 2 Violins and Continuo | Antonio Vivaldi | Tim Story | (4:00) |
