SUZANNE CIANNI

Pure Romance

Seventh Wave (2003)

review by Michael Debbage

What more can I say about Suzanne Ciani that I have not already said a couple of months ago courtesy of the Mediations review? A pioneer in the New Age field, Cianni has more than paid her dues to the industry. While this collection is another well-organized compilation, it does appear rather redundant to release a similar format back to back. This does not change the fact that this album is chock full of memorable music that is both thoughtful and emotive.

That aside, the theme this time is romance and there is plenty of that. A Cianni anthology cannot be complete without the staple "The Velocity Of Love." At least those overseeing this project were wise enough to entertain us with the live version from the 1997 project Live. "Sailing To Byzantium" and "Inverness" are also borrowed from the same album giving the tracks a very warm organic feeling away from the confines and sterility of the studio.

As for the remaining tracks, there is the interesting "Turning" that features the vocal work of Chi-Yu giving the composition an Enya influence. Also of interest is "Waltz For Julia" that seems to borrow from the famous Pachelbel's "Canon In D Minor." And, of course, there is the lush and lovely "Meeting Mozart" with some stirring piano work and luxuriant orchestration but never over dramatic or over the top. This along with "Full Moon Sonata" and "Til Times & Times Are Done" are taken from the experimental orchestrated album Dream Suite. If these tracks are a good representation of Dream Suites, then perhaps Cianni should dare to dream again.

Again, new compositions would have been so much more preferred. For the uninitiated this CD, much like Meditations, is a good place to introduce yourself to the music of Cianni. Otherwise, for the die-hard fans, there is no new material present here and unless you are an utter radical who simply wants this project for the artwork, I would urge you to save your dollars and patiently wait and hope that the next disc is new material. Considering Cianni's track record, I am sure the wait will be more than worthwhile.