This update: December 23, 2003
Exhibition opening in Montevideo
The following statement about the Uruguay exhibition was released to the press:
On December 18th at 19:30 hours the opening of the first exhibition ever of Vangelis' paintings in Latin America took place at the Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales at Montevideo, Uruguay. The opening was officiated by H.E. the Vice President of the Republic of Uruguay, Mr. Luis Hierro Lopez and H.E. the Secretaria Autonomica de Cultura de Generalitat Valenciana, Mrs. Consuelo Ciscar Casaban at the presence of the Ambassadors of Spain and Greece in Uruguay and the Director of the Museo Nacional de Artes, Dr. Angel Kalenberg. The opening of the exhibition was attended by 1800 people. The exhibition consists of 75 paintings by Vangelis and closes on February 18, 2004.
Odyssey / Remasters / Mythodea updates
A few updates on a variety of topics.
To begin with, "Odyssey - The Definitive Collection" is faring well in the Norwegian charts, residing at position 20 this week, in a country where Vangelis has been somewhat overlooked in the past. In Hungary - although the disk is hard to find and seems poorly distributed, check Mediamarkt if you're searching - the album has secured a firm place at 15 in the country's Mahasz charts.
Japan has now also seen the release of "Odyssey", a week or two ago. The CD comes with an unusually large OBI that covers the entire back of the disk, full of additional information in Japanese, as well as a recent photograph of Vangelis in color. The release of the disk is being promoted on television with commercials, and the music was used in a popular television program called "Mouhitotsu no Kitano Kunikara".
The series of Japanese remaster releases of Vangelis, Jon & Vangelis and Aphrodite's Child albums, which was mentioned here earlier, is now expected to be released on January 14. A correction on what was written here recently: This is not the first time that the original white "Friends of Mr Cairo" cover design appears on a CD, in fact, the Japanese release always had this design. It is however the first time that "I'll Find My Way Home" is included on the Japanese release.
German as well as satellite dish owning fans might be pleased to hear that the Mythodea concert will be aired on German television once again. This time it's public cultural channel 3SAT that will broadcast the show, airing on January 1 at 9:05 in the morning, which sounds like a splendid way to open the new year. [Correction afterwards, SAT1 is not a sister channel of 3SAT] Since Germany has seen broadcasts of the concert's early TV version in the past, this could possibly be another chance to catch this slightly different version.
Special thanks to Seiya Hirano and Vili Maunula!
This update: December 13, 2003
Uruguay exhibition to open on December 18
Vangelis' painting exhibition in Montevideo, Uruguay will open in less than a week from now, on Thursday December 18, starting at 19:30. A closing date has not been announced yet, but is expected to be somewhere in February, after which the paintings move to Argentine and Brazil.
In Montevideo - on selected dates along the duration of the exhibition - a film projection room will be used to show a number of films for which Vangelis composed the music for the soundtrack. These events are organized in cooperation with the Uruguay film museum.
The "Museo Nacional De Artes Visuales" has created a page on their web site about the exhibition. Surf to www.mnav.gub.uy/vangelis.htm for some biographical information, a picture of Vangelis and depictions of two of the paintings that will be on display.
Another page about the Montevideo exhibition can be found here: cartelera.uruguaytotal.com/mas_info.php?id=889
Grammy nomination for Michael Hoppé album
Michael Hoppé's album "Solace" has been nominated for a Grammy award in the category "Best New Age Album (Vocal or Instrumental)". "Solace" was released earlier this year and contains a wonderful rendition of Hoppé's "The Parting", as performed by Vangelis in 1986.
Other nominees in this particular category are Cusco, Peter Kater, Kitaro and Pat Metheny. The award ceremony will take place on February 8, 2004.
Congrats to Michael Hoppé, and thanks to Don Fennimore.
This update: Evening of December 10, 2003
"Alexander": Major new movie score in the works!!!
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On Friday December 12, Intermedia and IMF productions are expected to announce that they have managed to sign Vangelis as composer for one of their biggest upcoming motion pictures. Vangelis is currently working on the score for Oliver Stone's much anticipated epic drama about Alexander the Great.
Alexander was the king of Macedonia and Greece who conquered most of the then-known world, more than 300 years BC. There are currently two major motion pictures in preparation about this historic figure, with Stone's movie leading the race, planned to reach cinemas in November 2004. Although it has not yet officially been titled, Stone's production is commonly referred to as "Alexander" in magazines and movie gossip sites on the internet. The star-studded cast list includes big names like Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins, Jared Leto and Val Kilmer.
"I've always admired Oliver's films. And, of course, Alexander the Great is a story that's a natural part of my heritage. So, to be composing for this film with Oliver Stone directing makes it an especially exciting experience for me", Vangelis was quoted as saying.
A soundtrack album will be released on Sony Classical.
There are already two sites following all the unofficial news around this movie:
www.alexander-the-great.co.uk
www.alexander-rc.com
Also check the Internet Movie Database for more (preliminary) details:
www.imdb.com/title/tt0346491/combined
This update: December 10, 2003
Japanese remasters / Japanese site
Universal Music in Japan has opened a section about Vangelis on their official site, not only to present Odyssey - which will be released next week, December 17 - but also to promote the upcoming re-releases of a number of Vangelis albums. These CDs, presented in new special packaging for the Japanese market are said to be remastered, or to have at least been produced from the "best available master".
The web site lists all the rereleases (see the November 8 update on this site) and shows their sleeve designs, all reconstructing their original LP fronts. Most notably, "The Friends of Mr. Cairo" will look like the old white design, the way the album looked before the successful "I'll Find My Way Home" single was added as a bonus track. No CD was ever pressed with the old white design, anywhere in the world. This CD however does include the "I'll Find My Way Home" bonus.
The site can be found at www.universal-music.co.jp/um3/vangelis. There is information about Vangelis' life and a discography, all in the Japanese language. Plus a recent picture that was not published before.
Thanks to Seiya Hirano!
Odyssey in Germany and Brazil
It's not entirely clear when Odyssey was officially released in Germany, because of imports and advance distribution to certain chains, but in recent weeks Universal's publicity campaign has started and the CD should really be available in all the shops now. The TV commercial can be seen on stations like SAT1 and RTL+. Odyssey has also been officially released in Brazil, a week or two ago.
Thanks to Thomas Hopf and Roberto de Oliveira.
Article in "New Scientist" magazine
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As part of "The Power of Music" - a series of five articles on the art and science of music - a journalist from world renowned "New Scientist" magazine" interviewed Vangelis and rewrote it into an essay. It's published in the current issue, on sale since November 29 until December 6, and probably a bit later depending on in which country you buy it.
The article spans two pages and is accompanied by a picture of Vangelis and a still from Blade Runner. There is a reference on the magazine's cover: "Vangelis, the Mind as a musical instrument".
New Scientist magazine can be bought in (specialized) shops throughout the Western world. For a list of distributors, see: www.newscientist.com/inprint/newsstand.jsp.
Thanks to Mike Williams for the scan!
This update: November 25, 2003
Spanish Nuremberg DVD
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[Corrected 26-11: All references to "Catalonian" now refer to "Spanish", thanks to Roland Weissflog...]
While awaiting the French DVD set release of Frederic Rossif's Vangelis-scored "de Nuremberg a Nuremberg" documentary (see the November 21 update), it turns out that Spanish DVD label "Filmax Home Video" has already released a set of their own, available since about a month ago.
The good news is that this release features the uncut, integral version, which contains about an hour more material than the French DVD set which features the original short version. Also, it's good to see that the original French (mono) soundtrack has been included as secondary audio channel. The primary audio channel has all voice overs dubbed in Spanish (with the French still audible), also in mono. Subtitles are only available in Spanish.
It remains to be seen how the quality of the French version turns out, both for sound and video. This Spanish release does not boast a perfectly stabilized image, as a proper new master could have secured. But it's reassuring to know that the integral long version of the documentary is available in digital format, to be preserved in the long term. Apart from the improved content, this integral version of the series contains considerably more Vangelis music.
Each of the four episodes is presented on its own DVD, all combined in a cardboard box. There are no extras and the sound has not been remastered, leaving it pretty sub-standard for a DVD release. Like the French release this is a Region 2 encoded disc for the European market, in the PAL television format, so check your player to see if it can handle these standards before you order a copy from an a Spanish on-line store. The box should cost about 23 Euros, plus shipping costs.
Thanks to Robert Eichelsheim for the tip!
