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Review: Clearlight German review translated
https://rocktimes.de/gesamt/c/clearlight/impressionist_symphony.html
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Clearlight / Impressionist Symphony
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Playing time: 65:08
Format: CD
Label: Gonzo Multimedia, 2014
Style: Symphonic Prog, Classical
Review on 22/04/2014 Steve Brown
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The album to be discussed here is simply amazing. Classically inspired progressive rock fans can - nay, should - access here without hesitation. Finish would be the shortest review I've ever written ... and really everything had been told that!
But thankfully life is not only three-and four-dimensional but at least a concept album that really blows up every earthly chain, needs to be discussed really closely, even if my vocabulary given the overwhelming sound impressions threatens to dry up ....
In the 'Progressive Rock' category could be classified only in very superficial view the "Impressionist Symphony". The limits to the classics are not only gently touched, but far exceeded sprawling. Also, individual transition areas to jazz are nuanced, really touched only subtly.
Mastermind Cyrille Verdeaux settled for his "Impressionist Symphony", for which he Clearwaterreactivated after eleven years break from Impressionist composers such as Joseph-Maurice Raveland Claude Debussy inspired and devote himself the most famous impressionist painters of Europe such as Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, Paule Gauguin or Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec Monfa .He approaches prove this not without wit and wordplay, what titles like "Time Is Monet", "Van Gogh 3rd Ear" or "Lautrec Too Loose".
The project Clearlight developed from 1975 when Cyrille 'Clear Light' Verdeaux together with three Gong members - the most famous among them certainly Steve Hillage - the "Clearwater Symphony" composed and grossed. A casual musician collective around Verdeaux played after that (m. W.) six more progressive works of art one. most prominent members include Hillage flutist / saxophonist Didier Malherbe and keyboardist Tim Blake (both Gong ) and drummer Paul Sears ( The Muffins ). Besides solo project, especially the Fusion Violinist Craig Fry , the synthesizer expert Christophe Kovax ( Psyquest ) and the 'Chapman-embroiderer' Linda Cushma ( Oxygene8 ) from the highly ambitious troupe forth. In addition to the influences from the Impressionist classical music could be Cyrille Verdeaux for his "Impressionist Symphony" certainly inspired by symphonic rock music. In contrast to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra , he worked here not with an 'organic' orchestra, but with a Kurzweil 2600;However, the sounds that he elicits this 'high-end device', deceptively real and sound virtually the same way. To this occurs Craig Fry acoustic violin, which in the manner of this Allen Sloan and Jean-Luc Ponty understands how to play, at every available opportunity in the spotlight. too, the varied work of Chick Corea at the French have their marks ("reñir En Couleur ") leave. In addition to the Kurzweil keyboard he is mainly a terrific sounding Bosendorfer 290 Imperial grand one, with which he - supported by string and brass arrangements from Kurzweil - a sometimes dreamy, sometimes demanding basis sets. For solo characters and accents on the other hand are the two synthesizers specialists Tim Blake and especially Christophe Kovax ("Degas De La Marine"!) responsible. Is Steve Hillage involved, it is immediately (as in "Renoir En Couleur" and "Van Gogh 3rd Ear - Time Is Monet "and its' Reprise '" Money Time ") considerably rockier much closer to the classical period, however, the operators are" "(a wonderful dialogue between piano and violin) and the lyrical-ethereal" Gauguin Dans L' Autre "aligned. Impressionist music can hardly be! For almost oriental influences make Tim Blake airwave violin and Don Falcone's Tubular Bells in "Pissarro King". As colorful as the painting of a landscape in Midi, "Lautrec Too Loose", which blithely between the analog sounds of turns Thomas Pence acoustic guitar and Verdeaux ' wing on the one hand and Remy Trans cosmic synth sounds on the other hand swings and the heart of the listener in very deep vibrated . More than an hour long can these "Impressionist Symphony" first to captivate and then mercilessly away into new musical worlds. It is, however, as with hypnosis: you must be able to engage it, otherwise it works well hardly!
Who times Germany radio culture or SR 2 turns in the morning instead of tootling of radio Salü or RTL Luxembourg rather, its pure joy to Clear Lights long expected have new orchestral work.Guaranteed!
Line-up:
Cyrille Verdeaux (Kurzweil 2600, Bosendorfer 290 Imperial, synthesizer)
Steve Hillage (electric and gliss guitars, percussion - # 1,5,6)
Craig Fry (violin),
Didier Malherbe (doudouk, saxophone, flute),
Paul Sears ( drums, percussion) Linda Cushma (bass, chapman stick) Tim Blake (theremin, synthesizer XILS - # 3.6) Vincent Thomas-Penny (acoustic and electric guitars - # 3.7) Neil Bettencourt (drums - # 3) Don Falcone (tubular bells - # 3) Christophe Kovax (lead synthesizer - # 4.5) Remy Tran (cosmic synthesizer - # 4.7)
| Tracklist |
01: Renoir En Couleur (8:03)
02: Time Is Monet (9:44)
03: Pissarro King (6:27)
04: Degas De La Marine (7:53)
05: Van Gogh 3rd Ear (6:39 )
06: Gaugin Dans L'Autre (11:07)
07: Lautrec Too Loose (5:22)
08: Monet Time [duet] (9:23) |
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Review: Clearlight US review
https://www.criticaljazz.com/2014/04/clearlight-impressionist-symphony-gonzo.html
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Clearlight Impressionist Symphony Gonzo 2014
Clearlight is back and has elevated their harmonic game to the next level!
