His era at Nemo studios was my favourite - something about how he mixed percussion; drums, bells, all of that, with voices, grand piano and synthesisers. There seems to me something uniquely timeless about his work. His albums all stand the test of time by staying oddly outside of it: Heaven and Hell, China, See You Later, Soil Festivities, Mask..each so different and so ageless.
I dearly hope someone will take the opportunity to write a definitive biography of Vangelis, interviewing those associates of his who still survive, perhaps lift the veil a little of the man behind the music, and how he worked. I don't know what to think about all the music said to exist in the vaults; whether we will ever hear any of it. Should it be released? Imagine if Intrada or La La Land were given access to his unreleased scores, nevermind all the other projects of his...
I dearly hope someone will take the opportunity to write a definitive biography of Vangelis, interviewing those associates of his who still survive, perhaps lift the veil a little of the man behind the music, and how he worked. I don't know what to think about all the music said to exist in the vaults; whether we will ever hear any of it. Should it be released? Imagine if Intrada or La La Land were given access to his unreleased scores, nevermind all the other projects of his...
As I alluded to above, I feel fairly confident that we have a lifetime ahead of us in terms of getting previously unreleased Vangelis music out there. But yes -- it obiously depends on his estate.
Sad news indeed. My favorite genre is orchestral music, but in the early 80s I had more albums by Vangelis than by Goldsmith and Williams, who are my favorite composers now. But Vangelis still isn't far behind. His sound was totally unique - I can't think of anyone else that could make electronic music that was both majestic, emotional and warm the way he did - often in the same track.
I haven't enjoyed a lot of what he did post-2000, when his music seemed to get more pompous, and without the heart. I guess it was around his Mythodea album that some disenchantment started to creep in. But I haven't heard a lot of his later works, so maybe I'm being unfair. There could still be great stuff from that period that I don't know about.
Anyway, some favorite albums are China, Blade Runner, Antarctica, 1492, and The City. I think I'll put on Antarctica now.
This is really tragic news. His Blade Runner music has had such a major impact on me. He will be missed. We lost a great yesterday ladies and gentlemen. This one hurts.
First time I ever heard the keyboard stylings of Vangelis (who wasn't even known as Vangelis at the time) was in 1970. 3 of my cousins and Aunt had just come to America from Italy and moved in with my Mom, Dad, Sister and me. That summer when they arrived my cousin Orazio brought a bunch of his most cherished 45 RPM records which included the APHRODITE'S CHILD hit "It's Five O'Clock". We played it endlessly. I was 12 years old. After seeing the video on youtube so many years later and then knowing that the man on the keys became Vangelis, I thought he looked so much like Peter Jackson in that video. Rest in Peace Maestro. "It's Five O'clock" will always bring back the great time of meeting my knew family from Italy as a young boy and in later years I would enjoy his wonderful music for CHARIOT'S OF FIRE and MISSING.
Echoes and fond Memories of the summer of 1970 are evoked. I'll always remember it playing on that Original 1970 45 RPM record. And yes Vangelis was the composer of the song at that time when he was known as Evangelos Papathanassiou.
CHARIOTS is obviously a successful score, and the video above helps to explain its origins. Still, I can't help wondering if the music could have been orchestrated with conventional acoustic instruments. Why or why not? Has it ever been tried?
CHARIOTS is obviously a successful score, and the video above helps to explain its origins. Still, I can't help wondering if the music could have been orchestrated with conventional acoustic instruments. Why or why not? Has it ever been tried?
Thanks for the example. It's a dressed-up concert arrangement obviously unsuited to the plainness of the movie's opening sequence. I still wonder if a simple orchestral replication would have worked there. The movie gives us straightforward images, simple humanity, and a period setting. I would never have guessed that a synthesized sound would work. But the filmmakers did, and it seems they were right.
Thanks for the example. It's a dressed-up concert arrangement obviously unsuited to the plainness of the movie's opening sequence. I still wonder if a simple orchestral replication would have worked there. The movie gives us straightforward images, simple humanity, and a period setting. I would never have guessed that a synthesized sound would work. But the filmmakers did, and it seems they were right.
I misunderstood what you were looking for. This version, to my mind, is truest to the spirit of Vangelis' version (though it sounds transposed a semitone down). Would be interesting to hear it played against the film sequence, trying to imagine if someone like, say, George Fenton had scored it with traditional orchestra.
The genius of Vangelis is that his use of synthesisers isn't necessarily futuristic, as most electronic music can inevitably seem. Instead there's something timeless about much of Vangelis'work - just listen to his Soil Festivities and Mask albums, for instance. Of course his music COULD be futuristic (Blade Runner etc) but there was more to it than that; even Blade Runner with its ethnic flavours spoke of the past as much as of the future. Such was the genius of the Chariots of Fire score. I don't think anyone other than Vangelis could do that.
Night, have you listened to his Irene Papas collaboration 'Rapsodies'? I believe it was his last recording at Nemo and has some astonishing instrumental sections/tracks.
Night, have you listened to his Irene Papas collaboration 'Rapsodies'? I believe it was his last recording at Nemo and has some astonishing instrumental sections/tracks.
Agreed. That is one of my favorite of his albums, and nice opportunity to see him celebrate his cultural heritage.