This update: November 21 (later), 2003
Painting exhibitions in South America
In a spectacular follow-up to Vangelis' exhibition in the Spanish city of Valencia, South America is to become the second continent to host Vangelis' work in the art of painting. A total of four exhibitions will take place in three different countries, organized under the control and auspices of the Generalitat Valenciana and the Consorcio de Museos do la Comunidad Valenciana. The same selection of 75 paintings that was brought to Valencia will be send out to Uruguay, Argentine and Brazil.
First up is Montevideo in Uruguay, where the paintings will be shown at the "Museo Nacional de Artes Visuales". The exhibition should be open for the public from December 19 to somewhere in February 2004. In March, the "Museo Nacional de Bella Artes" in Buenos Aires, Argentine, will follow. Then the "Pinacoteca do Estado" in Sao Paolo, Brazil, followed by Salvador de Bahia, also in Brazil, where a specific location has yet be named.
Expect to find more information here, as soon as it becomes available!
This update: November 21, 2003
"De Nuremberg à Nuremberg" on DVD
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One of Frederic Rossif's most important films, also known in English as "From Nuremberg to Nuremberg", was also to be one of his last. Released originally in 1988 as 2 or 4 part series about the 2nd World War, it now seems to be the only Rossif film that companies still find eligible for a DVD release. Editions Montparnasse will release on January 20, 2004, a 3DVD set of this unique, but heavy documentary. As with most of Rossif's more important works, Vangelis wrote a lot of new original music for this production, which was of course, never released.
To start with the sad news, judging from duration indications, it seems that the producers for some inconceivable reason decided not to release the much more powerful 4 hour version known as the "Version intégrale inédite", but opted for the 3 hour edit instead. Both the power of the movie, as the quantity of music suffer from that decision. More bad news is that both the audio and subtitles are only provided in French, limiting the outreach of this movie.
The good news however includes the fact that the movie's sound is provided both in its original mono mix, as well as a new 5.1 surround mix. What that means for the music is not clear, because it would make sense if the music for these movies was only mixed in mono to begin with. Time will tell.
Also included on the disc are a large number of extras, including more documentary material about WWII, as well as a film about the writing of Rossif's "De Nuremberg à Nuremberg".
The release is packaged as a 3 DVD box set. The discs are region 2 encoded (Europe), for the PAL television standard. It should cost between 30 and 40 Euros in French shops.
Thanks to Marc Léger.
This update: November 20, 2003
Aphrodite's Child Clips on "Demis Roussos Greatest Hits"
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As announced in the November 4 update, BR Music has released a new Demis Roussos DVD, which contains a number of tracks that should interest Vangelis fans. Contrary to what was said earlier, not all the clips had never been released. "Rain and Tears" and "I Want to Live" come from "Remember the 60s Vol 2". Some of the images from "Let Me Love, Let me Live" where edited into "Remember the 60s Vol 2", but we can now finally see the rest of this wonderful full color video. The "End of the World" video is new as well, while "Spring Summer Winter and Fall" actually features a different (semi live) performance of the track. [Corrected on January 14, 2004:] The "It's Five O Clock" clip looks much like the one on "Remember the 70s Vol 2", but it is in fact a different episode of this "Match TV" series, with a completely new appearance by the band, so indeed a new clip.
However, the real gems that make this DVD truly unmissable can be found among the extras, where no less than three live performances of "End of the World" can be found (2 genuinely live, another mimed to another recording of the song), as well as a live performance of Rain and Tears, with Vangelis playing solos. In between, the band improvises a little intermezzo. These kind of authentic on-stage images and shots of real audiences and the band actually performing are a whole new experience for Aphrodite's Child fans.
More material that might interest collectors are TV appearances where Demis sings or mimes to some Vangelis composed or produced tracks. The most interesting of these is the Vangelis composed "Seasons of Love", which is sung live in different way compared the original. It's strange to see this song in a TV show like that, since it was only released as B side to a Dutch "Race to the End" single, never to appear on an album or A side.
Tracklist:
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1. Rain And Tears |
23. So Dreamy Extra: |
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Charts
Odyssey's journey through the European charts continues, so far reaching at least 29 in Sweden, 9 in Portugal, 20 in the UK, 15 in France, and 15 in Norway. The album now also seems to have been released in Australia. Some countries, including Hungary, are still waiting for a release.
Some fans might be interested in the November issue of "Record Collector" magazine, which published a small new photograph of Vangelis to celebrate Odyssey's release.
Thanks to Jorge Figueiredo and Elf.
This update: November 12, 2003
Remasters
The series of Japanese reissues, mentioned in the November 8 update, are being produced solely for the Japanese market and are therefore unrelated to a possible series of remastered albums that Vangelis might soon be releasing world wide. The remastered albums - or sometimes indicating "uses best master" instead - are being issued by a Japanese magazine publishing company, which has been doing the same thing for other (mainly progressive rock) artists. They are only intended for the Japanese market, and as tradition for these series dictates, there will be no more prints after those first 5000 copies of each album run out.
Thanks to Seiya Hirano.
Odyssey in Germany
Although Odyssey has not yet been officially released in Germany, an imported version is being sold by music chain "Saturn" throughout the country. Universal in Germany says a national release is now scheduled for December 8.
Thanks to Doc Cologne, Thomas Hopf and Reinhard Rehner.
Japanese remasters
Universal Japan is going to release a series of remastered Vangelis albums, expected to be in the Japanese stores as early as January 2004. The CDs will each be limited to 5000 copies (although some sources suggest that only their first print will be limited) and will be packaged to look like the original LPs, in cardboard gatefold sleeves.
The announced releases look like they are intended for the Japanese market only, but there are currently rumors about an upcoming series of remastered Vangelis albums from Universal, to be released worldwide. It's not clear yet how these two prospects tie together. Time will tell. For now, the following albums have been announced in Japan:
Vangelis:
Opera Sauvage UICY-9378
See You Later UICY-9379
Jon & Vangelis:
Short Stories UICY-9375
Friends of Mr.Cairo UICY-9376
Private Collection UICY-9377
Aphrodite's Child:
End of The World/Rain and Tears UICY-9371
It's Five O'Clock UICY-9372
666 UICY-9373/4
Thanks to Harada Yasuhiro!
Odyssey updates
Odyssey is selling well in a number of European countries, reaching nr. 3 in the Greek album charts and entering the UK charts at 23. It has also entered Portuguese and French album charts. Universal in Germany however has still not released the new album, without any apparent good reason. Japan now expects the CD in the shops as of December 17.
The album has been released in the U.S.A. since Tuesday. If your shop doesn't carry it, you can ask them to order it from Hip-O records, or get it in an on-line shop. Another country with a confirmed release is Santiago de Chile, which has a domestic pressing of this album. It comes, like the European edition, in a normal jewel case with the extra cardboard slip around it.
A correction: Contrary to what could be read here earlier: The Irish release of the album does *not* come in the jewel box + slip, but in a digipak, making the CD identical to the UK edition.
Collectors will be interested in the difference between the UK and the US edition. Both come in a digipak and have (different) stickers, but the UK edition is manufactured with a metallic glow, making the normally white titles shine with a nice little glow.
Thanks to Patrick Gleesson and Juan Castillo.
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More Aphrodite's Child clips on new Roussos DVD
BR Music strikes again, with their upcoming new DVD: "Demis Roussos Greatest Hits", to be released on November 17. The DVD will contain live performances, video clips and specials, all previously unreleased. Vangelis fans will rejoice being able to obtain 6 more Aphrodite's Child videos ("Rain and Tears", "End of the World", "I Want to Live", "Let me Love, Let me Live", "It's Five O Clock" and "Spring Summer Winter and Fall") among the main material as well as 4 more in the extra's section. Among the extra's are some fantastic truly live performances for French TV, with Vangelis improvising along "End of the World" and "Rain and Tears", recorded in full color.
The DVD will be sold in Dutch stores and abroad. It can also be ordered, directly from BR Music, by sending Euro 20 in cash to BR Music (see below), or by faxing your Mastercard (only!!) credit card details to +31-332460431.
BR MUSIC
PO BOX 308
3860 AH NIJKERK
THE NETHERLANDS
Expect a full review here, when the product is released.
Delayed in Germany?
The German release date of "Odyssey" passed last Friday, without the album actually reaching the shops. No new date has been set.
Thanks to Andreas Heinz and Bert van Breda.
Releases
More confirmed releases: "Odyssey" can now be found in the shops in Norway and Ireland. Notable is that Ireland has the version known to be for the US and UK markets, featuring Alpha instead of the World Cup Anthem. However, the Irish print of this album does not come in the digipak, but in a normal jewel box, together with the cardboard slip case. [Note afterwards: That was a misunderstanding, it *does* come in a digipak and is identical to the UK release.]