The first new release in decades finds the iconic French prog ensemble charting yet another new melodic course and thus raising the bar for their contemporaries. The Impressionist Symphony embraces the conceptual notions of impressionism, painting and music coming together as one cerebral aura of sound. Musical influences from the impressionist period would include Ravel and Debussy and it is the vision of Cyrille "Clearlight" Verdeaux that allows for an amazing transcendence to a more contemporary approach with guests from Gong, The Muffins, Spirits Burning and the amazing Linda Cushma from Oxygen 8. Getting by with a little help from your friends worked for the Beatles so why not here?
Progressive classical? No...Prog rock as most people would no and understand it? Hmmm. No. This is the return of a visionary with the ability to grasp the cerebral aspect of impressionism and marry that with the visceral side of a more rock oriented millennium to smash through genres if not time itself and create a new hybrid of sound unique to this amazing collective. Clearlight has been around since the mid 70's and this may be the primary reason why...Stellar.
Songs / Tracks Listing
1. Renoir En Couleur
2. Time Is Monet
3. Pissarro King
4. Degas De La Marine
5. Van Gogh 3rd Ear
6. Gaughin Dans L'Autre
7. Lautrec Too Loose
8. Monet Time (Duet)
Line-up / Musicians
- Cyrille Verdeaux / piano, synthesizers
- Didier Malherbe / wind instruments
- Craig Fry / violin
- Vincent Thomas Penny / guitars
- Paul Sears / drums, percussion
- Linda Cushma / bass
- Chris Kovacks / synthesizers
- Remy Tran / synthesizers
- Steve Hillage / guitars
With:
- Tim Blake / xils synth, theremin
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Les Contes Du Singe Fou
CD - £9.99 |
Review: Clearlight US review
https://jpsmusicblog.blogspot.com/2014/04/cd-review-wishbone-ash-and-clearlight.html
Another legendary progressive rock band with a new album is the French rockers Clearlight. Their latest release, "The Impressionist Symphony" strays far from the rock their earlier albums as the band gives a classical piece for the ages. It is Clearlight's first album of new material in over three decades and features members of the bands GONG, The Muffins, Spirits Burning and more. The music just takes hold of you and brings you on a journey through the influencial sounds of classical composers Ravel, Satie and Debussy. The album begins with a progressive feel during the opening of "Renoir En Couleur" featuring the outstanding guitar work of Steve Hillage. The wonderfully exciting piano of Cyrille Verdeaux on "Degras de la Marine" will give you shivers, before takes off with the spacey synthesizer sounds of "Van Gogh 3rd Ear." The album closes with the elegant, gentle feel of "Monet Time (duet)."
To find out more about the latest album from Clearlight, please visit
shop.paragon-digital.net/product_details/15659/Clearlight-Impressionist_Symphony.html.
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Review: Clearlight - another US review
https://progressiverockcentral.com/2014/04/09/state-of-the-art-progressive-rock-with-an-impressionist-essence/
Clearlight
Clearlight, the musical project of globe-trotting French keyboardist Cyrille ‘Clearlight’ Verdeaux has a new outstanding album titled
Impressionist Symphony. Clearlight has released a great series of albums that range from progressive symphonic rock to electronic music. The Impressionist Symphony takes Clearlight to state of the art progressive rock with an impressionist flavor.
Impressionist Symphony is a tribute to an art form dominated by French artists in the areas of painting and music. Cyrille Verdeaux is deeply influenced by Ravel, Satie and Debussy. He combines these timeless classics with equally superb progressive music.
The Impressionist Symphony features several high profile musical guests, including Steve Hillage (Gong) on guitars, Tim Blake (Gong) on keyboards, Didier Malherbe (Gong) on duduk and saxophone, Paul Sears (The Muffins) on drums and percussion, Don Falcone (Spirits Burning) on tubular bells, Linda Cushma (Oxygene8) on bass and Chapman stick, Chris Kovax (Psyquest) on synthesizer; Vincent Thomas-Penny on guitars, Neil Bettencourt on drums, Craig Fry (Cartoon) on violin, and Remy Tran on synthesizer.
Each track was inspired by an impressionist painter. “In 2004, I was giving a solo piano concert at the French Embassy of Brasilia for the June 21st music festival. After the concert, the ambassador came to me and told me I had an ‘impressionist style’. His remark gave me the idea to compose a specific Music aimed at the glory of all the impressionists, audio as well as visual.
