Paul Schwartz - State of Grace II: Turning to Peace
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CD Details
Artist: Paul SchwartzEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2003-10-07
Music Label: Windham Hill Records
Soundtracks:
- Magnificat
- Turning To Peace
- Curacion (Sunlight On Water) - The Joyful Company Of Singers
- Stabat Mater
- Quia Respexit
- Fear Not - Lisbeth Scott
- Et Misericordia - Helen Tunstall
- Suscepit Israel
- Ave Maria - Lisbeth Scott
- Gloria
- Let Me - Lisbeth Scott
Music reviews of State of Grace II: Turning to Peace
Music Review: Title track is excellent
Rating: 2 Stars
From the many positive reviews already here, it's clear that this is likely to be music most people looking at this webpage will like or love. I wish I'd not bought this CD, though, and am thinking that if I could come up with a way to predict that reaction for any others (if there are any who might share my taste) then it might be helpful.
I do very much like one of the tracks, the one for which the CD is named; if I were into downloading music instead of buying the whole CD, then I'd think that downloading that one track was a wonderful idea and would highly recommend it. And I don't actually strongly dislike a few other tracks, including the Santana track. But for the most part, I disliked most of the tracks enough to have trouble playing them all the way through a single time.
I don't much care for Kitaro, so if you don't either, even if you're not sure why, that might be a clue. The two artists aren't similar in anything other than what I think of as the overuse of dramatic orchestration, so that might be what turns me off. You might figure I don't like Beethoven's 9th, then? No, I very much like great classical music of all kinds; I'm there with the classical artists when they magically go where they go. And I have several albums of beautiful choir music, both acapella and supported by instruments, starting with Hildegard von Bingen, and I love beautiful voice; it's not the voice or voices that turn me off. I have a good bit of new age music too and like it all generally, including a good many from the old Windham Hill artists and also including Will Ackerman's "Hearing Voices". I also like Enya, Loreena McKennitt, and the wonderful Monica Hatch on her "Bright Seraphim". Go figure...
There's just something about the way this music is put together that causes me to focus on its construction to the point that it feels somehow phony; I don't get into most of the music. The orchestra at times swells with drama that seems out of place, expressing nothing so much as perhaps the liklihood it could be a soundtrack for a movie that would miss its mark with me. At other times the orchestra and voice together don't seem so much complementary as competitive.
I might be the only one like that, and the majority of those who are reading this probably ought to ignore my listening experience.
I did go back to listen to a few of the sample snippets from the tracks, though, and they still sound interesting to me, the same as they did when I decided to purchase the CD. The snippets are possibly not long enough to forecast a strong dislike for the longer tracks, if you are going to end up disliking them (or most of them).
To the artists, if you happen to see this: You just can't please every listener every time. Remember that I really do like one of the tracks! Just keep pleasing yourself doing what you enjoy doing, and you'll always have lots of grateful listeners.
Description of State of Grace II: Turning to Peace
Paul Schwartz is back with a follow-up to the popular series State of Grace, with State of Grace II: Turning To Peace. Having always been drawn to the great Latin texts that have inspired so many great composers before him, State of Grace II: Turning To Peace is based on two Latin texts: the Magnificat and the Stabat Mater."The Magnificat is taken directly from the Bible, from the Gospel of Luke: it is the prayer of Mary expressing her joy in the knowledge that she will bear the son of God. The Stabat Mater is a medieval poem that describes the sorrows of Mary as her son?s life is taken. I wanted to oppose the two images: the rejoicing expectant mother, and the eventual tragedy that overcomes her. These texts and the other songs on the album form a journey from joy, to sorrow, to joy again." ? Paul Schwartz
With Lisbeth Scott once again lending her vocal talents, this is possibly Schwartz? most beautiful release yet!
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