The compilation album is still set for a November 4 release in the United States, on Universal's Hip-O label. Australia should get it on November 9.
Thanks to Brage Midtsund and Kevin Nolan.
Updates on "Odyssey"
The release of "Odyssey - The Definitive Collection" has now been confirmed in Sweden, Italy (as planned on Oct 24) and South Africa (a domestic print tied with national broadcaster "SABC 3").
The UK got it as expected today, making them the first to have the alternative version, replacing the FIFA Anthem with a shortened version of Alpha. Also the externals of this British release have changed, with the disc being housed in a digipak instead of the normal jewel box (and possible slipcase). A sticker on the front lists some of the prime tracks. Whether this special packaging will only be used for the first copies to hit the stores or for the album's entire lifespan is not clear. Be aware though that the first slipcase releases in some countries are already starting to disappear. Later copies in these shops seem to come without the little gimmick. So, collectors, be quick!
The CD will come in the same digipak case for the US edition, next week when it's being released on that side of the ocean.
While it's not officially out yet in Belgium, fans in this country do well to check "Free Record Shop" stores, most of which are already carrying one or two copies (the European version, with slip case) as import. It's also been seen at a FNAC, but not all their branches carry it.
A TV commercial is being shown in several countries (i.e. France, Holland, Switzerland), showing images of space and nature, ending in an animation of the Borealis that forms the CD's cover design, much like the commercial for Portraits ended forming the lady on that CD cover. "Chariots of Fire", "Conquest of Paradise" and "I'll Find My Way Home" are heard.
Thanks to Chris Bailey, Ian Smith, Leif Franzén, Giovanni Benzon, Gerhard Hope, Jean-Yves Olivier and Robert Eichelsheim.
More "Odyssey" releases
Odyssey's release has been confirmed in Mexico, where some shops are selling a locally made (and licensed) version. Others are selling a version that was apparently imported from the States, where the disc has yet to be released! The release has now also been confirmed for France, traditionally a big market for Vangelis' CDs.
Italy has a new planned release date for tomorrow, Friday October 24, so start checking the stores if you want to buy it in Italy.
Thanks to Daniel Rodriguez Altamirano, Francois Mouret, Giuseppe Andreazza.
Vangelis collector site will shut down
Sadly, Vangelis' undisputed biggest collector, Don Fennimore (USA) is going to stop his collecting hobby. As a result of this, his popular Vangelis Collector site (www.vangeliscollector.com) will no longer be updated and will cease to exist somewhere around July 2004.
Don's site managed to grow in relatively little time from a small page as part of another web site (Dec 1998) to the most massive celebration of Vangelis' diverse output that could ever be put on the internet. With references to and images of every pressing of every LP, CD, single, movie, etc. ever manufactured, it was a dream come true for completist collectors, as well as an endless resource for research into Vangelis' international history of releases.
Don, thanks for your hard work and inspiring enthusiasm, all these years. Your decision can only be respected, but your output will be sorely missed for long, long times to come. The gap will be felt deeply throughout the community of Vangelis enthusiasts, both on and off-line. Thanks for all your efforts, as well as your international friendship and I hope we will still hear from you, in other ways.
Don has indicated he will not give up listening and will continue to follow Vangelis' music, outside of the public limelight.
"Odyssey" release updates
"Odyssey - The Definitive Collection" is still not released in Germany, which should have been one of the first countries to have the CD in the stores. Releases however have been confirmed in South Korea (without the slip case, printed locally) and Switzerland. France still expects the disc next Tuesday, October 21.
Thanks to Thomas Gruberski, Mr. Kim, Roland Wiessflog and Olyam Brigand.
Klemblad quits
An end of an ERA, for Dutch electronic music fans. Frits Couwenberg will stop making the legendary KLEMblad (magazine), the publication of the Foundation for Electronic Music Enthusiasts. A magazine which was read even far outside of the domain of Dutch speaking people. The foundation will go on, maintaining a web site for reviews and links, but the legendary magazine will no longer appear after issue 120, to be dispatched early 2004..
Frits never ceased to pay attention to Vangelis' output, while most notably dedicating a series over 3 magazines about Mythodea's release featuring large concert reports, pictures, as well as one of the most interesting interviews Vangelis gave in years. An English version is re-published on this site in the interviews section.
Thanks Frits, for your all your hard work, enthusiasm and dedication, which kept so many music fans going all these years.
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NASA award
Next Thursday, October 16, Vangelis will be awarded with an official NASA award: the "Public Service Medal". This prestigious honor is granted to people not actually working for United States government organizations, but who have excelled in exceptional contributions to the mission of NASA.
"Odyssey" availability
Odyssey, currently being rolled out in European countries, has so far been confirmed to have hit the shops in Austria, Greece, Holland (selected shops), Czech republic, Portugal and Austria. It's been delayed in Italy, reportedly expected next Friday. Also, the UK and France are still waiting for their release, as well as the countries on other continents. Reports of releases are welcome by email to d.lodewijks@chello.nl.
Thanks to Walter Wachauer, Giuseppe Andreazza, Giovanni Benzon and Milan Fari.
"Ask the Mountains" music video clip
A music video for Vangelis and Stina Nordenstam's "Ask the Mountains" is occasionally being show on "Classic FM TV". A short edit of the piece is accompanied by hypnotic colorful but abstract images moving across the screen. It seems like this video was made recently, perhaps because the clip for Voices opening track is very regularly being shown on this semi classical music TV station.
Thanks to Patrick Gleeson.
"Odyssey" in shopsEarlier than expected, "Odyssey - The Definitive Collection" has hit a large number of Dutch CD stores, and perhaps also in shops of other European countries. The CD is packaged in a catchy cardboard slip case featuring the same artwork as the CD's jewel case but with a different design on the back. For a full review of the compilation album, see the September 24 update of this news page. Additional note: The World Cup Anthem is presented in its Synthesizer version, as found earlier on the CD single releases of this track. Thanks to Albert Aalbers. | |||
Ecuba filmItalian director Giuliana Berlinguer is working on a registration of Irene Papas' play of "Ecuba", as it was staged in Rome earlier this year. Not many details are known at this point, but the Italian press wrote that the intend is to use the music that Vangelis' wrote for the play. See an image of the first "teaser" poster for this production. More details here when they become available. Thanks to Umberto Calonaci. |
"Odyssey" Liner notes
Only four days to go before copies of Vangelis' new compilation album hit the first stores in Germany, Italy and possibly some other European countries. For more expected release dates, see the earlier news reports. Also, word is that Japan and Belgium will only see the album in the early weeks of 2004. For now, please witness Cherry Vanilla's liner notes for the album. You can soon find printed within the booklet:
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One day a few years ago, the guys from NASA/JPL were in Vangelis’ studio, showing him footage of the miniature Mars rover, which they had successfully developed, launched and landed on the planet. As the footage rolled, Vangelis began playing some music to accompany it, instantly composing, as he always does. Now, you might think it was some huge cosmic space piece, monumental in its scope, as we know he can do. But no, it was this humorous little blippity-bloop composition that, when juxtaposed with the visuals, made everyone in the room break into laughter. He had so humanized this clumsy little machine, that we all, scientists and laymen alike, could relate to its courageous and bumpy journey into the unknown. I tell this story because journalists have forever waxed eloquent about the technique, textures, fusions and dynamics of Vangelis’ music, but what I’ve always loved best about his music is its quality of humanness. How anybody using electronic circuitry, transistors, fuses and wires can touch the heart, the emotions so deeply is beyond me. Whether connecting us to the hum of the universe, the sound of the spheres, the heaven of our desires or the hell of our fears, Vangelis rings the life, so to speak, out of his keyboards, pedals and boxes and allows us to relate, relive, realize or, as he says, remember. Amazing that a musician has built such a long and illustrious career, not by releasing poppy three-minute radio-friendly ditties, nor by following one success with a similar sounding something, nor by trying to fit into any specific musical genre. Instead, like the little Mars rover, Vangelis blazes his own trail, fearlessly exploring new territory and sharing his discoveries as he goes. And this CD is the most definitive glimpse into his odyssey thus far. From the now classic Chariots of Fire to the newly composed Celtic Dawn, from 1973 to 2003, herein are contained the highlights of the last thirty years of his music, connected as much by their individual uniqueness as by their collective appeal and, for me, their humanness. So, go ahead, blast this CD from your speakers. Vangelis remastered it himself, so you know the fidelity is there. Sing "shablam idi shablam ida" at the top of your lungs, picture the painterly seas of 1492 and The Bounty, shed a tear for Rachel’s plight in Blade Runner, race through the sky with Pulstar, share Cavafy’s search for love, Missing's search for a loved one, Mythodea's search for meaning, pray for the world via Hymn and the Tao of Love, for the animals via Antarctica and La Petite Fille De La Mer, listen, enjoy, feel, set your emotions free, remember ...for that is what it means to be human and that is the beauty of life. And this is the beauty of Vangelis. Cherry Vanilla ... October 2003 |
Un Apres-Midi rereleasedOne of the more difficult to find Vangelis tracks is a piece he recorded with cellist Julian Lloyd Webber somewhere in the mid eighties. "Un Apres-Midi", a delightfully relaxed piece for synthesizers and cello was a remake of a piece composed for Rossif's "Sauvage et Beau" (1985) and was first released on Webber's album "Encore! Travels with my cello volume 2", reappearing later on a compilation album called "Harmony". Both releases however have been long out of print and hard to track down in either shape. Finally, this track is available again on Webber's new compilation album, called "Made in England - The Best of Julian Lloyd Webber". The 2CD has been released in Europe since September 22. Label: Philips |
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Thanks to Henri Aal.