In 2011, Don Falcone in California made contact with me on Facebook to record some tracks for a Spirits Burning project. So we scheduled an appointment to see what could be done together. First, I recorded keyboard tracks for his project, what became Spirits Burning & Clearlight ‘Healthy Music In Large Doses’. When I found out that Don’s equipment and technique of collecting tracks from Musicians living all around the World was exactly what was needed to complete my impressionist project, I proposed for him to become a partner in this impressionist saga. He agreed, and began to gather tracks from all of my friends that accepted to play on it, some in England, some in France, others in the U.S. When all of the tracks on his computer’s folder were ready, I took a plane to mix it at Don’s home studio (California).
My first album released in 1974, ‘Clearlight Symphony‘, was recorded with the participation of Gong’s Didier Malherbe, Steve Hillage, and Tim Blake. So, for the 40th anniversary, I again asked the trio to participate in this new symphonic impressionist rock project. And they did it! Great friends! I completed the musical crew with Paul Sears (cult drummer of the progressive band The Muffins), Linda Cushma, Chris Kovax, Craig Fry (a very good classical violinist), Vincent Thomas-Penny (another guitarist), and synthesizer player Remy Tran, who helped me record most of the Degas De La Marine piece last summer in his home studio in France.”
Clearlight takes impressionism and progressive rock into the 21st century with the help of his friends. “When I began to dive deeper into new music, one of my first and longest-lasting discoveries was Cyrille, and the ‘Clearlight Symphony‘ album on Virgin Records. It’s been an honor and pleasure to celebrate the spirit of that release, and help shape the sound of Clearlight Impressionist Symphony. My efforts for the new symphony began as gatekeeper of sound, morphed into what Cyrille called the project’s ‘godfather’, and culminated in the role of producer. It’s been a fun story, and now it’s ready for each and every listener,” says Don Falcone, producer of the album.
“Been a Clearlight fan since the Virgin days. Having worked with Cyrille onstage at the Progday festival 10 years ago, I jumped at the chance to participate in the Clearlight ‘The Impressionist Symphony’ project when he asked me,” says Paul Sears of The Muffins “It is an honor to be included in the dream team that Cyrille selected for this special recording.”
Clearlight is a French progressive rock band formed in the 1970s. Their best known work was produced in England, released by a British record company, a cutting edge indie label called Virgin Records that later became part of a major label. The band’s early albums ‘
Clearlight Symphony‘ and ‘
Forever Blowing Bubbles‘ are some of the finest examples of 1970s progressive rock.
The Impressionist Symphony includes a 12-page color booklet with photos, credits and images of impressionist paintings.
“This music is artistic and genuine; it is such an honor for me to be a part of this eloquent work and look forward to the possibility of one day sharing the stage with these stunning musicians,” says Linda Cushma of Oxygene8.
“I bought my first Clearlight Symphony album from a used record store in 1979. I knew nothing about it, and bought it for the cover art,” reveals violinist Craig Fry. “When I got it home and played it, I thought: ‘I have found my music’. I dreamed then that I would one day have the privilege of playing with Cyrille Verdeaux, Steve Hillage, and Didier Malherbe.
My musical career has gone in a number of directions over the years, but that dream faded, and eventually evaporated altogether. I didn’t even play the violin for ten years. But the forgotten dream found me when Don Falcone asked me if I wanted to play on a new Clearlight album with Cyrille, Steve and Didier. I didn’t take much time to think before answering yes.
Violin tracks were recorded at Don’s house, with Don engineering and Cyrille guiding, consulting and editing.
In the end the Clearlight Impressionist Symphony has emerged as a beautiful amalgamation of Cyrille’s compositions and the instrumental wizardry of an extraordinary and disparate group of musicians. I am grateful to Don and Cyrille for offering me membership in an extended family I have admired for over three decades, and to which it is an honor to belong.”
Impressionist Symphony is one of the progressive rock masterpieces of 2014 and a serious contender for best album of the year.
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Review: Clearlight Italian review translated
Clearlight Impressionist symphony
Gonzo Multimedia 2014 FRA
The background tells him there in the back-cover Cyril Verdeaux in person, always soul of Clearlight, a project that was born on records in 1973 with the critically acclaimed "Clearlight Symphony" album initially accredited as a project of the same Verdeaux and from which it will stretch a little later the name of the band as we know it now. In 2004, our keyboard player was giving a concert for solo piano at the French Embassy, and so it was that the ambassador congratulated Cyril telling him he had a style "impressionist". From here, therefore, the idea of composing a work that was inspired the Impressionists. The dream became a reality when Cyril, who went to California to record tracks for the project Spirits Burning & Clearlight, was able to enlist the help of Don Falcone, with whom he proceeded to pick up the sound contributions of friends scattered here and there around the world and mix the final result thanks to an efficient home studio. As it did forty years earlier for the debut album, this new album Clearlight signed again sees the participation of the trio composed by Didier Malherbe Gong, Steve Hillage and Tim Blake; about the other artists recruited mention other excellent attendance as drummer Paul Sears (The Muffins), the bassist Linda cushma (Oxygene8) and the same Don Falcone playing tubular bells in a song and entrusted with mixing and production.
