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Vangelis - Mask Audio CD

A fair review of the Vangelis "Mask" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Vangelis reviews here, or go back to the Vangelis tabs.

Vangelis Band: Vangelis
Title: Mask
Rating:
Release Date: 1990-10-25
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Movement 1 2: Movement, No. 2 3: Movement 3 4: Movement 4 5: Movement 5 6: Movement 6

Electronic Opera
While the tonality is firmly rooted in western modes, Vangelis manages a level of timbral and textural depth that is striking, furious and beautiful. As near to a style of electronic opera as one can imagine. After his Beaubourg series, this is likely one of his darkest works (though more accessible).

This album might indeed be his analog electronic music swan song, for none of his subsequent works in the years since has employed his trademark analog sound to the same effect; like so many of his contemporaries, he was all too quickly infatuated with the meaningless bric-a-brac and sonic mimicry of the digital sampling age.

For aficionados of the analog electronic sound, I can't recommend this highly enough.


Masterpiece
Somewhat symphonic in it's structure, it even has operatic overtones. Quite simply- a masterpiece. Electronic sounds bubble-up from the depths of black space to occupy every part of the soundstage, accompanied by choral voices. Neither entirely classically orientated, nor 'new-age', this defies accurate pigeon-holing, which can't be a bad thing. For the electronic-music anoraks amongst us, it has to be pointed out that he plays a Yamaha CS-80, which is just about the most powerful and expressive electronic instrument ever built, even including todays instruments.
Go on- buy this album!.


Medieval Gothic Choral
It was the last album Vangelis recorded while living in London. Mask, released in 1985, is one of my very favorite Vangelis albums. The swirling keyboard movements, overlaid with gothic-style vocal chants (performed by the English Chamber Choir), evokes the feeling of being inside a gothic cathedral or cloister. The overall mood is dark. His keyboard playing here has a lot of passion and drama, which is enhanced by timpani and snare drum samples. This is suitable for anyone interested in medieval music (and also for RPGs and goths :).


Vangelis' best choral work
This is an improvement over his album "Heaven and Hell" (1975), which has, I think, more a mixture of good & bad work on it. I bought this album when I was 15, being a Vangelis fan as a teenager. I personally think this album is even better than Mythodea. Unfortunately, it seems that Soil Festivities & mask are highly underrated.

Mask (1985) on the other hand, shows Vangelis at his peak. Only Soil Festivities (1984) beats this album. Like SF, Mask is divided up into six movements (the disc for SF says 5 movements - but the original LP I had listed 6, the disc combines 5 & 6 into one final movement - must've been a typo). Like Heaven & Hell and Mythodea, this disc has Vangelis performing with a chorus, singing this sort of Esperanto-syllabic "lyrics. " Vangelis supplies his own electronic "orchestra. "

Needless to say, Yanni it ain't! Six movements ranging from a terrifying hurricane to simple stately hymns, very "pagan" in nature. The music is very dramatic, and suggestive to me of maybe The Iliad or maybe Sophocles' tragedies.

If you want some great classic Vangelis, pick this one up - it is a real treat!.


Timeless Music!
It is definately inspired by opera and symphonic works but still there is so much musical style here which had never been explored by any artist (including Vangelis) that anyone's first listen would be an experience unlike any they had ever had. So here it is 2002 and after almost 20 years this CD still puzzles and amazes me! I have a strong classical and electronic music background and still to this day I would consider this work to stand alone in it's own genera. The combination of synthesizers and human voice Vangelis creates is a union so smooth and subtle he instantly erases all expected stereotypes of both musical approaches! Truly in my top 3 all-time favorites of ANY musical style.


You can see a complete list of all Vangelis discography, or go back to the Vangelis tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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