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Mike Oldfield - Music Of The SpheresBuy Mike Oldfield - Music Of The Spheres from HMV.co.uk for only 12.99 delivered! Mike Oldfield - Music Of The Spheres is usually dispatched in 24 hours.
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Average User Rating: 80% (100 Reviews) | |
| 5 / 5 | A debut classical album from Mike Oldfield. In a word, STUNNING
A.N Other (London) - 6 October 2007 If there is one musician in this world who was born to write a classical work, then it has to be Mike Oldfield. His most successful works have been those that combine real instruments with a compositional style that is not too far removed from classical music (i.e. Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge, Ommadan etc) and after over 30 years in the music industry he has composed possibly his finest work since the 1970's. I am able to make this claim because i have a promo copy which has now been played countless times, and i want to pass this message on to as many people as possible- you will be presented with a 45 minute work in two movements, and within these movements you will hear the unmistakable style of the man himself, who also appears on most tracks, with his lyrical classical guitar. The work opens with HARBINGER, and the strings performing a very familiar musical pattern! THE TEMPEST is probably the most experimental and unconventional of the tracks, with a minimalist/ Steve Reich-like display from the strings/piano etc but at 3"45 there is an almighty build up, with an explosion of passion and thematic beauty. Influences of Karl Jenkins (the arranger and conductor on this album) can also be heard in SHABDA which towards the end features a beautiful chorus that raises the roof, and in my view is a homage to ADIEMUS. The song ON MY HEART is performed by Hayley Westenra and is so beautiful it will not fail to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. This closes part 1, and with AURORA we are treated to a virtuosic display from the strings in a very joyful passage, with choir singing the title 'Au-ro-ra!' THE OTHER SIDE is very filmic, whilst EMPYREAN reminds me of early Oldfield works with it's aggressive brass lines. This leads us into the closing track, MUSICA UNIVERSALIS which reprises the grand section of THE TEMPEST and we finish on a (perhaps cliched but nevertheless fantastic) rousing crescendo and an almighty cymbal crash. At the end i am left thinking to myself, there is no one quite as diverse, quite as creative, and quite as unmistakable in style as Mike Oldfield. Enjoy! ... Read Full Review » |
| 5 / 5 | A return to form
Dave Messner - 13 September 2007 This is Oldfield's best album for years. A completely orchestral album, with Mike appearing on acoustic guitar, it does return to some of the themes of Tubular Bells, but then heads off in a different direction. The music swoops and soars, climaxes and wanes, and takes the listener on an incredible journey. The work consists of two lengthy pieces of music, and contains tinkling pianos, haunting vocals by a choir and Hayley Westenra, and moments of sublime beauty that make this album essential listening. There is a real sense of energy and an attention to detail that has been somewhat lacking of late. If you have been disappointed by some of Oldfield's recent output, this is the time to return to the fold. ... Read Full Review » |
| 5 / 5 | The Mike Oldfield album every fan's been waiting for !
A. J. Blakemore (Southampton,UK) - 7 February 2008 Having been a great fan of Mike Oldfield's music since 1973 (!) I've never really been disapointed with any thing he's done but as with all genuinely creative artists ,their careers have their high points and low points. Mike Oldfield is no exception and although it's been a long time coming ,'Music of the Spheres' is definately one of the high points in his long career.This is Mike Oldfield at his very best. When I first heard he was creating an orchestral peice of music with no electric guitar my main concern was that it wouldn't sound like Mike Oldfield.I've always thought that Mike's distictive sound came from the fact that, apart from his unique electric guitar style he generaly plays nearly every instrument himself thus giving each peice his own unique'musical voice'. Where 'Music of the Spheres'succeeds is that although apart from some beautiful acoustic guitar played by Mike,the music is played via an orchestra but some how has that unmistakable Mike Oldfield 'sound-scape'you would expect to hear if he'd played everything himself. From the opening bars of Harbinger to the last notes of Musica Universalis this is classic Mike Oldfield of a quality we haven't heard Mike produce in many ,many years. At its very best Mike's music has an almost addictive quality about it.Sadly this quality has been lacking in recent years but here he's back with a piece of music that in parts is so beautiful it will send shivers down your spine and bring tears to your eyes ! This is the Mike Oldfield album I've been waiting so long for,brilliant in its composition and construction.Music that inspires and moves you with flashes of genuine genius.Anyone who thought that 'Tubular Bells' or 'Ommadawn' were the pinical of Mike Oldfield's career listen to this. My only hope now is that we all get the chance to see it performed live. ... Read Full Review » |
| 5 / 5 | Thank God, The Real Mike Oldfield's Back!
