Vollenweider, Andreas

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1981 / 1984
"Behind the Gardens" is the first in a trio of complimentary recordings that bring to life the magic and mystery of our world through the eyes of an artist of rare depth and clarity. The second and third parts of the Trilogy are "Caverna Magica" and "White Winds". All feature Vollenweider's signature sound of dreamy, jazzy electroacoustic pedal harp accompanied by voice, synthesizer, a wide range of gentle percussion, and occasional contributions from other instruments. This is true music at its finest--playful, intricate compositions that are soulfully performed and ingeniously constructed, flowing one into another through an ever evolving succession of moods. Vollenweider has this to say about his art: "The making of music, dancing, painting--creativity--all of this has so much to do with the ongoing process of `finding oneself', or better, of searching for the things that give us such an individual, complex, and miraculous depth of emotions...ideas...dreams..." He calls his endeavors "wonderful adventures" and "seeker's journeys", and relishes "making this music and bringing it to its listening friends." And indeed, Vollenweider and his fellow musicians have found riches within and many friends without.

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1991
Book of Roses is yet another brilliant Vollenweider album, yet it's notably different from the rest of his works to date. There is a wide range of styles and a tremendous range of different instruments and sound effects used here. In addition to his electroacoutic harp, you hear orchestral music, vocals, hammer dulcimer, bassoon, flutes, harmonica, horns/brass instruments, piano, electric and acoustic guitars, accordion, bass, and many different types of percussion, e.g. hand clapping, chalk/crayon scratching, and various kinds of drums. In addition you hear many sound effects: pages turning in a book, footsteps, clocks ticking, dogs barking, birds chirping, bow and arrow, and many other special effects.
Even though this album is perhaps more "chopped up" into different songs (and four separate "chapters" in the book) it flows together nicely as do the rest of his albums and the songs are great to listen to. There is a diverse range of styles. It starts off with orchestral movements, then we have the cheery "Morning at Boma Park" and the smooth crayon-scratching rhythm of the title track, to the optomistic sounding South African "Passage to Promise" to the fast paced Spanish-guitar/harp piece "Jugglers in Obsidian." Track 13 "Hirzel" is my personal favorite, and is probably the most mainstream Vollenweider track on this CD. It is an upbeat song with a pop-rock feel and brings back a similar style and intensity of many of the songs from "Dancing With the Lion." The final track "Letters to a Young Rose" has a somewhat festive African feel and beat with several different kinds of percussion and is a perfect way to end the album IMO.
Bottom line: It may be different and more diverse from many of his previous works, with many different instruments and sound effects in addition to his harp, but "Book of Roses" is another must-have Vollenweider album.

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1999
Swiss harpist Andreas Vollenweider has always fallen just shy of brilliance. An underrated harpist, he rarely lets his flights of string fancy loose on his albums. And as a conceptualist, he usually paints himself into exotic, Gaudi-esque towers, without an exit. Cosmopoly provides that exit, but Vollenweider rarely takes it. On this album of collaborations, a jam with jazz piano legend Abdullah Ibrahim is as tentative as a first date, and Vollenweider is swamped in the mournful bath of Armenian doudouk master Djivan Gasparyan. The harpist follows Bobby McFerrin's lead in a dance of vocal pyrotechnics and his jams with trombonist Ray Anderson result in the most superficial hipster clichés. Carly Simon's rendering of a section of James Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake" is strictly an arty star-turn for the singer, a longtime fan of Vollenweider's.

Vollenweider fares better with his own band on the riveting melody of "Stella." Here, as well as in his writing for the Solis String Quartet and on a languidly dolorous duet with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento, Vollenweider reveals the tuneful melodicism that flows out of his fingers like water from a spring. --John Diliberto

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1989
A lion's roar sets the tone for this continuation of Andreas Vollenweider's ever-evolving creative vision. This music for electroacoustic pedal harp, cheng, synthesizer, solo voice, chorus, percussion and a variety of other instruments is so unique and multi-textured that it tends to defy description. If pressed, I'd term the offerings on this album a fusion of the best of jazz and New Age elements with flavorings from Africa, the Orient, and somewhere far off-planet. Energizing and calming, ethereal and grounding, tantalizing and satisfying, it is an unexpected blending of extremes into a truly artful soundscape that transports you to a world free of woes and full of magic. Beginning with "The Trilogy" and "Down to the Moon", Vollenweider continues his musical journeys here, and then enhances his signature sound in ever new and intriguing ways in "Eolian Minstrel", "Book of Roses", "Kryptos" and "Cosmopoly".

