Myleene Klass

This CD is a sort of mish-mash of a bunch of seemingly random songs. She goes all over the map from Bach to Braveheart to Linkin Park to Beethoven to Gladiator to Bedingfield and beyond. It's sort of like how I have a bunch of random songs locked in my brain that come out on the keyboard - this album makes me think that I could just take all these songs I know and make an album out of them and hope people understand or care about their significance to me.

I would've given this album 3 stars because 3 tracks will appeal to movie score addicts, 2 tracks will appeal to pop fans and 3 tracks will likely insult classical purists, ETC. I gave it 4 though because even though there are some tracks I will skip on a regular basis, the ones that DO appeal to me are really a pleasure to listen to.

Others have commented on the technical aspects of this; I'd like to talk about the cultural aspects of contemporary classical music and Miss Klass' interpretations (which are very beautiful...).

Myleene Klass is doing something the traditionalists have abandoned: she's making classical music accessible to a contemporary audience. With many kids, you say the words "classical music" and they turn off. They're not interested. But Myleene Klass, Vanessa Mae and others are trying to reverse that trend.

Classical traditionalists are missing the fact that classical music will cease to be a viable art form if new listeners and artists aren't attracted from each generation. Most classical musicians these days are working in the entertainment industry, producing soundtracks for games, movies and TV. There's not much market for classical composition outside of these industries. Fortunately, that's where today's budding musicians are getting exposed to classical music. But Beethoven and Mozart are not accessible to many people.

That's only one reason why artists like Myleene Klass are important. (The fact that she's technically competant and an excellent compositor is an added bonus.) Art must evolve, too...

Besides, Mozart and Beethoven were the hipster bad-boy pop stars of their day. They were sexy, cutting edge and daring. They would both hate the pillar they've been put on, and throw screaming tantrums at the dusty way they've been turned into inviolate idols. They jammed on other composer's music (AKA variations), just as modern electronic artists mash and mix contemporary work. I think they'd be happy to have Miss Klass and her wonderful versions of their work.

i wish people like this would stop "making music." this chick, charlotte church, and andrea bocelli is WHAT"S WRONG with classical music. dumbing down bach for the masses is disrespectful to all true classical musicians, composers, conductors... etc. this is such crap.

When I first heard this amazing collection of both classical music and a little but of hip-hop, I was mesmorized. I listen to this day in and day out. Beautiful songs, consisting of Toccata and Fugue, For the Love of a Princess (From Braveheart), Allegretto, If You're Not the One, The Heart Asks Pleasure First, Moonlight Sonara, Krwling (From Linkin Park), Pavane- Moving On, Adagio (Edgar Cello Concerto), Sarabande, Now We are Free (From Gladiator), Gymnope`die- Live the Dream and a BONUS TRAK, the classical version of Moonlight Sonata. Each and every one of these songs has a little twist on it, by Myleene Klass. As a classical music lover, and a hip-hop fan, this is the perfect CD for everyone wanting to listen to something new. I myself am a classical music player, I have played the piano for 14 years and have never heard anything like this. So take it from me, this will be loved by children and adults alike.

Formerly of the now-dissolved British bigender pop group Hear'Say, Myleene Klass turned from post-Spice type pop to classical, a big shift considering the genres involved. Her instrument's the piano and she does have a symphony orchestra backing her up. Her selections straddle classical, pop, and even soundtrack scores, with arrangements done by herself and Nick Patrick, and bolstered by the Telephilmonic Orchestra.

"Toccata" is Johann Sebastian Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor. Accompanying the symphony and Myleene is a light drum machine not as boisterous as Massive Attack.

Myleene next gets the ivories around the sad but romantic "For The Love Of A Princess," the love theme from Braveheart, one of three soundtrack themes she does. The orchestra's backing helps the atmosphere of this song, as does the light drum machines towards the end. "The Heart Asks Pleasure First" from The Piano, and Michael Nyman's score, is truly a showcase for Klass for the first minute before the orchestra kicks in. And I never saw Gladiator, but she does a Myleene Mix of "Now We Are Free", meaning some light drums and a Benedectine-type choir.

"Allegretto" is from Karl Jenkins' Palladio and this is more conventional than the way left-field version done by Bond on their second album Shine. Done with lots of feeling and uptempo without the oontsa-oontsa techno beats.

Myleene does an instrumental arrangement of Daniel Bedingfield's hit single "If You're Not The One." Her piano playing matches Bedingfield's falsetto in the chorus section. I like this better than the original due to the lush string arrangements. I like her rendition of Linkin Park's "Crawling," titled here "Krlwng," but then again, I haven't heard the original and never intend to. I'll bet it's way better. Light drum machines present in this one.

"Pavane-Moving On" is taken from Gabriel Faure's Pavane, Opus 50, a melancholy and reflective piece, that is until the orchestra takes over in the second minute.

"Adagio" is taken from Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Minor, Opus 85 and "Sarabande" from Georg F. Handel's Suite No. 11 in D Minor. The strings oft-times sound like what Bond did with Zeppelin's "Kashmir", a fierce jerking back and forth of strings.
There are two versions of Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata," one which the light drum programming, the other, a bonus track, without. Both showcase Klass's piano work.

"Gymnopedie-Live The Dream" is taken from Eric Satie's Gymnopedie No. 1, which Charlotte Church used for "From My First Moment" on Enchantment. However, Klass whispers some words as she plays in the beginning: "Did you ever stop to think what gives you strength to live another day? The breath in your body, the kisses you feel. It's all so simple, but never real. Maybe the strength you strive to show is so deep within. But it's true, I know. Welcome love, however far it seems. Go live the dream."

I've devised a Cartesian system for the wave of neo-classical music prevalent right now with two dimensions, vocal/non-vocal and progressive (mixed)/conventional. Despite the brief spoken words in "Live The Dream", Klass is more on the non-vocal/conventional quadrant but due to her covering soundtrack scores and popular tunes and the use of drum machines, she's not as far to the right of the quadrant as Eroica Trio, whereas neo-classics like Brightman, Church, and Hayley Westenra would be in the progressive/vocal quadrant, diametrically opposite Eroica Trio. However, Klass has the looks of a Maxim or FHM model, so if we use that in the measure of progressive vs. conventional, that might move Klass more left of the axis.

A worthy debut from Myleene Klass, helping to define the face of neo-classical today, and that's not just Hear'say (or do I mean hearsay?), that's plain truth.

I bought this on a sort of a whim. The store was playing some of it, I was interested and needed to get something... well, interesting. I like piano tunes, but not the sappy sort and the guy in the store was convinced me to get it. I had never heard of Myleene Klass but I'm real glad I got this CD. Linkin's Park Krwlng is one of my favourites, and she gives other classics a kind of a spin. I recommend this strongly if you like Maksim.