This update: September 29, 2003
Artwork:
Some dates
Some more specific European dates; All unconfirmed reports from shops, sites and other sources... Germany: October 6, France October 21?, Sweden October 22, UK: October 27, Holland: October 29?
Canada should get it on November 4, just like the USA.
Thanks to Sufian, Fredrik Magnusson and Giuseppe Andreazza.
This update: September 24, 2003
"Odyssey" (p)review
If all goes well, there are only three weeks left to go before the first Odyssey compilation CDs will reach the shops, in parts of continental Europe. Many fans and enthusiasts in the mean time are wondering about the contents, here are some answers.
Vangelis has gone a little bit further than actually 'remastering' these recordings. Remastering would involve the original mix on the analog master tapes and re-transferring this recording to the digital format that CDs require. Some of the older Vangelis albums were very poorly transferred at the time when these LPs were being rereleased as CDs, which is the reason that some albums like Albedo 0.39 and Ignacio actually do sound less clear and authentic on the CDs compared to the original vinyl LPs. What Vangelis did with at least some of the tracks represented on this compilation is to actually make a new mix, using the original multi-track recordings. And, inevitably, some things were slightly tweaked and changed in this process. Mono spring or plate reverbs from the '70s have been replaced by modern reverbs. Settings in panning, echo, compression, etc. have been slightly altered, here and there. Never has the core of the piece been significantly altered, but a trained ear with a decent hi-fi set will notice the subtle differences in sound.
Take for example the very opening of the album, where "Pulstar"'s throbbing baseline feels just a little bit warmer, the melody a slight bit clearer. The fun really starts where the stabbing sounds are more sharp and punchy than ever before. Again, it's not altered or violated, but the use of more modern mixing and processing technology makes it just a little bit easier to be taken away by those sounds surrounding you.
Rest assured that all performances are the original takes, as heard on the albums before. A few notable differences though include the soft background voices to "Tao of Love", blink and you'll miss them, way in the background, but they're there and weren't before. Similarly, was there a soft cello in Missing before? Mythodea's opening march starts a little different with less sound effects and instruments joining the rhythm one by one, more clearly. Also the "One, two, three" is gone. These small changes make it more interesting to rediscover both the old classics and the... well, new classics, even though some purists might regret the revisions.
The new tracks: There are two of them. The first to appear is the "Main theme from Cavafy", which is in fact the movie's opening titles track. A surprisingly laid-back choice from the variety of music in this movie, but very recognizable indeed. A hypnotic Greek plucked instrument builds a dramatic melody on top of a dark and slow string bass, that slowly establishes the film's main theme.
The second track, almost near the end of the album (that is, if you can resist the temptation of fast forwarding to the novelties!) definitely calls for a little boost in the volume. Almost the opposite of the sober Cavafy, this upbeat, elaborately arranged but still light hearted piece of music boasts a range of instruments including bagpipes and Irish flutes, a bulk of synthesizers, frantic percussion building to the climax, and most of all: lots and lots of energy. And although no Vangelis piece is ever the same, expect something vaguely along the lines of the bag pipes passage in Voices' opening track.
The album totals up to more than 78 minutes of music. Unlike the previous compilations "Portraits" and "Reprise", the tracks have not been segued into each other. There is a distinct pause between each piece so that they can be listened to as separate tracks, or be played in alternative orders.
Other factoids for those who're curious: Antarctica is again the short version. Alpha is faded out before the end. Blade Runner's "End Titles" track more resembles the version on the official soundtrack than on Themes, but this one is edited somewhat shorter. Conquest of Paradise includes "Opening". Hymne is Operas Sauvage version, not the choral remake.
Depending on where you live, there's between 3 and 6 weeks to go. But the countdown has begun.
"Musical Express" contents?
There is reason to believe that the episode of "Music Express" being broadcast next week on Spain's Nostalgia Channel is not the episode with Vangelis playing with "Neuronium" (as reported yesterday), but one that only contains a Vangelis solo improvisation. This may or may not be the same footage from the Neuronium episode. Do be reassured that Vangelis will appear in the one being broadcast, it's just unclear what and how exactly. Time will tell.
On a related note, the same Spanish channel is going to air another program with Vangelis content in a few months from now. On November 3, starting at 10:15. a program called "Aplauso" will feature Vangelis and also Jon Anderson, but it remains a guess in what way they will appear. Guesses could include it being a broadcast of the Top of the Pops music video of "I'll Find My Way Home", or perhaps "Chariots of Fire" if the Anderson appearance is a coincidence. For those who can receive this Nostalgia Channel: Have your recorders ready, in November.
Thanks to Manuel Montes and Peter Ravn.
This update: September 23, 2003
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"Musical Express" to be rebroadcast in Spain
Top Vangelis collector Don Fennimore emailed about his find that Spanish TV station "Nostalgia TV" will next week re-broadcast the legendary "Musical Express" episode featuring Vangelis.
"Musical Express" was a short series of television programs presented by Angel Casas focussing on the current state (that is for 1982!) of electronic music, featuring interviews and performances by artists such as Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream and indeed - on one occasion - Vangelis.
The particular episode will air on September 29, at 15:25 local Spanish time. It contains [Note afterwards, it looks like this could be a different episode, said to only contain a Vangelis improvisation, and no Neuronium] a visit to Vangelis' London Nemo studio, with Vangelis first performing a solo improvisation on his synthesizers, followed by an interview (overdubbed in Spanish). Finally he is joined by the two members of "Neuronium", improvising a piece that was later released by Michel Huygens label as the "In London" CD single.
The Nostalgia channel is TVE's station for retro programming. Visit the broadcasting schedule for that day, September 29 on:
www.rtve.es/tve/programo/avana/tvas2909.htm.
Thanks to Don Fennimore!
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Valencia paintings exhibition extended
Vangelis' exhibition of 70 of his finest works in the art of painting is going to be kept open for the public until October 12, when it finally closes its doors for good. Those within a reasonable reach of Valencia have some extra final chances not to miss this unique opportunity to see those works in person, by visiting the unique setting of the "Almudin".
(Read this site's feature again by clicking here...)
This update: September 19, 2003
"Odyssey": Catalog numbers
Here are the expected catalog numbers for the upcoming new compilation album:
A good old compact cassette will appear as 06024 981 191-1 (2). Sadly, there is currently no sign of other formats - neither nostalgic nor modern - being planned for release.
This update: September 17, 2003
"Odyssey - The Definitive Collection" tracklist
The release of Vangelis' new compilation album is slowly drawing nearer. Although in-store dates are still unconfirmed, most info for the States is pointing at a possible November 4 release. Europe should find it in the shops before that date.
Reliable sources reveal that the disc will contain two tracks that have never before seen the light of day. The first is a piece from Vangelis' 1996 score for "Cavafy", the second a brand new composition called "Celtic Dawn". The rest of the pieces have all been remastered by Vangelis personally.
A few scoops: The cover artwork will feature an Aurora Borealis against a dark sky, while the booklet's liner notes were written by Cherry Vanilla.
There will be two different editions of the album. One, released in the UK and US territories, will feature the classic "Alpha", while the version for the rest of the world will recount the recent FIFA "Anthem" for the World Cup 2002. The US edition will appear on the HIP-O label, Universal's American label specializing in compilation albums.