Rather than audio description of these eight songs some paintings seem to play the rapture that comes from contemplation of the paintings of Renoir, Degas and Monet using the language of progressive rock, here declined with a style deeply marked by the romanticism of classical music (Cyril indicates between its cardinal points Satie, Ravel and Debussy), especially with regard to the piano, contaminated by electronic elements, rock, new age and space. Anyone familiar with the works of Verdeaux know that I'm not writing anything new. The link with the past works, and especially with the onset, we perceive everything, although in that case the colors of the synth sounded more vintage and now it has been given more emphasis to the orchestral tone.That flavor relaxed, almost meditative and therapeutic strongly imprinted on these tracks instead most likely comes from the next "Kundalini Opera", a series of albums in which Cyril sought to unite the music of the nature of the Chakras.
In short, the artist seems to have put in here all what he has sown during his career, with love, kindness and passion. The various components are mixed with great balance, "Renoir en Couleur" for example, the opening track, makes its way into a progressive, gradual crescendo of classical motifs, embellished and enhanced by the majestic echoes cameliani violin Craig Fry, an excellent musician of academic backgrounds. Hillage's guitar provides a thin but sturdy innervatura rock while the soprano recorder, and especially the doudouk, wooden flute of Armenian origin, offer the delicate ethnic connotations. We find then a few drops of psychedelia to tarnish a bit 'sounds so much romance and sometimes even seems to flow into the New Prog. In "Time is Monet's" The flute has a touch of Celtic while piano and violin melodies draw large and elegant. In this passage, the choice to use percussion to classical matrix is very well chosen and gives the wide-ranging piece that is definitely relaxing. Instead, in "Van Gogh 3rd Ear" by Paul Sears battery seems all too brief, especially in relation to the grace of music and piano in particular that emerges gently from one ocean to the synth. With regard to electronic elements, scattered 'throughout this album, but always with caution, in "Pissarro King" seem almost the variegated patches of color that explode then like tongues of fire in the night sky while the tubular bells give it a sparkling in this track that instills feelings joyful and positive. In "Degas de la marine" the atmosphere is solemn, almost mystical at the same time grand and baroque. Sampling of the trumpet are intertwined in a thousand coils with the plan and accompanying piece in a slow metamorphosis that seems to accompany the listener like muffled by the darkness of a cathedral to the smells and the lights of city life outside. In this brief review I will finally remember the closing track, "Monet Time Duet," a poignant dialogue between the piano and the violin, from delicate melodies and meditative, very effective in its simplicity.
Surely this is a welcome return of Cyril " Clearlight "Verdeux that gives us a well-balanced work which shines in all his knowledgeable experience. Missing a bit 'strong emotions and sometimes it all seems almost too measured, perhaps the fault of the remoteness of the musicians who interacted only virtually, but I believe that this sense of serene grace, pure contemplation is not tarnished by feelings too strong, now falls in the DNA and the vocation of the artist whose music will also want to embark on an inner journey to which the listener might join willingly letting go the positive sensations offered by this album.
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Review: Clearlight - Belgium review translated
The Frenchman Cyrille Verdeaux was born on 07/31/1949 in Paris . At the age of fourteen he began studies at the National Conservatory where he studied composition , harmony and piano . Between 1966 and 1968 he won three times the student composition prize , but in the red revolutionary year 1968, he was put off because of his revolutionary activities . Then he went to the conservatory in Nice where he earned a Masters degree . Back in Paris, he founded the band Babylone with guitarist Christian Boule . In 1975 Virgin Records released his debut album , titled 'Clear Light Compositions , "and that was the first French progressive rock band signed to a British label managed to decorate . There were three more albums to Jonathan his son prompted him to study and travel . In India , he studied music , yoga and meditation , and in 1980 he moved to the USA . During the 80s several albums followed. He currently lives in Brazil . In 2004, they told him after a solo piano concert that he had an impressionist style of play . That prompted him to make , based on paintings by Renoir , Monet , Pissarro , Degas , Van Gogh , Gauguin , Lautrec , etc. This album Add to this music by Ravel , Satie and Debussy , and you're there. In this new edition of the CD contains eight tracks recorded with Tim Blake , Steve Hillage , Didier Malherbe and others is instrumental , symphonic , progressive rock .
Patrick Van de Wiele ( 3 ½ )
Forty years after Their first album , comes this new version of ' Impressionist Symphony . A must for lovers of instrumental , symphonic progressive rock .
Gonzo Multimedia I HST214CD I Glass Onyon PR I [ re: jazz ]
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Review: Clearlight Portugal review translated
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Review: Impressionist Symphony (Clearlight)
Impressionist Symphony (Clearlight)
(2014, Gonzo Multimedia)
(5.7/6)
Catch in Impressionism, while artistic school, whether in painting or in classical music and from that build an album was a brilliant idea from the French Cyrille Verdeaux , mentor ofClearlight , mythical collective of prog rock .Based on 8 paintings by Renoir , Monet , Pissarro , Degas , Van Gogh ,Gaugin and Lautrec , Verdeaux build 8 subjects where the magnificence of the arrangements is phenomenal. It is true that the French helped a lot of people are full of class and synthesizers that can almost replace a full orchestra (listen to the performance of the trumpet drawn to your handset Degas de la Marineand confirm it!), but arrangements of these eight themes, and unparalleled successive violin solos, guitars, flute, sax and piano, the way these songs transport us to imaginary scenes of any film, the way some classical passages are - here and there - introduced, all this is simply majestic and genial. Briefly, it will be said that contemporary music, classical, symphonic, the jazz , the prog rock , naturalism and eastern joined to create an impressionistic symphony, but also truly impressive. And sublime!
