All-Time Favorite Music

My dream is to someday travel to Antartica. When I do, I will be playing 'Antartica' on a CD with earphones while viewing the magnificent stark beauty of the continent, it's ocean and icebergs. This album makes me cry every time I play it. Vangelis was able to depict the 'feel' of this place, even though it is devoid of people and cultures. Actually, there is a 'culture' there; it belongs to the penguins, sea birds, whales - and the beautiful variations in blue.

Exhilarating in simplicity

I shall begin with admitting to never have seen the movie Antarctica. I hope this does not stir any preconceptions at the address of the reader, despite realising this might just be the case with me. How can you judge a soundtrack without knowing the interaction it has with the movie it was written for? I strengthen myself with the notion that I did see Blade Runner -another movie with a Vangelis soundtrack.

Moreover, I do know this: the music is meant to give the tranquil, sharp, unending whiteness of Antarctica a tangible shape. I can tell it from listening to the composition. I can tell it from the music: the icy chords, the Japanese winds, the drums of wide, open plains and percussions of travel.

This is music invigorating in its simplicity and mood. This is what Vangelis does best. I dare write this review because I know precisely how the music interacts with the film: it provides a soul to the group of weary travellers in landscapes of hostile beauty. I dare say this music interacts seamlessly with the visuals.

For that, I even dare giving this album three stars.

Bram Janssen
The Netherlands

Vangelis at his best...again

Vangelis has produced a huge body of work. Some of it to this day still exceeds quality and production...this being one of them.

Written for a documentary film, this music truly fills the void in any gaps that the film may have had. In short, it perfectly fits the white icy world which the film may or may not have intended.

The opening track sounds a bit ominous as we can almost envision a swirling snowstorm in the Antarctic. The rest is just pure gravy.
Truly a masterpiece, this is one piece of work that every Vangelis fan should enjoy. Originally only issued in Japan (a copy which I procured through pain staking efforts) this gem is now widely available and I suggest to any listerner to get this while it's out there. You will not be disappointed.