USA / UNITED KINGDOM
1. Pulstar
2. Hymn
3. Titles from "Chariots Of Fire"
4. Main Theme from "Missing"
5. Love Theme from "Bladerunner"
6. End Titles from "Bladerunner"
7. The Tao Of Love
8. Theme from "Antarctica"
9. Main Theme from "Cavafy" (previously unreleased)
10. Opening Titles from "Mutiny On The Bounty"
11. Conquest Of Paradise
12. La Petite Fille De La Mer
13. L'Enfant
14. Alpha
15. Celtic Dawn (new track)
16. Movement 1 from "Mythodea"
Bonus tracks:
17. I'll Find My Way Home - Jon & Vangelis
18. State Of Independence - Jon & Vangelis
REST OF THE WORLD
1. Pulstar
2. Hymn
3. Titles from "Chariots Of Fire"
4. Main Theme from "Missing"
5. Love Theme from "Bladerunner"
6. End Titles from "Bladerunner"
7. The Tao Of Love
8. Theme from "Antarctica"
9. Main Theme from "Cavafy" (previously unreleased)
10. Opening Titles from "Mutiny On The Bounty"
11. Conquest Of Paradise
12. La Petite Fille De La Mer
13. L'Enfant
14. Anthem - FIFA World Cup 2002
15. Celtic Dawn (new track)
16. Movement 1 from "Mythodea"
Bonus tracks:
17. I'll Find My Way Home - Jon & Vangelis
18. State Of Independence - Jon & Vangelis
Troiane / Ecuba links
Also, enjoy some links to international articles about the Irene Papas plays:
With a collection of on-stage pictures to be found here: www.clorofilla.it/gl/gallery.asp?id_photogallery=250
Thanks to Sufian.
This update: September 13, 2003
"Le Troiane ed Ecuba" news footage / pictures
For more pictures and some news footage on the Troiane / Ecuba plays, see this page on Spanish TV station "Antenna 3"'s web site. But do be quick: This site is known to delete its pages and content in a matter of days.
www.a3n.tv/mnoticia.asp?seccion=Otros/Notic...
A note for the lucky ones who are still going to see this event: If you have ordered tickets online, it's best to take extra good care receiving tickets in the price class you actually paid for. There have been problems with this for other visitors. Also, be aware of the fact that the actual campus is quite immense in size, and because of its distance to the nearest metro station, the site can reportedly best be reached by car or taxi.
Below, find more pictures from the event. See shot from each play, as well as a view on "Ecuba"'s new stage backdrop, shown from the side before the show has started.
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Special thanks to Sweder Jansen.
This update: September 12, 2003
"Le Troiane ed Ecuba" report
Antonio from Italy has visited the September 11 performance of the plays. He shares his experience:
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Also enjoy this Greek culture guide's article (in the English language) about the current event in Rome and next year's plans in Athens:
http://www.cultureguide.gr/events/details.jsp?Event_id=39035.
The pictures below show the entrance to the location on the "Tor Vergata" university campus, as well as the production's official program. Click for large scale viewing.
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Thanks to Antonio for the report, Sufian for the link + Papas image, and Sweder Jansen for the booklet scan and entrance picture.
This update: September 11, 2003
Odyssey - The Definitive Collection
Soon to be released on Universal music: a major new Vangelis compilation album called "Vangelis - Odyssey - The Definitive Collection".
While many fans are anxiously waiting for a truly new album, this compilation carries the promise to include - among the hits and classics - some never before released or new material.
The album is being put out by Universal, previously known as Polydor when it was Vangelis' record company from 1979 to 1986. Unique however for this track selection is that the pieces have been compiled from way back in the early 70s up to now, combining for the first time tracks from all the record companies that Vangelis has worked with, including RCA (now BMG), Polydor (now Universal), Warner and Sony.
The release is set for October 6 on the mainland of Europe, followed by the UK and USA on October 27. In fact, some shops in Europe are already starting to offer the album for pre ordering.
More details here at a later date, as soon as they become available.
Painting exhibition extended
Word from Valencia, where Vangelis' paintings exhibition is still pleasing its growing audience. The exhibition duration has been extended about a week, and should now be opened to the public until October 5 or 6. This may still be subject to change.
Papas' stage plays received enthusiastically
The Italian press - having attended yesterday's grand premiere of the two conjoined Irene Papas plays - seems to be reporting about the production with praise, using words like "vibrating" and "poetic", while also lauding the special effects that help carry the show. Papers published the photograph below depicting Irene Papas during the premiere performance.
Expect more details and impressions here as the performances continue. Reports are welcome by email (d.lodewijks@chello.nl).
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This update: September 5, 2003
And some more details on the Irene Papas plays...
Newspapers in Greece, Italy and Germany have been writing a lot about the upcoming Irene Papas plays, touching the plans for both this year's Rome and next year's Athens performances. Almost all of the articles mention Vangelis' involvement as a composer.
Several papers have published a special on the event, like this culture insert for "La Repubblica", devoting a page to a small interview with Irene Papas. She reveals a few new details, like the fact that next year she will only be acting in the new play, unlike here in Rome where she's taking on the roles of all the two first plays. She also reveals that the Rome performances will feature Italian actors Maurizio Danadoni, Cristina Spina, Luca Biagini and Armando de Ceccon.
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Other details come from an interview in Greek newspaper "eKathimerini", which is published in the English language. Papas explains that the performance for next year is not completely certain yet, the budget has yet to be approved. The intend is to perform this play during the period of the Olympic games, when all the world's attention is aimed at Greece.
The stage and seating constructions will be further developed for the Greek performance.
The article explains more about the revolutionary rotating seats concept. All 900 spectators will be rotating so that they face different parts of the stage at different times. There has been a German article which suggested that the rotation will last the duration of each play, but this Greek article suggests a rotation lasts about 10 minutes.
Enjoy this excerpt of the "eKathimerini" interview:
Vangelis Papathanassiou will compose the music for “Agamemnon”?
Yes, of course.
In order for the plays to enjoy musical coherence?
Not because of that. Because he is good!
or read the full article at www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/civ_&xml/&aspKath/civ.asp?fdate=05/09/2003
Thanks to Sufian and Umberto Calonaci.
Details on dates / tickets for the Irene Papas plays
A leading Italian ticket service is now selling tickets for Rome's "Ecuba" and "Le Troiane" plays by Irene Papas. The plays are performed back to back so there is one entrance fee for both. Performances take place on September 10 (Wednesday), 11 (Thursday), 12 (Friday), 13 (Saturday), 14 (Sunday), 16 (Tuesday), 17 (Wednesday) and 18 (Thursday). Note that only on the 15th there is no show. Rumors about the 10th claim that this day will only be accessible for special invited guests. All performances start at 9:00 in the evening, while each of the two plays is reported to last about an hour. This seems to suggest that "Le Troiane" is shorter compared to the Spanish performance in 2001.
Tickets are divided in four categories, with the following online prices:
Type Price Reservation
I Settore € 50,00 € 5,00
II Settore € 35,00 € 3,50
Parterre € 35,00 € 3,50
Tribuna Non Num. € 10,00 € 1,00
Papas and the actors have moved today from the "Quirino" theater to continue the rehearsals on the actual location. The stage design is impressive. In order to be able to quickly change the complicated scenes, the entire seating construction can be rotated a full 360 degrees to face in different directions for different parts of the play. A concept reportedly developed especially for this production.
Tickets can be ordered online from "Ticket One" Also click on the page's little yellow link just beneath the main description (go!) for pictures of a model of the stage designs.
Also, Irene Papas was kind enough to share the name of the third stage play that will be added for next year's performances in Greece: "Agamennone" will be performed in the Greek language, with (of course!) another new original musical score by Vangelis.
Special thanks to Umberto Calonaci.
"Le Troiane" and "Ecuba"
More details about the upcoming Vangelis scored stage plays in Rome: The titles being used in Italian are "Le Troiane" and "Ecuba". Le Troiane, which is essentially the same play as staged in Spain, two years ago under the Spanish name of "Las Troyanas", is based on the classic play by Euripide, while "Ecuba" (Engl: "Hecuba") is based on the play written by the great Italian Philosopher Salvatore Quasimodo. As reported earlier, Vangelis composed and recorded original musical scores for each of the plays, that means they are two different musical works.
Irene Papas is currently in Rome, rehearsing the plays in a Rome theater called "Quirino", although the final performances will be located on the campus of Rome's "Tor Vergata" university. She has given interviews to newspapers. One such article appeared today in the "Il Messaggero" newspaper. The writer describes Vangelis' new music for Ecuba as full of "deep feeling, enchanting with a chorus of women". The stage is described as "an enormous setting with many steel cables to create a complex scenography", which sounds different from the complex tube system that was used in Spain. The newspaper prominently mentions Vangelis' musical contributions.