Tracklist:
1. Renoir In Color
2. Time Is Monet
3. Pissarro King
April. Degas Marine
5. Van Gogh 3rd Ear
6. Gauguin In The Other
7. Lautrec Too Loose
8. Monet Time duet
Line-up:
Cyrille Verdeaux - piano, keyboards, synthesizers
Steve hillage - Guitarras
Didier Malherbe - saxofone
Paul Sears – bateria
Craig Fry – violino
Linda Cushman - under
Tim Blake – theremin, sintetizadores
Vincent Thomas-Penny – guitarras
Neil Bettencourt – bateria
Don Falcone – tubular bells
Christophe Kovax - sintetizadores
Remy Tran - Synthesizers
Internet:
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Review: Clearlight US Review
When I first started to listen to the CD Impressionist Symphony by Clearlight, I didn’t think I was going to like it. The beginning starts off with some soft piano and just thought the album was going to kind of bore me. While its not a very heavy it did put me in a good mood.
I decided I’d listen to it while I was making dinner and after the first bit Impressionist Symphony picked up a little bit, adding in some nice electric guitar a violin. It kind of reminds me of Trans Siberian Orchestra but a little softer with more classical and jazz style influences. The guitar was more of a background instrument but it blended really well with everything else.
Clearlight did a really good job on this album though I think some of the synth effects could have not been used it was still really nice and relaxing to listen to.
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Review: FRENCH CLEARLIGHT REVIEW
CLEARLIGHT. Under this name hides a passionate man. Cyrille VERDEAUX a real conductor endowed with an obvious talent for lyrical compositions, symphony, the very rich discography
For this eighth album that interests us, Cyrille VERDEAUX uses his cronies start well known in the world of Progressive Rock ...
Tim Blake (GONG, HAWKWIND, CRYSTAL MACHINE), Steve HILLAGE (URIEL, Arzachel, KHAN, GONG and SYSTEM 7) and Didier MALHERBE (GONG, HADOUK TRIO ...).
Listen to this new album is like opening the door to a world where artistic paths guide us to meet the great impressionist painters ... but where it lacks Cézanne ... The Painters who imagine trying to paint a garden of Eden then they have their own feet in the weed. Cyrille VERDEAUX depicting the personalities of these beings bruised and wounded by life, a world that was not really for them, and they were so often misunderstood. He tries, in its own way to honor them. It focuses on their personality or what characterizes more than the work itself ... The painter "chiaroscuro" where the light seems to shine musical compositions, but the effects are sometimes non-existent.
Cyrille VERDEAUX failed to take advantage of the wonderful richness of this concept. Indeed, these painters, avant-garde in their time, ultimately remain misunderstood ... The music should be "Star Wars", "Matrix", "Terminator". Here we are in a retrospective of films of the 60s, such as Love Story or "Just as the wind carries it" ... The music is enclosed in a conventional classicism, baroque or romantic, while the mind and works of these painters were aware of their time against. He left worn by the era that prevailed at that time, by the conventions without much tub, then it would be bold as those painters who were able to venture in their time.
However, canvas, palette, brushes, brushes, tubes of gouache and sometimes the bridge into place.
Musical instruments used properly, thanks to outstanding musicians, who bring this music an allegorical dimension, artistic, and generous . Strong beautiful passages ... especially with this piece "Too Loose Lautrec" surprisingly bright, colored jazzy flights, rock.
They want us to "let" believe that all is calm, lust and pleasure, a hot musical serenity, while these Beings were misunderstood living in the disease, and often precarious. Beings sometimes anarchists and freethinkers. Therefore, we do not find this deeply mind. short, a kind of amateur agreed, this album is for you, and then go your way. But Cyril VERDEAUX nevertheless deserves a little more respect for his long discography, which itself has surprised us with great albums at a time when we are interested in the music itself was so often little or no tender at fair value ... Everyone can make his choice, drowning in a "Verdeaux" or a "glass of wine" matter of taste.
Review: Clearlight US review
Clearlight
Impressionist Symphony
Review by G. W. Hill
This album is kind of combination of classical music, progressive rock and space rock, along with some fusion.
