Another one of his greatest recordings

This, along with Soil Festivities, is a distinct break from his earlier works. This one opens with a gong, agitated rhythm, punctuated theme followed by a thunderous intense (synthetic?) wordless latin-like syllabalic chorus-like voices on top. I don't see any vocal attributions to a single person let alone a whole collection of voices, so I assume it is some pretty sophisticated synthesizer stuff. Nevertheless, it could be real humans not listed in the credits. In other movements, in addition to the chorus voices, there are lyrical passages in the alto/tenor range with similar wordless syllabalic nature that I also assume are synthesized.

Throughout the movements (6 of them) Vangelis explores themes and motifs ranging through lyrical, light, majestic, dark, brooding, abrupt, agitated and thunderous. The material is interesting, complex and rich. If you're looking for elevator/supermarket/reception/on-hold fluff, then this is not the place to find it.

Its tensions never get strident or dissonant. If you are familiar with orchestral works, then, by comparison, the intensities and tensions don't reach the levels found in Ralph Vaughan Williams' 4th or 6th symphonies, Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique or Gustav Holst's Planets. You won't need therapy and it won't wear you out.

If you listen to all the movements in one sitting, the last movement will give you some well placed light etherial majestic relief and closure to the set of movements.

I listened to this CD along with Soil Festivities while driving a motorhome up Red Mountain Pass in Western Colorado in 1985. On board were my family, mother-in-law and a guest British/Welsh family. The material gave great sonic material to accompany the visual material around us as we drove through some of the steepest and narrowest mountain highways in the US. The passengers found it a riveting experiance visually and aurally and one that they all remember years later.

This is one of my most listened to CDs. If I had to liquidate my CD collection, this one would be one of the last to go.

Timeless Music!

So here it is 2002 and after almost 20 years this CD still puzzles and amazes me! I have a strong classical and electronic music background and still to this day I would consider this work to stand alone in it's own genera. It is definately inspired by opera and symphonic works but still there is so much musical style here which had never been explored by any artist (including Vangelis) that anyone's first listen would be an experience unlike any they had ever had. The combination of synthesizers and human voice Vangelis creates is a union so smooth and subtle he instantly erases all expected stereotypes of both musical approaches! Truly in my top 3 all-time favorites of ANY musical style.

Vangelis' best choral work

I bought this album when I was 15, being a Vangelis fan as a teenager. This is an improvement over his album "Heaven and Hell" (1975), which has, I think, more a mixture of good & bad work on it. I personally think this album is even better than Mythodea. Unfortunately, it seems that Soil Festivities & mask are highly underrated.

Mask (1985) on the other hand, shows Vangelis at his peak. Only Soil Festivities (1984) beats this album. Like SF, Mask is divided up into six movements (the disc for SF says 5 movements - but the original LP I had listed 6, the disc combines 5 & 6 into one final movement - must've been a typo). Like Heaven & Hell and Mythodea, this disc has Vangelis performing with a chorus, singing this sort of Esperanto-syllabic "lyrics." Vangelis supplies his own electronic "orchestra."

Needless to say, Yanni it ain't! Six movements ranging from a terrifying hurricane to simple stately hymns, very "pagan" in nature. The music is very dramatic, and suggestive to me of maybe The Iliad or maybe Sophocles' tragedies.

If you want some great classic Vangelis, pick this one up - it is a real treat!