I’ve listened to this album for years; it manages to work with serious listening or while chopping veg in the kitchen.
Alexander Balanescu is a great violinist, and this crossover work is well crafted and great fun. It was inspired by the revolutions of 1989, combining the pain (he’s Romanian) with wit.
Try it. If you can handle Kraftwerk, say, this is no more highbrow (indeed they have covered Kraftwerk tracks), combining rhythmic strings with great vocals in Balanescu’s strong but apt accent. I think that most classical aficionados would consider it pop, it’s that crossed over.
Sorry I am late responding to this. I found this very difficult to get into. The players are obviously technically accomplished but the composition is cringeworthy in places and the production is extremely thin and dry. When this is good the music is engaging, but more often the music is dry and scratchy and echoey Eastern European voices banging on about how they want to be democratic don’t help matters.
This I like. It does lack soul and the artists are kinda playing by numbers. But the numbers are good.
Very slick, easy listening, with enough quality playing to keep my interest.
Not for me. I feel like I should score it something for the musical talent but in retrospect anyone who releases music has some talent whether I like it or not. So in fairness to all the other shit that has gone before.
Nothing/5
weirdo!