La Valse Des Monstres [Import]

Product Description
Tiersen's Debut Album from 1995 that Introduced Listeners to this Most Talented Instrumentalist. He Plays an Provocative Variety of Instruments Like Toy Piano, Clavinet, Violin, Accordion, Melodica and More. Quite Similar in Spirit to More Uptempo Roger Eno Material.

Tracks:

Mouvement Introductif
La Valse Des Monstres
Frida
Quimper 94
Ballendai
Comptine D'Ete N17
Cleo Au Trapeze
La Valse Des Monstres
Le Banquet
Comptine D'Ete N17
Mouvement Introductif
La Rue
Iwakichi
Hanako
La Plaisanterie
Le Compteur
Mouvement Introductif

Album Details

Tiersen's Debut Album from 1995 that Introduced Listeners to this Most Talented Instrumentalist. He Plays an Provocative Variety of Instruments Like Toy Piano, Clavinet, Violin, Accordion, Melodica and More. Quite Similar in Spirit to More Uptempo Roger Eno Material.

Customer Reviews:

Le Fabuleux destin d'Yann Tiersen.......2007-05-27

I first became aware of Brest musician Yann Tiersen when he was compared to Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and only later made the connection that he'd also done the "Amelie" soundtrack which I'd remembered liking. However a much better likeness is to compare him to fellow French "naive" musician Pascal Comelade, since both feature toy pianos, simple repeating melodies and minimal production techniques. Both are multi-instrumentalists and essentially one-man bands playing music which could be described as child-like or intentionally naive. Penguin Cafe can be joyfully innocent but I don't think of them as naive. Other comparisons I've heard -- Nino Rota and Erik Satie -- don't hold up either for similar reasons.

Tiersen's variety of instrumentation -- keyboards, accordion, guitar, melodica, violin -- mean his albums don't get too monotonous, despite the rather simplistic origins. There is something quintessentially "French" about Tiersen's music, which if you're in the mood can be delightful.

Lovely.......2004-11-03

Yann Tiersen's music is lovely and imaginative. I was eager to get this particular album since it wasn't as available as some of his others. La Valse des Monstres is a bit darker or more serious than the Amelie soundtrack--however it does contain two or three songs from Amelie. The songs easily blend into one another vs. the soundtrack from Amelie where each signified a scene.

Sounds a bit odd, but I think this is perfect music for children. I can imagine reading some of Maurice Sendak's books while this was playing in the background. I think that if I were young and heard this album, it would have definitely been a favorite and I'm sure I would have wanted to replicate some of the sounds that I heard. Tiersen's uses a variety of instruments (toy piano adding a lot to this album) and waltzes are often used as backdrops for newer sounds. I saw a review that compared Tiersen to Philip Glass, and I found no resemblance between the two--sure, they're both experimental instrumentalists, but Tiersen's is easy to listen to and contemplative, while I find Glass' work a bit hair-raising and stark (at anyrate, they're very, very different).

Average customer rating:

....
Just amazing!! That's real french music...
Great music, like a movie for the ears, beautiful landscapes

La Valse des Monstres
Yann Tiersen
Manufacturer: Dsa
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

French Pop | Euro Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003SAC
Release Date: 1995-10-31

Tracks:

Mouvement Indtroductif
Valse des Monstres
Frida
Quimper 94
Ballenda
Comptine d' N 17
Clau Trap
Valse des Monstres
Banquet
Comptine d' N 17
Mouvement Introductif
Rue
Iwakichi
Hanako
Plaisanterie
Compteur
Mouvement Indtroductif

Customer Reviews:

...........2002-11-04

O.K. I just want to get the fact that I don't usually listen to anything that remotely resembles the music that is contained here. But ever since I saw the movie Amelie for some strange reason I really dug the music. Being the fact that it was Yann Tiersen whom had composed all but two of the songs on the soundtrack I knew that I had to get a hold of some of his previous works. This album is particularly amazing. This guy plays a variety of instruments on his albums. Mainly he employs piano and accordion (I believe.) La Valse des Monstres is dominantly a classical style piano work. I feel a range of emotions in me when I listen to this; anxiety, grief, happiness. I enjoy this album most when drawing, cooking, school work and generally relaxing. When the accordion and the strings bust in I always feel the itch of going to France so that I may experience the land in my own eyes. At least Tiersen's CDs I can always experience the trip with my ears. One of my favorite CDs, hands down.

Just amazing!! That's real french music..........1999-10-17

The first album of Yann Tiersen, just as great as the two others ("Le Phare" and "quai des demoiselles"). Definitely a very good artist for people who like real music, that is to say the one that has the capacity to make you feel happy and sad almost at the same time.

Great music, like a movie for the ears, beautiful landscapes.......1999-09-07

Yann Tiersen makes movies for the ears. No screen, no projector, just the listener's imagination that he provokes as an old flickering movie or an old sepia snapshot. The technical crew of this talented writer/director/movie maker/artist is made of toy piano, accordion, violin, melodica, bells, banjo, harpsichord... He plays all of them and knows all their little ways, especially the one that will move the audience As a film director Tiersen wouldn't believe in long sequences. His speciality would be little powerful, meaningful scenes about travel, melancholy day dreaming and party. He gives them meaningful titles (la rupture/the break up, L'arrivee sur l'ile/the arrival on the Island, Les jours heureux/Happy days, Sur le fil/On the wire...). Feel free to build up the story behind them, they are yours now. The Landscape that you will come across will evoke central Europe, fields, deep forest, reefs, unspoiled places. "Rue des cascades" (Cascade Street) was recorded in 1996. And in addition to the music, comes the charming , crystal like, voice of Claire Pichet.