Really soothing/calming prog

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Well, ambient stuff in general and electronic prog berlins school.

 

Sky recording featuring classical guitarist John Williams

 

Tangerine Dream recordings of the late 70's/Early 80s

 

Vangelis: El Greco, L'Apocalypse D'Animaux (after the percussion heavy opening), 1492 Conquest of Paradise (again there is one track that kicks quite a bit, but even when I am not feeling well I find it rousing rather than annoying).

 

Deuter: East of the Full Moon (I may very well review this one today).

 

Eno: As others have said, any of his ambient albums will do.  The ones I know are: Discreet Music, Music for Films, Ambient 1, Ambient 3, (Ambient 4 is rather strange so I would not recommend it).

 

Robert Fripp: A Blessing of Tears, At the End of Time.  These are from his Soundscapes series, which consist of live solo improvisations.  He recorded from the sound board, not the auditorium, so there is not audience on the albums.

 

Jade Warrior: Breathing the Storm, and especially At Peace.

 

Jon Anderson: Angels Embrace.

 

Steve Howe: Natural Timbre.

 

Rick Wakeman: Art in Music Trilogy.

 

Gandalf: Tale From a Long Forgotten Kingdom, Between Earth and Sky.

 

Most of these albums are atypical of the artists who have created them, and are often severely criticized on the Archives for being too New Agey.  Yet, I find each of these rich in texture and uplifting.  I do not think that music needs to pound the senses to be of good quality.

 

Outside of Prog, there are several I could also recommend: Most of the work by R. Carlos Nakai, and anything by Coyote Oldman.  Both are Native American based flute music.  Nakai is Indian himself, but not all of his releases are considered traditional.  Another Native American flautist is Mary Youngblood.  She is local to me, and a friend of a friend, but is internationally known and has won several awards for her music.  I am part Native American myself, so this music really speaks to me.  Also, anything by Tibetan flautist Nawang Khechog, with the possible exception of Karuna, is of the same vein.  New Ager Dean Evanson is also good.  Yes, flute is good for healing.  Steven Halpern is a leader of the movement for using music as a healing medium, and one of the godfathers of the New Age movement.

 

As to classical, go for the Baroque and Classic eras, rather than Romanticsm or Modernism.  Vivaldi, Telemann, J.S. Bach, Corelli, Purcell, Haydn, C.P.E. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelson (sic), Schubert, Carulli, Bocherini.  Okay, early Romanticism.  Renaissance composers such as Dowland and Lawes are also good.  I love Gregorian Chants and other Medieval styles.  Hildegard von Bingen is great - check out Sequentia's recordings.

 

There are plenty of options!

 

You can tell I listen to a lot of this kind of stuff.  Whether your grandmother will enjoy any of these is another question altogether.  Allow her to choose.  That, above all, is the most important.

 

Hope all goes well.

 

Peace.