Track by Track Review
Renoir En Couleur
Atmospheric elements that combine symphonic with electronic and space music open this and it builds gradually on that basis. Before the one minute mark it moves out into a more fully developed prog excursion that seems to have elements of both Genesis and Yes along with some fusion. There are some more hard rocking elements that take control later. Then it dissolves out into some nearly pure fusion. At times that part makes me think of Traffic a bit. It drops way down from there into some symphonic space weirdness. It definitely gets quite odd and quite spacey. Then a more mainstream prog rock jam rises up from there. This gets more symphonic elements later as it moves this way and that. Yet, it still maintains some louder rocking sounds throughout. The closing section even makes me think of Red era King Crimson quite a bit.
Time Is Monet
Symphonic elements swirl around bringing this one into being and it grows out from there. As this shifts and evolves, it really is very much a classical piece. In fact, there really is little rock in this piece. Perhaps a few of the melody lines feel a bit rock-like, but overall this is a classical piece moving through each and every change (and there are a lot of them) that way.
Pissarro King
Although it comes in rather tentatively, this quickly evolves to something like a cross between Tangerine Dream and Hawkwind. We’re taken through a number of melodic sections and at times some more driving guitar emerges. Still, that same blend of two artists pretty well matches the whole thing. There are some moments later in the piece that might evoke thoughts of Electric Light Orchestra, though. Also, it shifts quite classical later, too.
Degas De La Marine
Hawkwind space elements are heard on the opening section here. From there, though, it works out to more music that’s quite purely classical in nature. Electronic progressive rock emerges later, but still with a lot of classical in the mix. It eventually evolves into a jazzy kind of groove with space elements swirling over the top at times. Further down the road more classical sounds emerge to augment that space jazz mix.
Van Gogh 3rd Ear
World music and classical start this thing off in style. It feels quite a bit like something Rick Wakeman might do at times. The piece eventually evolves out into more of a progressive rock meets fusion kind of sound. Changes ensue within that scope, taking us through a number of short movements. Then it drops back to more classical styled music, but with a lot of electronic sound in the mix. A new jam emerges that again calls to mind Wakeman, but with some Genesis added in for good measure.
Gaughin Dans L’Autre
Coming in much mellower, classical music is the main thing at the start. Nothing changes quickly here, but this eventually grows out into more pure progressive rock merged with space music. Still, there is a lot of classical in the mix, even then. As this develops later some hints of world music emerge here and there. Guitar drives some of this later, but still the classical music surrounds and enhances it. Yet, space music serves as icing there. Playful classical music laced with space takes it later yet. The next movement is all about electronic based classical.
Lautrec Too Loose
This piece is very pretty as it starts. Classical, prog and space music all merge in a powerful and quite beautiful arrangement. The song grows out from there, getting more energy and power as it continues. It works through several changes. At times it’s more intense rock. At times it drops to mellower sounds. It’s all dramatic and quite effective. In fact, this might be the best piece of the whole set.
Monet Time (Duet)
The duet here is piano and violin. It makes this a classical piece through and through. It’s also quite powerful and packed with beauty. It does go on a bit long as far as I’m concerned, though. For that reason, I don’t think I would have closed the disc with this.
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Review: Clearlight: Portugese review (translated)
Interview: Clearlight
One of the Impressionists names of prog rockFrenchman Cyrille Verdeaux created one of the most ambitious projects within the genus: pick on French Impressionist paintings and music them. The idea is genius, was not easy to run but the end result is phenomenal. Cyrille Verdeaux explains to us how the whole process took place and shows its Magua on the state reached by the global music market.
Hello Cyrille. Thank you very much for this interview concederes.Congratulations on your excellent work. When the idea of making an album based on impressionism came you?
During a music festival in June 2005, gave a piano concert at the French Embassy in Brasilia and after the concert, the ambassador came to me and said that my music was very "impressionist" I think a reference to my taste for Ravel, Debussy, Satie and Chopin that transpires in my compositions. Your observation led me to pay more attention to the French school of Impressionist painters and decided to write a song inspired by their lives and in their work and get anything.
Being French and France with a strong impressionist school either in music or painting, we can say it was an easy job or not?
It was a difficult job to transcribe music in the sense of the paintings. Of course, the fact that share the same cultural and national background makes the creative process easier to manifest. Maybe it's genetic code, who knows ...
But it must have been a long process to get all the ideas in their right place. Can you describe a bit of the whole creative process?
In fact, the most difficult task was to find the budget to hire the right musicians, finding the right place to write, the right producer to help me mix the tracks collected worldwide and the right publisher for your distribution. By a series of small miracles, I could possibly find anything and everything you wanted to accomplish the project. It only took me 8 years starting from the first note recorded (2005) to the last part mixed (2013). First, I chose my favorite painters 7: Gaughin, Van Gogh, Monet, Degas, Toulouse Lautrec, Pissarro and Renoir.After I recorded a piano track for each painter. Finally I set the track to all the musicians that I wanted to hear this album.
As the musicians chosen for this job?
Because I wanted to release a new album Clearlight to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my first release, Clearlight Symphony first asked to still live musicians and who participated in this first album in 1974. Steve Hillage, Tim Blake and Didier Malherbe accepted and recorded their parts . in your own home studio Once completed the team with some newer friends who liked to play: Americans Vincent Thomas-Penny (guitar), Craig Fry (violin), Paul Willis (drums), Linda Cushma ( low) and the French keyboardists Chris Kovax and Remy Tran. All have a studio at home and also they could send their tracks byinternet for the chief coordinator of the project, Don Falcone, also known as group leader Burning Spirit. Don collected on your computer all these dozens of bands and when already there were all I could mix them in your home from San Francisco with your system ProTool in December 2013.
