Biography by Linda Kohanov

Andreas Vollenweider was one of the few musicians to gain superstar status as a "new age artist" back when the term was first used as a marketing category in the mid-'80s. The Swiss harpist, however, quickly transcended the need for alternative record sales when his albums simultaneously broached Billboard's pop, jazz, and classical charts in 1986. Born in Zurich in 1953, Vollenweider was ensconced in the city's fine art scene, courtesy of his father, one of Europe's leading organists. After becoming proficient on guitar, flute, and other instruments, the young Vollenweider developed a passion for the harp, which he modified to suit his needs. Not only did he construct a damper to expedite more rhythmic playing, he broadened the harp's tonal range by electrifying it. His buoyant funk beats, exotic pan-cultural influences, and colorful harp improvisations began to sweep Europe in the early '80s as Vollenweider signed with CBS Records to release Behind the Gardens...Behind the Wall. Three albums later, he won his first Grammy for 1987's Down to the Moon. Over the years, Vollenweider has managed to maintain his artistic integrity and vision despite increasing commercial success. The harpist's 1991 album Book of Roses is a testament to his ability to expand his scope as a composer while keeping his trademark sound intact; after a lenghty hiatus, he issued Kryptos in 1998, followed two years later by Cosmopoly.

Tracklist :

cd-1
1.Behind the Gardens/Behind the Wall/Under... - 7:13
2.Pyramid-In the Wood-In the Bright Light - 7:57
3.Micro-Macro - 2:48
4.Skin and Skin - 3:20
5.Moonlight, Wrapped Around Him - 0:55
6.Lion and Sheep - 3:03
7.Sunday - 2:10
8.Afternoon - 0:38
9.Hands and Clouds - 2:26
10.Caverna Magica - 3:56
11.Mandragora - 3:08
12.Lunar Pond - 2:11
13.Schajah Saretosh - 3:16
14.Sena Stanjena? - 2:42
15.Belladonna - 5:23
16.Angóh! - 2:42
17.Huiziopochtli - 5:08
18.Con Chiglia - 2:31
19.Geastrum Coronatum - 1:44
20.La Paix Verde - 0:48

cd-2
21.The White Winds/White Boat (First View) - 1:53
22.Hall of the Stars/Hall of the Mosaics... - 6:02
23.The Glass Hall (Choose the Crystal) /The... - 6:40
24.The Woman and the Stone - 4:27
25.The Stone (Close-Up) - 3:02
26.Phases of the Three Moons - 2:46
27.Flight Feet & Root Hands - 3:44
28.Brothership - 3:21
29.Sisterseed - 1:33
30.The Trilogy (At the White Magic Gardens) ... - 3:17
31.The Shepherd - 3:57
32.The Gate Within the Gate... - 3:43
33.Her Cat Dance (IV) - 2:37
34.The Letter (V) - 1:45
35.Little Boy and the Mirror (VI) - 3:08
36.A Walk With My Father (VII) - 3:46
37.Summer Rain (VIII) - 3:46
38.Desert in the Hourglass - 0:52
39.Intermission - 0:05
40.Pace Verde - 4:58

total time : 129:21
codec : MAC 3.97