Roots and Influences:
E - new age music
For some reason music with this label became stigmatized, which I suspect still persists to this day to some extent. Like every genre, there are some gems waiting to be found though. Technically two of these artists also came from my parents' collection, as my father was into this kind of music for awhile, and that filtered down to me.
Yanni - "The Rain Must Fall (Live At the Acropolis version)"For reasons I still don't entirely understand, Yanni was something of a punching bag for music critics in the 90s, but this live album of his is really a stealth prog album that not nearly enough people have heard. I didn't conceptualize it that way at the time, but in retrospect it's obvious that it planted some seeds for me. The whole album is excellent, but this track in particular I find riveting, with a stellar bass solo and fills throughout from Ric Fierabracci, who later worked with Virgil Donati and others, and a soaring violin solo from Karen Briggs. This is likely the beginning of my fascination with violin as a soloing instrument. Yanni's other albums range from more of these kinds of large ensemble/orchestral affairs to softer solo piano to Vangelis-like electronic prog rock early on. Another tune, "One Man's Dream" (in expanded form on this live album but also originally more stripped-down on
In My Time), is my other primary inspiration, along with Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" and Elton John, to learn the piano.
David Lanz - "Cristofori's Dream"My piano teacher turned me on to this piece, which I was fascinated by, and spurred me on to seek out other similar pieces. I adore how you can musically tell a non-verbal story and go on an entire journey with just a single take of one instrument. David has recorded a number of different versions of this piece, but this particular solo piano version is the one that spellbound me. It's still quite enjoyable to play as well. In hindsight it's clear now that this was an extension of my interest in solo classical piano works from the previous section. That will tend to be a theme throughout these. Though not entirely arranged chronologically, there is often some blend and crossover from one section to the next (though some will be far more jarring).
Secret Garden - "Nocturne"Technically also part of my father's collection, this turned out to be quite a monumental album for me, even much more so now than I realized back then. Is is another stealth honorable mention. There are a variety of different tunes on the album, including some more piano and violin-driven, which is often their signature sound, but some of the instrumentation in this particular track hints at and connects this section with the upcoming one. Secret Garden describe their music as being like scores to films never made, and it has a powerful and cinematic feel at times. I didn't realize this until quite some time later, but Norwegian composer/pianist for the group Rolf Løvland is likely the origin point of my fascination with Nordic musicians, even outside of metal. Irish violinist Fionnualla Sherry isn't as prominent on this song as many of their others, but can still be heard throughout, and further built my interest in the instrument. Many of the songs on the album are instrumental, but this one has a dash of vocals, which make it a bit more unique.
Tracks #14-#16:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0T4IGrbCzG3ZV4128ZKOl5https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLISicXPLSax9twb8XnAQzmWSaoESqHpUcYanni - "The Rain Must Fall"
David Lanz - "Cristofori's Dream"
Secret Garden - "Nocturne"
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