Nocturne

These piano albums often don't work...look at Rick Wakeman's over-brash efforts, and that weird neo-classical Genesis piano thingumy, not to mention Tubular Bells, which we'd best not....erm, mention. Vangelis has stuck with all his own compositions, and rather than just hammer them out robot style on a real piano rather than a synth keyboard, he's found ways to bring them all up a notch, with fluttery chord work and delicate fingering. A little too much effect-box reverb applied for perfection, so not exactly "unplugged", but a worthy album nevertheless. Just a shame he left it so late in his career to do this.

Very disappointed.I was expecting a piano album. It is not just piano but lots of synth in there as well - ordinarily this would not be a bad thing as I am a fan of Vangelis' previous music anyway.However, every piano note is mirrored exactly by the same note played at the same time in a synth-strings sound albeit with heaps of reverb and maybe an octave difference. If you've ever bought one of the more expensive Casio or Yamaha keyboards from Argos, you'll know exactly how to get this same effect.Its the laziness of the synth-strings being an exact echo of the piano rather than a separate syth-strings part in its own right that gets me. This is on EVERY track!!It makes it sound like one of those cheaply produced naff "Piano Moods" box sets of 5CDs that you get - I was waiting for a slow piano and synth treatment of Galway Girl(!)Even Clayderman manages to bother to arrange a separate part for the strings. Surely Vangelis can pull his finger out and do this too? (I'm not a Clayderman fan btw)This CD had been in my basket for along time. I only bought it when I did as I had to make up the £20 limit from free shipping. I'd forgotten that I'd listened to a few tracks on YouTube a few months ago - that's probably more why I didn't buy it immediately.In summary, not a lot of effort was put into this CD from Vangelis and it shows. I can only presume he just needed this to push out quick to pay for a new Tesla.

Well straight off I am a great admirer of Vangelis and his many styles. I have been looking forward to this album since I saw it advertised. Just finished playing it and it really is superb. It may surprise some listeners or disappoint others... All I can say is that I really enjoyed the new compositions and the "re-interpreted" ones equally. Rick Wakeman's last two albums have been piano only (although the latest one does have some orchestration and a choir tastefully added) and they have been very well received. This has to be easily in the same league. Technically it is not a solo Grand Piano album: My untrained ears heard some sonic enhancement of maybe a small orchestra or maybe a synthesiser here and there but this only adds to the experience. I think it is a wonderful album and should be on your shopping list. I would love to see a Volume 2 of some kind. It is just having a second play right off..... 5 Stars :-)

Less electronica than usual (but there is still some). With Grand piano the main instrument throughout.The result is very chilled and mellow. It is nuanced and beautiful. There are loads of Vangelis Best ofs, but Nocturne is good because he reworks some of his most well known tunes. I particularly like the stripped down version of ‘Mythodea Movement 9’. The original is brilliant with opera singing duet, but the piano version is really quite serene and lovely. I can see why the reworking of Bladerunner offends some people because the iconic saxophone is gone, but Vangelis more than makes up for it with superb playing. Hopefully this album will reach a new audience and garner Vangelis with lots of new fans.

Vangelis has enjoyed an illustrious career with a number of highlights - not least his astonishing film scores that have, more often than not, endured far beyond the motion picture itself. Sone of my favourite Vangelis albums are from the late 90’s and 2000’s; Just listen to 1492, voices, el greco and mythodia to get a sense of the scale and ambition of the soundscape Vangelis can create . This album sits with those. Vangelis, once again transports to you a place of serenity. The musicianship is evenly spread across epic new tracks and his reworking of well known older tracks. The majesty of his craft is in the way he makes simplicity epic. His inherent sense of melody is drawn out in the smallest detail of each track - take the complementary atmosphere of ‘nights mist’ with its achingly touching melody. And so it goes on throughout ...Thank-you Vangelis.

On the whole this album is brilliant But why is memories of green not played softer it's way to strident The way it was played on Blade Runner with Deckard playing it was so much better Not as bad as the 3cd Bladerunner soundtrack album with the stupid effects though A good album to chillout to I love Chariots of fire on this album a nice arrangement

I’m a fifty something mostly rock orientated male. I own and love a few Vangelis albums, the big ones Chariots of Fire, Blade Runner, Themes and most recently Rosetta but am not an anorak Vangelis fan. I would never even describe and album as beautiful, but that is what this album is from first note to last. His touch on the piano is second to none and the reworkings and new songs fit together seamlessly. I purchased the vinyl after streaming it but approached with trepidation, this is an album where the vinyl pressing has to be pristine, you would hear every flaw if it were not. Well this is such a pressing, beautiful, how all albums should be pressed!

Absolutely love this collection of piano driven pieces from Vangelis. Formed of some new pieces together with known older pieces that have been re-arranged to follow the 'nocturne' theme. I have played it more frequently than any other music I have bought over recent years and enjoy it every time. Lovely to listen to at evening time, when relaxing with the lights low and the fire glowing slow. The double vinyl sounds lovely and the gatefold cover is very stylish. Highly recommended.