Eno Unmasked, Having Tea With Arturo
Jim Lange | Charleston, WV USA | 07/27/2001
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Arturo Stalteri has taken some of the more well known and tuneful compositions of Eno, those which do not rely solely on electronic media, and lay them out in a (mostly)classical chamber setting.This idea is a very attractive one to me, because now we get to the bare bones of the ideas-the harmonies, the melodies-stripped of all the magic of electronic studio production- a naked Eno collection. But, this is not "What If Mozart Took Tea With Eno?",rather Stalteri lends his interpretation to Eno's works in a natural way, adding to at times, but mostly letting Eno speak for himself through chamber music.Because Stalteri is a pianist, the mix is dominated by it, with supportive cellos, bassoon, bass and percussion. Think chamber music. The results are really interesting. Take for example, An Ending (Ascent) from Apollo. The original is so hauntingly beautiful, right? Imagine now cellos and piano in a delicate interplay, with those same chords, now clean and clear, melodies singing in real, not delay time. Truely a highlight.Sparrowfall #2 is the same way. Truely beautiful.Stalteri and ensemble have a bit of Mozartian fun with St. Elmo's Fire and really are smiling on Here Come The Warm Jets. Playful and classical.Are you looking for ambient? Then if so, don't stop here because this is about taking naked Eno works and arranging them for chamber ensemble. But, if you want to see a side of Eno that's not been heard before, then stop by, have some tea with Arturo and Brian. There's a lovely chmaber group playing nearby."
Track Listings (18) - Disc #1