It really is curious that the members of Gong are with you again 40 years after your debut. It's fantastic! It was easy to convince them to participate again?
It was just a matter of price and time ... They were all involved in their own groups, System 7 in the case of Steve, Hadouk Trio in Didier and Hawkwind to Tim, so it took some time to get everything ready, but thanks to God was all set.
Naturally, the French culture is very present here, but this is also an album that was born with other feelings , including Brazilian and American. How does the fact that you lived in these countries their cultures influenced the existence of Impressionist Symphony ?
I can not say that this particular album has been influenced by other cultures. I'm a musician composing contemporary French music on French painters who lived in the nineteenth century. And even if you live in Brasilia and has lived in the U.S. before, usually speak French with my wife and friends, as French food (I cook most of the time), so it's not hard to keep my fully operational "French touch".
Do you have any video available? Or you have something planned?
Yes, it makes sense to make a DVD on this project based on paintings. I have been trying to find an artist who can work with me to sync music and paintings, but so far I could not find a producer interested in funding a project to a DVD. And I'm still looking ... I have a friend who did a teaser , but it's all so far. You can see it onyoutube if you write "clearlight teaser 2014". I have quite a few videos available on "Clearlight 888 videos" also on youtube . And www.cdbaby.com find all my CDs, for those interested in helping. I know, is the only online site that pays meroyalties of my CD sales. No more does. Strange times, no?
Over spectacles - do you think this project to take the stage? Have there anything defined?
You know, I have no agent, no band, no instruments themselves, almost no money, so it is not possible to do what I like to do. All I have is my musical repertoire. Sometimes I feel like a Rolls Royce forced to stay in the garage because I can not put gas in the tank. Of course, if you could, would sign for atour the world with all the musicians who played on the album! But it would cost so much money just to form a band on the road that I prefer not to dream too. It has been a miracle to have managed to finish the recording project in difficult material circumstances I'm in, in 2014. With all these platforms illegal downloadof music used by the public, as the musicians can live on their CD sales? For now I have no clear answer to this question.
Well, it was a pleasure talking with you. Want to add something else to our readers or your fans?
There are so many things to say ... about music but also about the world ... To be honest, I worry about our future, especially the ecological aspect, so I wish you all good luck finding a safe place and job security in the years ahead.
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Review: Clearlight: US Review
Album Review: Clearlight — Impressionist Symphony
With precious few exceptions, attempting a classical-rock hybrid is at worst a fool’s errand, at best a thankless task. All too often, this most ambitious of goals – bringing together fans of intricate, densely layered orchestral work and searing, heavy rock – ends up pleasing no one. At its most insipid, the result is something not unlikeMannheim Steamroller: lite (as opposed to light) classical music with late-period ELO style backbeat grafted on, a sort of Stars on Classical. At its best and most challenging, it’s the work of someone like Glenn Branca, who combines the sheer monstrous power of electric guitar with the sonic complexity and bombast of 20th century classical composition (KrzysztofPenderecki, Conlon Nancarrow).
But on the other hand, considering only those two extremes presents the listener with a false choice: commercial pap versus unlistenable (to most) clatter. In the right hands, it is quite possible to combine the two genres into something that is aesthetically and artistically rewarding while remaining tuneful and accessible. Jeff Lynne did it with the aforementioned Electric Light Orchestra, especially on the group’s second album ELO II: do yourself a favor and listen again to their long version of “Roll Over Beethoven.” And the under-appreciated, backlash-suffering Klaatucreated a lovely rock-meets-classical work on Hope, their second album: “Prelude” has the instrumentation of orchestral music plus what Spinal Tap might call the majesty of rock.
Plenty of progressive rockers have made forays at bridging the gap: Yes and the group’s on again off again keyboard virtuosoRick Wakeman have both enjoyed some serious success in the genre. And of course The Moody Blues made a career out of the style: their first and best Days of Future Passed is a classic, even if at their worst they may well have inspired Mannheim Steamroller.
Keen readers may note that nearly all of the artists mentioned so far in this essay did their most notable work roughly between 1967 and 1977. For the most part, the goal of hybridizing classical and rock went out of style around the time new wave presented a hybrid of its own (mainstream rock and punk). But the concept’s not dead: the new album Impressionist Symphony breathes some new life into this thought-moribund genre.
Clearlight (no relation to the 60s group on Elektra whose bassist played on The Doors‘ albums) is the nom de musq of Cyrille Verdeaux and the assemblage of musicians who join him in this latest venture. After his music was described to him as “impressionistic,” he decided to create a work that paid homage to the work of visual artists most closely associated with the painting style.