Irene Papas acts in and directs both plays. The stage design was conceived by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, who designed the dome currently being build over the main Athens 2004 olympic stadium. The costumes are being designed by Marina Karella (famous in Greece as sculptress and painter). Choreography by Aurelio Gatti. It seems that "Le Troiane" will premier in Rome on September 10, while the world premiere of "Ecuba" will happen on September 19. No more details are available at this point.
Special thanks to Umberto Calonaci for the details and continued research!
Chariots
The BBC radio show only too briefly touched the subject of the film's music, but for those interested, the show can be listened back to online at:
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/history/reunion/reunion2.shtml
Two plays in Rome
Although useful details are still impossible to come by, it's clear that Rome will not see the staging of just one, but two plays with original Vangelis music. In addition to "The Troyan Women", Irene Papas will also direct and play in "Hecuba", for which Vangelis also wrote new music. As soon as more details, like performance dates and locations, etc. become available, they will be published here. If anyone comes across anything or can get details from the Rome university which is organizing the events, please do send me an email.
Chariots of Fire special on BBC radio
The British public radio station BBC4 will broadcast a special on the "Chariots of Fire" movie, next Sunday August 3 at 11.15 local British time. As we all know, Vangelis won an Oscar for its music, and since this film is said to owe much or even most of its success and fame to the ground breaking film score, it is inevitable that the topic of music comes up in the conversation. The BBC brought together producer David Puttnam, screenwriter Colin Welland, director Hugh Hudson and actors Nigel Havers and Ben Cross to reminisce about the making of the movie.
For anyone who's interested, BBC4 can be listened to online at www.bbc.co.uk/radio4.
Thanks to Stephen Cairns for the BBC tip.
"The Trojans" play delayed
The new Irene Papas staging of the "The Trojans" play in Rome (see the May 14 update) has reportedly been delayed till September 11. More info here when it becomes available.
Thanks to Umberto Calonaci.
Seven unreleased Aphrodite's Child videos, and more!!!!
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BR Music's "Demis Roussos - The Singles" book has been released and send out to those who ordered it first, about two weeks ago. The book comes - funny enough - in about the same shape and size as Vangelis' paintings catalog being sold at the Valencia exhibition. This one has 194 pages showcasing Demis Roussos' history in single releases, printing many well known and rare cover designs, starting back in his Aphrodite's Child era with Vangelis all the way up to his present day CD singles. Among the sleeves being displayed are also pictures of Roussos as well as the Aphrodite's Child band members. Some of those were never seen anywhere before. Nineteen pages in the book deal with Aphrodite's Child's output, with Vangelis appearing again at later pages when he worked on Roussos' solo albums like "Magic". The sleeves are printed in high quality, some of them in their true 7" single size. Others gathered on one page. Each single is accompanied with release and chart information. The book's pages are glossy. The most interesting part of this release is without a doubt the disc that is placed in the back, stuck on a holder at the inside of the book's black clothed hard cover. The disc has data on two sides: one contains videos and the other music. Both sides are in the DVD format, the audio side - as much as the video side - plays only on DVD players. It is however not necessary to have an expensive DVD audio player, both play on normal video DVD players. The video side of the disc is a real treat for Vangelis / Aphrodite's Child fans. The main presentation features 4 never before released TV appearances by the band, while there are 3 more to be found in the extra's section. To finish it off, there's a 6 minute interview with all three band members, recorded at the time for one of the TV shows where the clips stem from. All of these visual tracks are presented in great quality, especially taking into account that all these TV appearances were broadcast about 34 years ago. They all feature Vangelis on keyboards, Roussos singing and playing base guitar, with Lucas drumming away, as usual, miming to the original studio recordings of the songs. There's one track, "The Shepherd and the Moon", where Vangelis is miming an authentic bouzouki, a traditional Greek string instrument. One of the videos, "Let me Love, Let me Live" is featured in color, a remarkable appearance with a lot of colorful dancers running around and Vangelis performing backing vocals from behind his keys. The 'audio' side of the DVD features 3 tracks that will interest Vangelis fans. The first is "Seasons Of Love", a track that was so far only released in 1981 as the B side to Roussos and Vangelis' "Race to the End" single, and then in particular only the Dutch release of this single! Vangelis (partly?) composed this ballad. The second track of interest is Bambina, a track recorded for "Magic" and released as bonus track on BR Music's CD release of this album. However, the track presented here is a slower version, arranged differently, and produced by Vangelis. Finally there is also a different version of "Lament", a song from the "Demis" album, again produced by Vangelis, featuring an extra guitar solo and some different synth and choir parts. Concluding, this is most of all a unique chance to see some TV appearances by the band. Because of BR Music's tendency never to release the same video material twice, it'll probably be the only chance to see it. No more than 500 copies of this package were produced and there will not be a second print. So, as BR Music wrote in their announcement: This is a limited release for fans only. Most likely, only big fans and collectors will be willing to pay the 120 Euro price for postage and the book, but it certainly does offer a lot of value for a collector or enthusiast. For those who want to order it, here are the details again:Price: Euro 120 (100 + 20 for shipping) Addressee: BR Music bv Bank: Rabobank Nijkerk Bank address: Van 't Hoffstraat 24 - Nijkerk IBAN: NL59RABO Account no: 0377893242 |
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VANGELIS painting exhibition reportPlease read the Painting Exhibition report on a separate page: |
Bonus tracks on Aphrodite's Child compilation
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Quietly released a few weeks ago - but definitely not to be missed by Aphrodite's Child completists - BR Music presents the new "Singles+" compilation, a 2CD version of the two year old "Aphrodite's Child, the singles" release. This new version is worthy of extra attention because of three bonus tracks, never before heard on CD or other audio media.
The first of these is a live version of "End of the World", recorded on the very last day of 1968 at a "live surprise party". It's mixed in mono but still very interesting because of the different way of playing, most notably Vangelis' toying with sound effects, showing a glimpse of directions in music that he would only openly explore many years later.
Other bonus tracks are a live version of "Lontano Dagli Occhi" as performed on a television appearance connected to the San Remo festival in Italy. Vangelis, Sideras and Roussos also answered questions from the audience and jammed an interesting jazzy piece during the end titles of this show, but this all remains unreleased. Fans have been trading VHS recordings of the TV show but this is the first time any music of the performance is officially released.
Finally, "Pathenon" is a 4 minutes plus instrumental track, not surprisingly composed by Vangelis. The rock 'n roll styled jazzy improvisation swings from start to end, with piano, guitar, drums and many other little instruments thrown in.
The CDs are packaged in a big old fashioned 2CD jewel box. The included booklet contains a number of photos of the band that were never seen before, as well as bio info and more details on all of the tracks, with some chart information as well.
The CD is available in shops in Holland and probably some other West European countries as well. There are several online stores that will allow you to order it, shipping all over the world. BR Music's own official web site does not feature the album.
Paintings exhibition FAQ
As for the paintings exhibition, before you can read the long full report, everyone seems to be left with two primary questions that might best be addressed publicly in this news section:
- Is the background music composed by Vangelis? Yes! Definitely composed by Vangelis. And specifically created for this exhibition, so they say. However, don't expect it to be music to listen to, it's not anything you'd expect to find on an album. It's very minimal, with just a few sounds every once in a while to pace down your mood.
- Is there a way to order the catalog book - or any of the other rumored upcoming books - on the Internet? The answer sadly is simply "no", the book can only be bought at the little counter in the "Almudin" building, by means of a cash payment of 50 Euro in exact money: they cannot return you any change. At this moment there are no signs that this situation will change. For those who remain curious, the ISBN number of the catalog book is 84-482-3090-6.
Entends-Tu Les Chiens Aboyer (Ignacio) on French TV
French public TV station "France 3" will soon present a rare chance to see François Reichenbach's "Entends-tu les chiens aboyer" movie when it broadcasts in the night from June 12 to June 13. It will air around 1:10 in the morning, local French time (CET). This Mexican movie (a French coproduction shot in Mexico, with local actors and language) was one of the first movies to have a musical score by Vangelis, the soundtrack album being released under various names including "Can You Hear the Dogs Barking" (LPs only) and probably the most famous name "Ignacio".
Thanks to everyone who e-mailed about this. Marc Leger was the fastest, but many others followed; each and every tip is very much appreciated indeed. Apologies for taking so long to publish this part, but it was very difficult to create updates in Valencia. For the same reason, expect the biggest update on the paintings exhibition only later during this new week.
