The only thing wrong with this compilation is the title: "Chillout" hardly seems the right word to describe such a well-balanced collection which, while it includes such relaxing music as Debussy's Clair de lune and Vaughan Williams' The Lark Ascending, also has pieces as wired as Steve Reich's exciting Nagoya Marimbas and Simon Jeffes' Perpetuum Mobile. All the performances are good and have been juxtaposed with some wit: a piece which celebrates nocturnal luminescence, Clair de lune, is followed by a work traditionally performed in darkness, Allegri's Miserere. The aria "Ebbenne andrò lontana" (used in the film Diva) in which a woman reveals that she is going to live on the freezing summit of a mountain, is followed by the slow movement of Vivaldi's "Winter". There are no notes, translations or blurbs, so if you want to find out more about a piece you'll have to pull out the encyclopaedia or get on the net. But that aside, this is a thoroughly enjoyable compilation. --Warwick Thompson
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Music so beautiful it made me weep... This CD was given to me as a christmas present, but have only started listening to it recently. The first disc is the best with the chest burstingly beautiful "O mio babbino caro", but the second disk is heaving with relaxing hits. It really does do what it say's on the tin, the most relaxing CD on the market, the second being "Pure peace". I can only advise you to buy it now, if I am wrong you can resell it on amazon for almost it's purchase price and I am sure there will be many takers.
amazing The best thing about this album is that you already know most of these tunes so you really can chill out. It's not just for people who know a lot about classical music, this is for everyone to relax and enjoy.
Relaxxx.............. An eclectic and unusal compilation of easy listening classics. There's some traditonal pieces here, such as Vaughan Williams's "The Lark Ascending" and Albinoni's "Adagio" (you'll know them when you hear them even if you don't recognize the names!) More interesting, there are some modern pieces that aren't so widely known. For example, I've never come across Reich's "Nagoya Marimbas" before, or Armstrong's "Weather Storm". Both are beautiful pieces of music that may inspire me to look out more by these... more info
Very Chilled! A wonderfull combination of popular classics mixed with some less well known stuff. Great to relax to while chatting with your friends. Spiegel Im Spiegel (Track 8- Disc 1) is the perfect music for those philosophical discussions.
Tracks:
Adagio For Strings - William Orbit
Gymnopedie No. 1 - Satie
Adiemus - Adiemus with Karl Jenkins
Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence - Ryuichi Sakamoto
O Mio Babbino Caro - London Symphony Orchestra / Antonio Pappano
Adagio In G Minor (Realised Giazotto) - Academy Of St. Martin In The Fields / Sir Neville Marriner
Figlio Perduto - Sarah Brightman
Spiegel Im Spiegel - Tasmin Little / Martin Roscoe
Flower Duet (Lakme) - Mesple / Millet
The Heart Asks Pleasure First / The Promise - Michael Nyman
Cantique de Jean Racine - Orchestre du Capitole du Toulouse
The Ashokan Farewell - Nashville Chamber Orchestra / Paul Gambill
Clair De Lune (From Suite Bergamasque) - Dame Moura Lympany
Miserere Mei, Deus - Timothy Beasley-Murray / Gerald Finley / Stephen Cleobury / Choir Of Kings College Cambridge
My Heart Will Go On (Love Theme From Titanic) - David Abel / Shearman Orchestra