What this means from a programmatic, literal standpoint is that listeners will find eight tracks, each with a bad-pun title referencing one of the masters (sample titles: “Lautrec Too Loose,” “Time is Monet”). My advice, however, is to ignore the silly trappings of the concept and instead enjoy the music and its successful, wordless implementation of its goal. The instrumentation is largely built around Verdeaux’s Kurzweil 2600 keyboard (a real winner at recreating the textures and sonority of classical instruments) plus acoustic violin, joined in strategic places by rock guitar (courtesy of Steve Hillage) and flute (from Hillage’s old Gong bandmate Didier Malherbe), bass, Chapman Stick, Theremin, and assorted percussion in both rock and classical idioms. Oh: and more synthesizers, plus the occasional Bösendorfer piano.
The result is warm and organic, avoiding the large prog/classical pothole of becoming sterile. The music evokes a wide array of emotional tones, and while it’s nice enough as background music,Impressionist Symphony is best enjoyed when given full attention.
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Review: Clearlight US review
"Impressionist Symphony" by Clearlight
Clearlight (aka Cyrille Verdeaux) is highly respected for his infrequent electronic releases. "Impressionist Symphony" is his first album in several years.
Clearlight's "Clearlight Symphony" and "Visions" albums made Billboard's list of best 100 progressive rock albums.
CLEARLIGHT Impressionist Symphony (CD on
Gonzo Multimedia)
This CD from 2014 features 65 minutes of elevating progressive music music.
Clearlight is French synthesist Cyrille Verdeaux. He is joined on this release by: Tim Blake (from Gong) on theremin and synthesizer, Steve Hillage (from Gong and System 7) on guitar, Didier Malherbe (from Gong) on doudouk, saxophone, and flute, Paul Sears (from the Muffins) on drums and percussion, Don Falcone (from Spirits Burning) on tubular bells, Linda Cushma (from Oxygene8) on bass and chapman stick, Christopher Kovax (from Psyquest) on synthesizer, Craig Fry (on violin), Vincent Thomas-Penny (on guitar), Neil Bettencourt (on drums), Remy Tran (on synthesizer).
Fluid electronics, spacey guitar, ethereal woodwinds and nimble percussives craft a delightful dose of electronic music.
The first track interweaves excellent electronics with dynamic piano to generate a dramatic tapestry that is strengthened by astral guitar, waterfall percussives, sinuous violin, and dreamy horns. From the very onset, a level of ambrosial euphoria is achieved and maintained throughout. Layers of a synthetic orchestra infuse the music with a floating symphonic flair that acts as a vibrant undercurrent.
Pensive piano and whimsical flute open the next piece, creating a pastoral mood that is gradually infused with grandeur by powerfully cascading drums and romantic violin strains.
Track three is marked by Blake's signature bubbling electronics. Light-hearted keyboards contribute frolicsome threads. Searing cosmic guitar coaxes everything to a pinnacle that endures through the song, complimented by the other instruments coexistent intensity. Tubular bells enhance the tune's stratospheric finale.
Brass lends a majestic flavor to the next piece, a sentiment that is matched by the nimble-fingered keyboards and guitar chords. The velocity tempers back to a more cerebral pace as the tune explores some romantic sentiments.
Track five continues to reach for high altitudes with spacey guitar and agile electronics, while piano provides a grounding basis with its stately melodics.
In the sixth song, winsome flute conveys the listener into a cloudbank of twinkling piano haunted by an undercurrent of ethereal electronics. Eventually, those electronics muster the substance to become spiraling arcs of playful chords.
Track seven features ascendant guitar accompanying regal piano on a spritely journey to dizzying heights. Demonstrative-but-understated rhythms enter the mix to inject a puissant air into the composition. Acoustic guitar contributes a fanciful flair in tandem with the searing electric guitar chords.
The final piece adopts a more sedately tender temperament with lilting violin and calmly agile piano.
All told, a wonderful blend of classical and progressive music.
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Review: Clearlight: UK review
CLEARLIGHT
The Impressionist Symphony
Gonzo
Prog time! And it turns out that “Impressionist Symphony”, celebrates the 40th anniversary of “Clearlight Symphony”. I would have sent a card, but it was too late, and the shop didn’t have a “sorry I forgot your progtastic anniversary” card.
Seems that Clearlight wanted to take the classical composers, such as Ravel, Debussy and Satie and mix it up with the ethos behind the French impressionist painters, and see what happened. Which is just about as prog as you can get without dragons.
There are a plethora of top prog names on this album, with Cyrille Verdeaux (piano, synths), Steve Hillage (guitars), Didier Malherbe (wind instruments), Craig Fry (violin), Vincent Thomas Penny (guitars), Paul Sears (drums, percussion), Linda Cushma (bass), Chris Kovacks (synths), Remy Tran (synths) and Tim Blake (xils synths, theramin). And that’s a lot of Gong to be getting on with.
And it’s an absolute cracker, with the opening ‘Renoir En Couleur’, my particular favourite. I don’t normally approve of anythng French, but it’s hard to resist a track called ‘Time Is Monet’, and this has ended up being one of my favourite prog albums of the year so far.
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