Exhibition opened
Yesterday evening at 20:00 local Valencian time, Vangelis´ first ever paintings exhibition opened, and a small part of the world could finally see what we have all been missing for so many years. Although Vangelis was absent, a crowd of guests, celebrities (including the ever radiating Irene Papas) and the primes of local cultural life enjoyed champagne and the sight of the paintings when the doors to the Almudin opened. It displays a total of 70 paintings in an impeccable presentation spread all over the ground floor of the building. Hidden speakers produce a very soft set of ambient sounds, best described as a sort of pleasantly soothing variation on "Invisible Connections".
Vangelis displays an amazing style, which he explores gracefully, approaching it from different angles, producing results that go far beyond the illustrations that have been seen in a poetry book (see trivia section) so far. A wide range of emotions is displayed and put to life with a vision as strong as you would ever hope to encounter. There are prominent Greek elements featured throughout the work, but also expect mysterious, divine imagery featuring angels, lights, worlds to dream away in, without ever getting cheap or too "new agy". They are never presented the way you might expect, which makes every other painting a new surprise.
At the front of the building, a book with all the paintings of the exhibition can be bought. It includes some pictures of Vangelis while at work on paintings, and texts and Spanish and English. Every painting is shown on a dedicated page, and there are enlargements of some elements. It´s produced as a luxurious hardcover book with gold colored paper edges, and costs 50 Euros. The other book or books are at this moment not yet finished and should turn up in a few weeks from now. More info on that when it becomes available.
The images look wonderful in the book, but will never be able to match the impression the real paintings leave, presented with beautiful light in their full sized glory. The best advice for now is: Consider if you see any chance to go to Valencia before September 30, don´t miss this chance and experience this amazing display first hand. Entrance is free.
Expect a more thorough report here soon.
Exhibition publicity
With the paintings exhibition opening tonight at 20:00 at the Almudi in Valencia, publicity in local Spanish news papers is stepping up. Almost all the June 5 publications feature an ad for the event, with some of them writing some advance background information. "Las Provincialas" has a full article with some (older?) interview quotes and a picture of Vangelis among some of his paintings. More news after tonight.
Xantia Commercial on Italian magazine VHS
The June 2003 issue of Italian cinema magazine "Ciak" contains an extra VHS cassette with 40 minutes worth of commercials directed by famous movie directors. Among these commercials is the Citroen Xantia commercial from the early nineties, which was directed by Ridley Scott. This commercial used "Chariots of Fire" as its theme music, as did and do many other commercials. What makes this one special is that it contains a new version of the famous theme, performed, arranged and produced by Vangelis himself.
The tape also contains the famous (in Italy) Barilla commercial directed by Michalkov, which uses Hymn as background music, but rerecorded by another artist. (Not to be confused with the famous Gallo Wine commercial that contained Hymn rerecorded by Vangelis himself). Other commercials on the video were directed by directors like Ang Lee, Terry Gilliam, Roman Polanski, etc.
Thanks to Umberto Calonaki!
Valencia updates
Please check back during the following days for updates from Valencia, on Vangelis´upcoming paintings exhibition. With the official opening - followed by a gala dinner for invited guests - happening on June 5, expect a report on the 6th or the 7th of June.
Details about the exhibition
Please first read the May 26 update.
The Valencia exhibition is going to be opened with an official ceremony on June 5, and will last till September 30. A total number of 75 Vangelis paintings will be on display.
The selection of paintings will also be represented in a luxurious illustrated catalogue, with forwards written by Mr. José Luis Olivas, President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Mr. Manuel Tarancón i Fandos, Regional Minister for Culture and Education, Ms. Consuelo Ciscar Casabán, Sub-secretary for Cultural Promotion, and Ms. Rita Barbera Nolla, Mayor of Valencia. Introductions to the paintings and the exhibition have been written by "Almudin" curator Mr. Fernando Castro Florez, Professor of Aesthetics in the University of Madrid and Curator, and by Mrs. Dora Eliopoulou - Rogan, Dr. in Art History and Art Critic - Officier des Arts et Lettres.
In addition to this catalogue, two luxurious editions of no less than 347 of Vangelis' paintings in print will appear at this occasion, one of which will be presented as a special "collector's item".
More details here soon, as they become available.
VANGELIS paintings exhibition in Valencia!!!The latest breaking news seems not to be official yet, but reliable sources are speaking of a great event to take place during the next few months in the city of Valencia, Spain. Vangelis' endeavors in the art of painting are finally going to be publicly displayed, by means of a very important exhibition dedicated exclusively to Vangelis' paintings. Vangelis is a guest of honor at this summer's Valencia Biennial, the second to be organized in this beautiful Spanish Mediterranean city. The exhibition is being organized by the "Consorciode Museos De la Comunidad Valenciana", and will take place at the impressive historical "El Almudín" building where the painting will be displayed from early June till late September. Some rumors say that the official opening - for which a date of June 5 has been mentioned - will be attended by queen Dona Sofia of Spain herself. More details are expected to become available soon, please check back here in the next few days. |
This update: May 14, 2003 [Corr: May 15]
Las Troyanas in Rome!
In September 2001, Irene Papas conceived and directed a stageplay of the classic "The Trojans" as the Spanish "Las Troyanas" in the town of Segunto, Spain. The production at time had already been planned to be restaged in Italy and Greece at later dates, although rumors of it happening in Italy in 2002 never followed through.
Currently the tide seems to have turned, as Greek and Italian press are writing about the new production of "The Trojans", which should see its premiere in Rome somewhere near the end of June this year. So far the dates of June 26 and June 28 have come up.
Las Troyanas featured Vangelis' new original music, together with what was refered to in the Spanish press as "local choral" music, so it will be interesting to see what will happen in Italy, whether this apparent Spanish music will be replaced by something Italian. It certainly looks like the Italian production will be presented in the Spanish language, and there will probably be other local input too. But Vangelis' music will certainly be there.
The papers also mention the plans to finally perform the 3rd variation of this production - again by and with Irene Papas - in Greece next year, to be part of the cultural Olympiad that was opened almost two years ago with Vangelis' Mythodea concert. This string of cultural projects and festivities will eventually lead up to the Olympic games. The Greek Trojans staging is planned to take place in a theater that is to be newly build on the soil of the old Athens airport, which was replaced by a new one about two years ago.
The Rome production is planned to coincide with the end of the Greek and the start of the Italian European Union presidency, and will be located at the Tor Vergata University. When more details become available, you should be able to find them here.
Thanks to Sufian.
Roussos book ordering details
Some have asked for confirmation on the (small, unclear) ordering details on the image in Thursday's news update. The correct details are:
Price: Euro 120 (100 + 20 for shipping) Addressee: BR Music bv Bank: Rabobank Nijkerk Bank address: Van 't Hoffstraat 24 - Nijkerk IBAN: NL59RABO Account no: 0377893242
Remember to clearly state your full name and shipping address.
BR Music's web site at www.brmusictwo.com does not feature this release yet because it won't be released before June.
The "Elsewhere" web site is - needless to say - not in any way affiliated with BR MUSIC bv. You can find more details on the (Vangelis related) contents of this box as soon as it's released.
Roussos book / CD / DVD
BR Music, well known from earlier Demis Roussos releases with interesting features for Vangelis enthusiasts (think of the Aphrodite's Child Complete Collection CD, the Phenomenon DVD with Aphrodite's Child clips, Remember the 60s DVDs, etc.), will soon produce yet another Roussos release that Vangelis collectors won't want to miss.
The main attraction is a book picturing (virtually?) all sleeve designs for Roussos' countless singles released throughout the world. This book however is accompanied by a CD as well as a DVD, both containing Vangelis related material that was not released earlier.
The CD contains "Seasons of Love", a track written with Vangelis that in the past featured as B side on the Dutch release of the "Race to the End" single. "Seasons of Love" was never before released on CD. Another track of interest is the Vangelis' produced "Bambina", which according to BR Music is a different version compared to the bonus track released earlier on BR Music's CD of "Magic".
The DVD contains a number of Aphrodite's Child clips, including "Rain and Tears", "I want to Live", "The Shepherd and the Moon" and "Let me Love, Let me Live", all different from the clips released earlier on "The Phenomenon" and the "Remember the 60s" and "70s" series!
The book / CD / DVD set is a limited edition: only 500 copies will be produced. They will go on sale next month. For more details, see BR Music's announcement, pictured below.
Thanks to Bert van Breda.
