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42 of 42 found the following review helpful:
The best "Solstice" Aug 05, 2000
By Brian D. Rubendall
Windham Hill records has released about five "Winter's Solstice" albums that attempt to creat a somber mood of midwinter and sober reflection of the Holiday season. Of the five, the first one is the best because it contains a minimum of obvious holiday standards and because it creates the most somber mood. The music here, from various Windham Hill artists, is achingly beautiful. It is the type of music to curl up in front of a warm fire with a cup of hot cocoa and reflect on what it all means. This is a must have for fans of new age music.
29 of 29 found the following review helpful:
A Winter's Solstice by Windham Hill Dec 08, 2000
I first heard this music in '88, and immediately bought the tape. It is hauntingly beautiful and has a depth and perspective seldom matched by any recordings I know. My dad died that same year the week before Christmas, and we played this at his memorial. It was unforgetable and will never leave those of us who shared in that moment. Usually, I'm a hard core rock and roller, but this represents an important digression and expansion of my personal tastes. I don't think many would be disappointed with what they hear.
21 of 21 found the following review helpful:
A perfect soundtrack for late autumn in New England Nov 08, 1999
By Ken Cook
A very peaceful and serene recording that evokes perfectly the mood of late autumn and early winter. It's a perfect CD to play just before the holidays to get you in the mood for more traditional Christmas music. Excellent adaptations of Bach music on two tracks ("Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"/"Bach Bouree"). "Engravings II" conjures up images of a New England scene at sunset - church bells and all. "New England Morning" and "High Plains" are standouts - they both start off slowly and end remarkably - each successive listen grows on you. "Nollaig" by Nightnoise (check them out separately) has a Celtic flavor while "Greensleeves" by Liz Story is a brilliant adaptation of an old classic. In fact, there isn't a bad track on the entire CD. Overall, the music has a medieval feel to it and is very soothing to the soul. I have been listening to this CD for years and have many fond memories of driving home from work with it on cold autumn nights with the sunset looming just ahead and the newly bare trees silhouetted in the growing darkness on the side of the road. Just look at the album cover to see what I mean. Highly recommended. This is not "background" or "elevator" music. The artists included on this CD are highly talented musicians and if you like this music as much as I do, there are dozens of highly-acclaimed recordings by these artist to explore. The entire Winter's Solstice series is worth getting but start with this one.
14 of 14 found the following review helpful:
Thoroughly relaxing and spiritually uplifting CD. Nov 10, 1999
This is the cd that turned me on to the Windham Hill Collection. I have since purchased several other "Solstice" cd's. It is great music to inspire, contemplate, relax, soothe or just have on in the background for conversation. It is neither religious or Christmas caroly (if you do not like that sort of stuff). I listen to this CD through the entire year. I do not think you will be disappointed.
17 of 19 found the following review helpful:
My favorite of the Solstice series Nov 27, 2000
By Brian Throckmorton
I listen to this one a lot during the holidays, and I always make sure to play it toward the end of a party, when the candles are low and the fire is purring instead of roaring. Unlike some of the other Solstice compilations, this one doesn't have any jarring clunkers or any tracks that go too far into a modern, mechanical techno flavor. It's just warmth throughout. Over the year, I've varied on which was my favorite track. First it was "Bring Me Back a Song" (a piece with fascinating structure and an appealing barrel-organ timbre to the main instrument). Then it was Phil Aaberg's splendid solo piano composition "The Gift," which comes out of nowhere and creates a majestic forest of sound. Right now it's "Abide the Winter" because the melody and texture are so expressive and comforting. This CD will enhance your appreciation of the candlelit solace of being sheltered from the bitter cold out there.
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