My Secret Heart: Romantic Meditations for Ambient Piano

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
With song titles like "Swimming in a Lovely Sea of You," one might expect Michael Whalen's My Secret Heart to be as deep in the schmaltz as Yanni playing a candlelight étude for Linda Evans. The fact that he avoids a saccharin overdose is one of the few minor successes on this album of ambient piano compositions. Taking cues from artists like Harold Budd and Suzanne Ciani, Whalen orchestrates a series of romantic mood pieces full of deeply echoing piano and electronic effects that shimmer in the background. Like Ciani, he wears his heart on his keyboard. Unlike Budd, however, he lacks the emotional austerity and distance that would allow his music to speak at a deeper level. Although Whalen spends most of his time doing nature documentary soundtracks and jingles, he does have a gift for ambient space, as evidenced by his albums Nightscenes and Like Rain Through My Hands. My Secret Heart fits in as a minor extension of these works, but the maudlin inscriptions--"Two as One" or "Addicted to You"--wouldn't pass muster on a Hallmark Valentine's Day card. Absent any irony, they trigger an automatic gag reflex that's only slightly overcome by music that deserves better. --John Diliberto

My Secret Heart: Romantic Meditations for Ambient Piano,Michael Whalen,Narada,Adult Alternative,Contemporary Instrumental,New Age,New Age / Meditation,Pop

My Secret Heart: Romantic Meditations for Ambient Piano

My Secret Heart: Romantic Meditations for Ambient Piano
My Secret Heart: Romantic Meditations for Ambient Piano
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Seductive and Ethereal
  • This cd is amazing, perfect for massage
  • A Piece of Heaven
  • Most Powerful Music Yet
  • Soundscape for True Romantics
 My Secret Heart: Romantic Meditations for Ambient Piano
Michael Whalen
Manufacturer: Narada
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | New Age | Styles | Music
MeditationMeditation | New Age | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music
Adult AlternativeAdult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Like Rain Through My Hands
  2. Softest Touch
  3. Timeless
  4. Allure of Sanctuary
  5. Real Piano: A Collection

ASIN: B00074CC6E
Release Date: 2005-02-01

Tracks:

  1. I Have Loved You For A Thousand Lifetimes
  2. Hands Of Silk
  3. Tantric
  4. Two As One
  5. Your Eyes In The Candlelight
  6. Addicted To You
  7. For You
  8. Moonglow
  9. Swimming In A Lovely Sea Of You
  10. Love's Secret

Amazon.com

With song titles like "Swimming in a Lovely Sea of You," one might expect Michael Whalen's My Secret Heart to be as deep in the schmaltz as Yanni playing a candlelight étude for Linda Evans. The fact that he avoids a saccharin overdose is one of the few minor successes on this album of ambient piano compositions. Taking cues from artists like Harold Budd and Suzanne Ciani, Whalen orchestrates a series of romantic mood pieces full of deeply echoing piano and electronic effects that shimmer in the background. Like Ciani, he wears his heart on his keyboard. Unlike Budd, however, he lacks the emotional austerity and distance that would allow his music to speak at a deeper level. Although Whalen spends most of his time doing nature documentary soundtracks and jingles, he does have a gift for ambient space, as evidenced by his albums Nightscenes and Like Rain Through My Hands. My Secret Heart fits in as a minor extension of these works, but the maudlin inscriptions--"Two as One" or "Addicted to You"--wouldn't pass muster on a Hallmark Valentine's Day card. Absent any irony, they trigger an automatic gag reflex that's only slightly overcome by music that deserves better. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Seductive and Ethereal.......2006-05-07

I was immediately mesmerized on hearing this on Soundscapes. Michael Whalen has composed and performed the most haunting and lingering piano sounds I have heard in a long time. You feel each piano note deeply, sometimes holding a breath not wanting to miss its penetrating moment. It is not only seductive it is intoxicating. I have played it for listening and for dining, all my friends and guests are captivated by it.

5 out of 5 stars This cd is amazing, perfect for massage.......2006-02-21

I am a LMT and I purchased this cd for song #1- I overheard on XM radio. This cd is awesome. I never get tired of it. It is perfect for relaxation. I play it at home and at work.

5 out of 5 stars A Piece of Heaven.......2005-02-13

From the moment I first heard Michael Whalen's new CD, "My Secret Heart", I was absolutely captivated. I adore this CD. The music is quite beautiful and evocative, it is as if Michael captured a piece of Heaven in his hands, and it spilled forth and transformed into this beautiful music.

5 out of 5 stars Most Powerful Music Yet.......2005-02-10

"My Secret Heart, romantic meditations for ambient piano" is by far Whalen's most ambitious and revealing project to date. Imagine all your deepest, darkest secrets hanging out for the world to see? Well, that is what is embodied in this album.

From the first track, "I Have Loved You For A Thousand Lifetimes," Whalen succeeds at what I think is the fundamental goal of this album: to make the music accessible and inviting to the listener. Even deeper: to show a side of Michael that few people get to see-a vulnerability, a longing, an HONESTY...who hasn't wanted to express these emotions???

Whalen has chosen exactly the right notes, at the right time, giving ample time for each shimmering note to breathe. More important, the simplicity of this CD invites you into Michael's world, which is about music he cares about expressing-because of who he is, and what he believes in.

5 out of 5 stars Soundscape for True Romantics.......2005-02-09

This CD is a must have for all of you true romantics out there. It provides a beautiful sonic backdrop that is perfect for moments when you want to escape life's stresses. Michael's ability to create beautiful melodies entwined with electronic processing, makes for a rich sonic tapestry that is at times sad, yet stirring nonetheless. "I have loved you for a thousand lifetimes" is a standout, with a gorgeous melody. It is also the song for which the video was created. Outstanding! I thoroughly enjoyed this CD.

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