Mathieu book released
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"Mathieu, 50 ans de création", the book described in the previous update news update (see below was released last week and is now available in French bookstores. The impressive work of over 800 A4 sized pages is housed in a hard cover box, and has been printed in excellent quality. There are 7 pages about the movie Frederic Rossif (Apocalypse des Animaux, Fete Sauvage, etc) made about the French expressionist painter Georges Mathieu. One picture of the artist with Vangelis on the set of the movie is included in the book. Thanks to Yves Rescalet. |
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Mathieu book
On April 16, France will see the release of a book by Georges Mathieu, about his life and work. 7 of the more than 800 pages are dedicated to the movie that Rossif made about this French painter. Vangelis did not only compose the music for this film, but he also appeared in a large part of it, improvising his music parallel to Mathieu improvising his painting. A picture from the set depicting Vangelis and Mathieu (see earlier updates) is included in the book.
Thanks to Yves Rescalet.
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| Photograph by Rebecca Hoppé, copyright 2003 |
More details about the Michael Hoppé album
More details have come in about the upcoming Michael Hoppé album, called "Solace". This album will as earlier described contain a finale track, which was completely performed by Vangelis. The track called "The Parting" lasts a pleasant 7:48, and is in essence a Vangelis remake of a piece performed by Michael Hoppé himself on his 1993 album "Homeland", released on Suzanne Ciani's Seventh Wave label.
Hoppé has known Vangelis for a long time, ever since he signed him up for Polygram. He was at the time working for the record company as a music executive. In 1986 Vangelis spent some time in the United States, and Hoppé - who had by then left the record company to pursue his own musical career - went to New York to bring Vangelis to LA for his only concert on American soil ever.
Hoppé: "I played Vangelis some music I was currently recording. After hearing the music just once, he sat down at his keyboards and performed a rhapsodic version of the first part of the song... Luckily the tape recorder was running! It was a beautiful vintage Vangelis performance, and I had kept it for years; really only as a 'memory lane' experience."
However, recently someone transferred the recording to CD and Hoppé send a copy to Vangelis.
"He said it brought back so many good memories, he wanted to give it to me as a gift for my new album... Frankly, to have what I consider the most gifted artist I have ever been associated with, on my own album is very much a dream come true!"
Michael Hoppé has composed all the tracks on the album. Besides the Vangelis performed "The Parting", "Solace" contains 4 tracks performed by an orchestra called the "Prague Symphony" - recorded live over the internet with Hoppé working in Los Angeles and the orchestra in Prague - as well as 7 tracks by smaller ensembles, with performances by Eugene Fodor, Martin Tillmann, Heidi Fielding, etc. The music is being described as peaceful and reflective.
The CD will be released on April 8, both in the United States and in Korea. The artwork of the two editions will differ.
Mythodea in Ukraine cinema
A presentation of a book in the City of Odessa, Ukraine - next Thursday, March 27 - will apparently be followed by a screening of parts of the Mythodea concert on a cinema screen. The event, organized by the "Hellenic Foundation for Culture" will present a new book about Greek painter Kostantis, immediately followed by the screening in the "Outotskino" cinema.
Thanks to Sufian.
[Off topic though the Academy Awards may be: Congratulations to Roman Polanski for his Oscar for "Best director" on "The Pianist"!!!]
Vangelis performs track on upcoming Michael Hoppé album
American composer Michael Hoppé will soon release an album called "Solace". Although most of his tracks are recordings by the Prague Symphony orchestra, the album's finale track called "The Parting" is a solo performance by Vangelis.
"Solace" will be released in the States on April 8, later this year.
Visit Michael's site at www.michaelhoppe.com to see the album announced. Any new information will be published here on "Elsewhere" as soon as it becomes available.
Thanks to Stephen Cairns for the information!
Japan: Anthem "International Song of the Year"
In Japan, Vangelis' "2002 FIFA World Cup Official Anthem" was last year's best selling single by an international artist, and it is therefore being awarded the "International Song of the Year" award.
It will be presented as part of the "Japan Gold Disc Award 2003" ceremony, although Vangelis will not be able to receive the award personally. The proceedings will be broadcast in Japan on NHK TV, the evening of Wednesday March 12 and will be repeated at later times:
March 12 19.00-21.20 NHK Satellite TV second March 14 19.30-21.50 NHK Digital Hi-Vision March 20 24.15-25.30 NHK TV
The award is presented by the RIAJ, the Recording Industry Association of Japan.
For Japanese readers, please also see the official page at www.riaj.com/cgi-bin/press_release.cgi?id=57.
This update: February 14, 2003
More about Status magazine' Man of the Year
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Status Magazine published in its latest issue articles about all those winning their Man of the Year 2002 awards. Two pages have been dedicated to Vangelis: An article by Nikos Mouratidis and a new full size portrait picture of Vangelis. Buy the magazine now, (or try to import it, sometimes local restaurants or Greek shops are willing to help) while you still can!
Also here, a sound bite from the ceremony, where Vangelis representor Cherry Vanilla accepts his award with a small speech (MP3, 372 KB).
Special thanks again to Noel Koutlis and Stratos Spyrou.
Man of the Year ceremony
Greek TV channel ALPHA broadcast yesterday around 23:40 the full "Man of the Year" award ceremony, organized last Tuesday by Status Magazine. The segment dedicated to Vangelis lasted about 5 minutes.
Nikos Mouratidis - who interviewed Vangelis for the article Status magazine published earlier this year - introduced the presentation with a small biography. A video presentation, announced as having been created by Vangelis, showed excerpts from events like Athens '97, the Mythodea concert and the Sydney Olympic Flame hand over ceremony, as well as excerpts from movies and the World Cup 2002 music video. After that, Cherry Vanilla gave a short speech as she accepted the award in Vangelis' name.
The station might air a repeat of this broadcast, so any info on its airing details is welcome at d.lodewijks@chello.nl so it can be presented on this page.
Thanks to Noel Koutlis and Stratos Spyrou.
Man of the Year award - Status Magazine
Status Magazine - Greece's leading monthly publication - will be presenting their prestigious series of Man Of The Year 2002 awards at a ceremony that is to take place tomorrow evening, Tuesday February 3 at 8:30 PM. The "Dinner, on the occasion of bestowing the awards" will be held at the Cine Keramikos, a very old cinema in Athens that has been refitted into a modern entertainment complex.
Vangelis is being awarded in the category "Composers / Creators". Other fields include businessman, athlete, politician, scientist, etc.
The honors are awarded according to the results of public votes, submitted by readers of the magazine a few months ago.
Sadly, due to other obligations, Vangelis will be unable to personally accept the award, but Cherry Vanilla flew in from the States to receive the award on his behalf. The ceremony is being filmed for television, and hopefully more details on its broadcast (possibly on Wednesday?) will be published here in time. Any information is welcome at d.lodewijks@chello.nl.
Mythodea on Classic FM TV
Just a note to point out that Classic FM TV - the new UK based satellite TV channel for classical music, having Vangelis as prominent entry in their artists selection - is regularly broadcasting a promotional music video for Mythodea. This is not the same video as found on the DVD, but one produced by the record company even before the Mythodea concert was performed in Athens. The short edit (a little over 2 minutes) is mostly accompanied by impressive space footage. Don't miss your chance to record this, if you can receive the channel.
Thanks to Patrick Gleeson and Tim Downs.
Julian Rachlin and Vangelis still working
As first mentioned in an October 2001 update, an Austrian newspaper mentioned a possible collaboration between Vangelis and violinist Julian Rachlin. It seems they are still working on their collaboration as German newspaper the "Berliner Morgenpost" published an interview with Rachlin who refers to its progress:
After his [Rachlin's] Berlin concert he will meet up with Vangelis, who's composing a violin concert for Rachlin - but can't write or read any notes. "That makes it very hard. Vangelis plays everything on the synthesizer, and his arranger has to write everything down. After that I edit the violin part." Three years have they been working on the project so far, but the two friends have only reached the third part of the work.
Note that a typical concert would consist of three parts.
The story was posted on the newspaper's web site, in the German language: morgenpost.berlin1.de/archiv2003/03...
Thanks to Sufian.
Cavafy in Paris cinema
A gay filmfestival in Paris shows as part of its selection the Greek 1996 movie "Cavafy", which provides a rare chance for French Vangelis fans to see this Vangelis scored movie play in a cinema. Sadly it was show twice before in the past two weeks, but one more (and probably final) chance should present itself next Thursday, January 16, at 12:20 (noon). Please verify with the cinema first, before heading out there. The cinema is:
Accattone 20, rue Cujas (5ème arr.) Métro / accès : Luxembourg, Cluny-Sorbonne Tèl : 0146338686
www.pariscope.fr/fiche_film.php?uid=9026810
Thanks to Mike G. Williams.
