As a lover of the sound of the piano, from the great classical masters of Ludwig Van Beethoven and Frederic Chopin to the sound of the new age artists of today, these composers are divinely gifted with the melodies they produce. When I was in high school, a dear friend of mine told me gudanglagu that I have never once stopped loving. Do you know how you have all those “popular at the time” albums? This one never seems to lose its high rank in my collection.
When I saw the CD my friend gave me, I immediately thought ‘Who is David Lanz?’ This obviously wasn’t any popular CD at the time while I was in high school. But I decided to give it a listen, pushing my silly rap cassettes aside (ugh… yes, I said ‘cassettes’). I listened to the first piece “Return to the Heart” and – wow! – I instantly knew I would adore this CD. It rang out such a simple melody but one of exquisite distinction with such a feeling of beauty and peace.
I took out the album’s CD insert and read about whom in the world this musician was and how he went about writing such beautiful and blessed music. I discovered Mr. Lanz composed this album, particularly while he was visiting various places throughout Europe, including numerous countries and cathedrals. Each song gives its own exceptional story. He wrote each song, specifically reminded of a place or remembrance experienced throughout his European journey. The music draws you into a different world, filled with the splendor of their own environment and interests.
You can hear the river running in “Corre, Rio, Corre” and see the expansive land in “Madre De La Tierra”. The sound of the water is joyous in the “Medley: Behind the Waterfall / Desert Rain”. “Variations On A Theme From Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major” gives its own unique flavor on a familiar wedding theme. To me, “Dream of the Forgotten Child” has a heart-tugging sensation of longing and wonder. And the melodies of “Return to the Heart” and “A Whiter Shade of Pale” will make you long to learn to be David Lanz himself and be the one playing these pieces as well.
I was fortunate enough to have found and purchased David Lanz’s piano music book. It included only however a few songs from this album. It would have been nice if David Lanz had devoted the book solely to this album, but then it would probably be like giving all his great secrets away. My favorite piece to play is his “Behind the Waterfall”. I am in sole agreement with amazon.com’s 5-star rating of this album. This is one hundred percent my top favorite when it comes to piano compilations.
