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Vangelis - Opéra Sauvage (OST) CD (album) cover

OPÉRA SAUVAGE (OST)

Vangelis

 

Prog Related

3.53 | 113 ratings

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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
3 stars Brings out the beast in you

The music of Vangelis lends itself perfectly to film and documentary scores, so it is not surprising that his composition skills have been called upon many times by the visual media. Unlike some of contemporaries though, there tends to be little material difference between the music Vangelis writes for films and TV and his normal album output. Consequently, the fact that there are soundtrack albums present is largely transparent when viewing his vast discography. "Opéra sauvage" ("Wild or wilderness opera") is one such soundtrack album, the music being composed in 1979 for a French nature documentary made by Frédéric Rossif.

What to expect here is therefore pretty predictable, with pleasant but unintrusive melodies being the order of the day. That said, this is not simply a collection of ambient sounds or soft synths. The melodies can be reasonably strong and the beat occasionally forceful. The onomatopoeic "Reve" is the softest of the pieces, electric piano being the instrument of choice for the longest track on the album at almost 12˝ minutes. "L'Enfant" has the distinction of having been used on two separate soundtracks, the piece also appearing in the film "The Year of Living Dangerously".

While Jon Anderson does not sing at all on the album this time around, he still manages to secure a credit by playing harp on the closing 12 minute track "Flamants roses".

Overall, a pleasant but unassuming release which offers no surprises but a more than palatable diversion (hic!). Incidentally, the sleeve was also designed by Vangelis (such as it is).

Easy Livin | 3/5 |

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