Search - Various Artists, Keltia :: Music From Brittany

An intriguing selection of Breton music.

10/01/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The titles represented on this CD are extracts from albums produced or distributed by Keltia Musique, a company located in Quimper,(Brittany), France, that specializes in Celtic music. They are also on the 'net, if you need to contact them.(Note - this company is *not* affiliated with the New Jersey band Keltia. This is noted because if you linked to Amazon from Keltia at Musi-Cal, you will end up here!)The first 2 cuts are Dominig Bouchard, from KMCD 03, Harpe Celtique, and are traditional Breton harp instrumentals with a truly ethereal sound.Tracks 3, 8 and 9 are from KMCD 01, Musiques, chants et danses de Bretagne. (This album was briefly reviewed on the IrTrad list, and can probably be found at their archives site.)-Track 3 is an ethnic-sounding Kan Ha Diskan - unaccompanied (male, here) singers, with the final notes overlapping. -Track 8 is a hurdy-gurdy/guitar treatment of Bonaparte's Retreat, by Jean-Pierre Lecuyer. It has a satisfying feel, and is very rhythmic and melodic.-Track 9 is a great bagpipe set by Patrick Molard, Aires de Pontevedra. The instrumentation is listed as cornemuse, which is French for bagpipes, generally, or for the Breton pipes 'biniou bras.' Title 4 is from KMCD 07, Danses de Bretagne, (hi there, Breton-Fr dance listers, this CD must be for you!) and features bombarde (an oboe-type instrument which sounds more like a trumpet) and biniou-koz (the high-pitched Breton bagpipe). These instruments are traditionally paired, and here the selection is Gavotenn ar Menez, by Jean Baron and Christian Anneix. Track 5 is from the diatonic accordion CD, KMCD 08, and is by Christian Desnos. Very danceable. Selection 6 is the only cut from a different label, listed only as ADIK 70, and it is a light gavotte by the ensemble Skolvan.Track 7 is Bagad Kemper's 'Suite from Upper Brittany,' using the bombarde-cornemuse combination along with drums ("batteries"). Upper Brittany (Haute-Bretagne in French, and Breizh-Uhel in Breton) is the eastern half of Brittany. The music is uplifting, and one can imagine oneself watching the musicians and dancers parading down the street.Track 10 is by Gwalarn, off KMCD 10, and is really good, a haunting Breton traditional song, Martoloded Yaouank. The singer is reminicent of the Breton Bard himself, Alan Stivell. The muscial accompaniment, however, is synthesizer - tastefully done, for a synth.Track 11, my favourite, is a beautiful treatment of the Breton hymn, Meulomp. This is by Anne Auffret, chanteuse exceptionnelle and collector. She is accompanied with harp, bombarde (Jean Baron), organ and ocarina. This track, as well as track 12, are from her CD Sonj, Musiques Sacre/es de Bretagne, KMCD 17.The final cut on this CD is Kas Ha Barh by Storvan, from KMCD24. This is a great dance piece, with the typical Eastern sounding flavour so distinctive in Breton trad music. The instrumentation sounds like fiddle, flute, bouzouki, and bombarde.Overall, an interesting selection of Breton music."