bigsnitch - 19 February 2008 Following the debacle that was Light and Shade and the very patchy Tr3s Lunas before that, Oldfield seems to have finally listened to the outcry from his long suffering hardcore fan base and gone back to doing what he does so well - writing real music for real instruments and real musicians. The result, Music of the Spheres, is quite simply the best thing he's done in years! Written specifically for a full orchestra and choir, at times, the music has a power and grandeur rarely seen since Ommadawn. There are breathtaking melodies throughout and several moments that make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. The `tingle factor', missing for so long, is back! The opening track, Harbinger, is (another) reworking of Oldfield's trademark Tubular Bells theme, but this time, given the full orchestral treatment, it sounds `right' and not just a cynical attempt at cashing in on former glories. It winds its way through the album, appearing in various guises, pulling the various themes together. There are times when the album sounds like a cross between a James Horner/Howard Shore film score and the Karl Jenkins influence is apparent throughout, especially on Shabda and there's a section that sounds like a nod to his sister Sally's 1970s single, Mirrors. But it's the big production numbers that do it for me - Harbinger, The Tempest, Aurora and Musica Universalis - when he shows just how masterful he is when it comes to arranging and orchestration and where the themes take on lives of their own and show just how powerful they are. There are no screaming electric guitar solos but some beautiful acoustic sections that show off Mike's skills perfectly. To be honest, if he'd put electric guitar on this it would've sounded out of place. After Mont St Michel from the Voyager album, I've been hoping that Mike would do another orchestral piece and he's certainly delivered with Music of the Spheres. Whether or not this is the way he's going to go from here only he knows but I, for one, won't be complaining if he can keep on delivering music of such power and beauty. One last thing - please, Mike, take this on tour. It will sound awesome being played live with full orchestra and chorus in somewhere like the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester or the Birmingham Symphony Hall. ... Read Full Review » |
| 4 / 5 | Orchestral Tubular Bells 2?
Mr. R. Jordan (UK) - 23 March 2008 Mike Oldfield could have learned orchestration after his first few albums, and given the world more of what was clearly there (a gift for melody and drama), and not written much of what long-term fans consider his weaker work after 1980, with a couple of returns to form, like 'Amarok'. (Though another type of Oldfield fan loves all the song albums that came after his 'side long' compositions. And then there's the acknowledged more recent fan of his computer-based work, to be fair.) The credentials were there before 1980, and he was even noticed by Gramophone and Musical Times. David Bedford's 1970s Oldfield collaborations were a way into classical music for some people - it got rock fans attuned to the orchestral/choral sound. Bedford has a go at orchestrating Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge for symphony orchestra, with mixed results: Oldfield's music was nearer to the chamber category. Their best work together was on a smaller, more intimate scale - 'First Excursion' (found on Oldfield's 'Boxed' set) and the awesome 'Instructions for Angels' for cathedral organ and electric guitar (on Bedford's 'Instructions for Angels' album). 'Music of the Spheres' is Oldfield's album-length crack at classical, and it should please lots of people. At the very least, he recording quality is marvellous, and naturally balanced (by any classical industry standards). On the whole, I find albums like this hard to criticise. It has the potential to encourage people who might not otherwise try classical music to explore, and classical music is far more rewarding than this album. I noted down a few moments in this work that strongly resemble existing music, and offer these tips. Track 3: the piano part sounds just like the slow movement of Ravel's Piano Concerto. Only with Ravel it lasts over 8 minutes. Track 8 is quite like William Walton's music for Richard III ('Music plays'). The 2nd section of track 3 sounds uncannily like the 2nd part ('Spirit Lake') of the Symphony 50 'Mount St Helens' by Alan Hovhaness. Oldfield's own past work is there in Track 5 - 'Crises' and of course those Tubular Bells variations. Oldfield sounds best when it sounds like his old work. I felt quite at home when the twinkling glockenspiel came in. I'm not a Karl Jenkins fan, and dreaded an 'Adiemus'-franchise soundalike - but was surprised to find only a short passage in the 4th track with a superficial similarity. As a composition, it doesn't build to any huge climax - the end reminded me of Oldfield's undervalued The Wind Chimes. Bah, so what if Oldfield didn't orchestrate it! Many 'pops' are made by other people (Clair de Lune, Jerusalem two examples). I do object to the description of this work being 'the Planets for the 21st century' though. 'Music of the Spheres' will never be played or recorded quite as often as that . . . The strong contrasts aren't quite there, and it's nothing to do with the orchestral garb. He doesn't want to throw in an avant garde/prog rock 'irritant' into the mix any more, or get any particular angst out. As such, it works in the background well. It's Tubular Bells with the notes in a different order . . . as Eric Morecambe might have said.... Read Full Review » |
RRP
£16.99
Release Date
17 March 2008
Price Range
£8.93 - £15.93