Search - John Cale :: Paris S'Eveille

The classical side of John Cale

The Headhunter | Lebanon, NJ United States | 07/17/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Most people who've heard of John Cale know him as a founder of the Velvet Underground. Few know that he started in music as a child prodigy on piano and viola, or that he came to the US from Wales on a Leonard Bernstein fellowship to study classical composition. In a departure from his raw rock 'n' roll, Cale was commissioned to create classical music for several ballets - you'll find some of that music on this CD.While the title piece is a treat, the Sanctus Etudes are nothing short of stunning classical compositions that echo the more lyrical side of Stravinsky. The Etudes reveal the power of John Cale as a serious classical composer, and these pieces are more than worth the price of admission to this collection, which includes (oddly?) an alternate take of the Velvets' "Booker T."Cale claims to have all but given on up on rock 'n roll in favor of serious music. If you like what you hear on this CD, explore Cale's more recent works: the movie score "Antartida" (variations on "Antartica Starts Here" from his reknowned "Paris 1919" album), "N'Oublie Pas Que Tu Vas Mourir", and "Words For The Dying", his collection of Dylan Thomas poems set to music (with the Moscow Radio Orchestra). I defy anyone to come up with a better "evening of romance" CD than Cale's "23 Solo Pieces for La Naissance de L'Amour" -- some of the most lovely piano compositions you'll hear, played by a man who should do more solo piano work.Paris S'Eveille has the capacity to convert any serious rock-o-phile to classical music. Try it."