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1986
Digitally Remastered - Dolby Surround.
This album takes you to a place of imagination and peace. With soft subtle sounds of nature and even some semi-spaceage sounding music. What Andreas has done with his harp and other instruments in this album takes you to another realm of imagination. Very soothing, however it's almost as if all the songs are telling a story. A seamless story.

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1993
For Vollenweider fans, this is a very solid CD that will give you plenty of what you love about the ethereal Swiss Master . But Andreas' genius stroke of bringing in Austin, Texas singer/songwriter Eliza Gilkyson to collaborate in songwriting, while adding her beautiful and perfectly integrated vocals to most of the tracks, is what makes the CD great. Carly Simon also makes a smooth as silk lead vocal appearance on one track ( "Private Fires" ). Miss Gilkyson is in top form throughout, and her outstanding vocal range is controlled and subtle. Surprising perhaps to some Vollenweider fans may be the somewhat "pop rock" feel to some tracks ( "Harvest" , "Painter's Waltz" ) and a jazz/folk fusion sound ( "Jaden Maiden" ).

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1997
His lasted project "Kryptos" returns to what Vollenweider did best in past projects like, "...Behind The Gardens...", "Caverna Magica", and "Dancing With The Lion", however you won't be disappointed. Kryptos is combantion of Classical styles (Wanja The Wanderer), Jazz (Trigon, Passionata), and World Music rangeing from Celtic(May The Green Grass...), to Eastern Asia (Morgana Palace), with a touch of Africa (Bhambororo). Vollenweider as done music of the people that enjoyed his musical advenchures. As long as they listen, he will continune to compose and perform. If you loved Andreas Vollenweider's music in the past. You will love "Kryptos"

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1994
Beside his best tracks from his first CDs, now in good played live version, we find 8 new tracks in the usual harp-synthesizer style.
 

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 2020
Andreas Vollenweider stands for sold out tours worldwide in auditoriums like Carnegie Hall or Radio City Music Hall in New York, Universal Amphitheatre Los Angeles, Palladium in London, NHK Hall in Tokyo or Town Hall in Sydney. He has released 18 albums from 1980 to the present day and has sold more than 15 million physical records. Grammy Award, Latin Grammy and World Music Award as well as other Grammy nominations, most recently in 2007, stand for his unique success. In 2012 he received the Swiss Music Award in the category Outstanding Achievement for his 'continuing life's work'.In 2015, Vollenweider develops a special music for a research project of the Neonatology Department of the University Hospital of Geneva. The focus is on the massive developmental problems of premature births and the question of what sound and music could do to support them. In it's January 2019 issue, the National Geographic Magazine described the surprisingly great success of the project as 'one of the 12 innovations that will revolutionize the future of medicine'.2020: After almost forty years of successful musical creation, Andreas Vollenweider dares to embark on a new, great adventure - his first novel! 450 pages, which will be released in a print edition and digitally as an e-book. It will also be released as an audio book with lots of music, read by Christoph Gaugler. And in addition the album, inspired by the theme of the novel, on CD, vinyl and of course digitally, the first work of a musical trilogy: 'Quiet Places'. Quiet, contemplative music, subtle, touching and yet powerful and dynamic, with Isabel Gehweiler, cello, and Walter Keiser, drums

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 2022
"Slow Flow" is a collection of pieces with a relaxed, flowing feel, while "Dancer" is full of movement and rhythm.All 11 songs on "Slow Flow" and "Dancer" were created between 2010 and 2021 in collaboration with British producer Andy Wright (Eurythmics, Simply Red, Jeff Beck, Simple Minds, among many others). The two were supported in their creative process by Vollenweider's talented circle of friends, who laid the foundation for the songs: Walter Keiser (drums), Andi Pupato (percussion), Daniel Kueffer (bass clarinet), Oliver Keller (guitars) and the young Swiss rapper and beat boxer Steff La Cheffe, a.k.a. Stefanie Peter.The music of "Dancer" also reflects Vollenweider's connection with Africa. The South African vocal harmony band Africapella and singer Ayanda Nhlangothi embody this connection.The London Session Orchestra, consisting of musicians from the Royal Symphonic Orchestra under the direction of James McWilliam, filled out the sound. Renowned British producer and arranger Peter Vettese is responsible for most of the orchestration.The recordings took place at Andreas' Lakeside Studios in Switzerland, as well as at SABC Studios in Johannesburg, South Africa, and finally at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. Andy Wright's long-time sound engineer Gavin Goldberg has set new sonic standards for Vollenweider's music with his work, and is able to delight even the most discerning audiophiles with a punchy yet transparent, dynamic soundscape.