Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
(38 customer reviews) 42 of 42 people found the following review helpful
The best "Solstice",
August 5, 2000 Brian D. Rubendall (Oakton, VA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Winter's Solstice: Windham Hill Artists (Audio CD)
Windham Hill records has released about five "Winter's Solstice" albums that attempt to creat a somber mood of midwinter and sober reflection of the Holiday season. Of the five, the first one is the best because it contains a minimum of obvious holiday standards and because it creates the most somber mood. The music here, from various Windham Hill artists, is achingly beautiful. It is the type of music to curl up in front of a warm fire with a cup of hot cocoa and reflect on what it all means. This is a must have for fans of new age music.
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful
A Winter's Solstice by Windham Hill,
December 8, 2000 By A Customer
This review is from: A Winter's Solstice: Windham Hill Artists (Audio CD)
I first heard this music in '88, and immediately bought the tape. It is hauntingly beautiful and has a depth and perspective seldom matched by any recordings I know. My dad died that same year the week before Christmas, and we played this at his memorial. It was unforgetable and will never leave those of us who shared in that moment. Usually, I'm a hard core rock and roller, but this represents an important digression and expansion of my personal tastes. I don't think many would be disappointed with what they hear.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
A perfect soundtrack for late autumn in New England,
November 8, 1999 Ken Cook (Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Winter's Solstice: Windham Hill Artists (Audio CD)
A very peaceful and serene recording that evokes perfectly the mood of late autumn and early winter. It's a perfect CD to play just before the holidays to get you in the mood for more traditional Christmas music. Excellent adaptations of Bach music on two tracks ("Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"/"Bach Bouree"). "Engravings II" conjures up images of a New England scene at sunset - church bells and all. "New England Morning" and "High Plains" are standouts - they both start off slowly and end remarkably - each successive listen grows on you. "Nollaig" by Nightnoise (check them out separately) has a Celtic flavor while "Greensleeves" by Liz Story is a brilliant adaptation of an old classic. In fact, there isn't a bad track on the entire CD. Overall, the music has a medieval feel to it and is very soothing to the soul. I have been listening to this CD for years and have many fond memories of driving...Read more
