Search - Al Conti :: Scheherazade

From MainlyPiano

Kathy Parsons | Florence, OR United States | 02/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Scheherazade" is an instrumental portrait of the narrator of the legendary "1001 Arabian Nights." Hypnotic and exotic, the music weaves its own magic as it tells Scheherazade's tale. Her story revolves around an Arabian sultan or king who was betrayed by his first wife. Determined to never again be hurt by love, the sultan vows to marry a new bride every night and have her executed in the morning. This soon takes a terrible toll on the population of young women in the kingdom, so Scheherazade offers herself as the king's next bride. After a night of passion, Scheherazade tells her new husband a story before they go to sleep, the first of the "1001 Tales." She entrances him with her story, but stops before the end. Desperate to hear the rest of the story, the king allows her to live another day. She does this night after night until the king finally realizes he is in love with her.



Al Conti has done a superlative job of creating a fusion of world music with a strong Middle Eastern flavor. Utilizing traditional instruments from Persia, Arabia, and India, Conti adds piano, guitar, violin, and electronic keyboards to the rich blend, creating a musical palette with a wide range of colors. Born and raised in Argentina, Conti has traveled extensively and lived in several parts of the world. He has had an acting career on American television, in commercials, and onstage in the US and abroad. "Scheherazade" is his third album. It is impossible to not think of Yanni's early work when listening to parts of this album with its passion and unbridled joy in making music. I'm hooked!



"Scheherazade" begins with "Daughter of the City," a magical piece that sets the stage. Exotic sounds and rhythms surround a simple but seductive melody played on the piano. Conti lets us know right away that this is going to be a very different musical experience! "Desert Nights" is slow, sultry, and very beautiful, with flute casting a spell. "Shahryar" is the sultan, and his piece is much darker and more mysterious. "Seven Veils To Midnight" recalls their first night together as Scheherazade puts her plan in motion. Strong rhythms quicken the pulse as excitement builds. "A Thousand Tales" is my favorite of the tracks. A little more western, perhaps, but the gentle melody and infectious rhythms are as compelling as Scheherazade's stories. During her days, Scheherazade finds a quiet place in the "Palace Gardens" to craft her next story. The gardens have their own magic and mystery. "Eternal Majesty" is a graceful, stirring portrayal of Scheherazade's courage and cleverness as she becomes the heroine of her own timeless tale. "Heart Triumphant" brings this magnificent legend to a close as the sultan officially recognizes Scheherazade as his queen.



"Scheherazade" was on many "best of" lists for 2008, and if you haven't yet discovered the magic of Al Conti's music, I highly recommend it."

A musical album composed to weave its own, instrumental inte

Midwest Book Review | Oregon, WI USA | 01/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Titled after the legendary Arabian heroine who stopped a sultan's slaughter of his brides by marrying him and telling him an unfinished story each night, so that he would spare her the next day to hear the end of the story, Al Conti's "Scheherazade" is a musical album composed to weave its own, instrumental interpretation of Scheherazade's legend. The songs each embody a stage of her journey, from traveling to the sultan's palace to sharing passion with him, finding a quiet place in the gardens during the day to think up each new tale, and finally teaching the sultan's cold heart how to love once more. The haunting music bears a Middle Eastern influence from exotic instruments such as the hurdy gurdy, udu, sitar, tablas, and tribal drums, seamlessly blended with contemporary Western instruments such as piano, violin, cello, and acoustic guitar. A feast for the auditory senses, passionate, wondrous, and highly recommended as a gift for music lovers as well as for public library music CD collections. The tracks are Daughter of the City (4:41), Desert Nights (5:54), Shahryar (4:36), Seven Veils to Midnight (5:11), Dunyazad (4:53), A Thousand Tales (4:41), Palace Gardens (5:19), Gold and Spices (5:09), Eternal Majesty (6:03), and Heart Triumphant (4:45). 51 minutes, 23 seconds.

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STORYTELLER OF ARABIAN NIGHTS GETS SPOTLIGHTED ON AL CONTI R

Cali | 12/05/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"AL CONTI

SCHEHERAZADE

Shadowside Music



SCHEHERAZADE (pronounced sheh-hair-uh-zahd) is the name of the narrator of the legendary age-old tales "One-Thousand-and-One Arabian Nights." Multi-instrumentalist Al Conti chose her name as the title of his new instrumental album and he attempts to tell her story through music. You may remember she was supposed to be put to death, but tells the king a new story every night without the ending so each time he lets her live another day. The album contains ten original world-fusion tunes utilizing the sounds of exotic instruments (hurdy gurdy, udu, sitar, tablas and tribal drums), but making the music appealing to modern audiences by also incorporating piano, violin, cello and acoustic guitar. The famous Arabian Nights tales originated throughout Persia, Arabia and India more than 1,100 years ago, so it makes sense that Conti gives the music a Middle Eastern ambience. The music resonates with listeners, especially radio programmers, because the CD quickly hit #1 on the international New Age Reporter airplay charts. If you like tunes with strong melodies, new age music with some foreign-land sounds incorporated, and music that subtly tells a story, check out Al Conti's third album. It will be very interesting to hear what he comes up with next.

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