Store Guide: The Classical Album 2011 & IL VOLO

Mad about the rare classical record to find in our local CD store in Jakarta?? 

Well, here some new release of classical CDs I could find in a CD store in Jakarta. 

Yesterday, I made a pit-stop in Duta Suara Plaza Senayan. There I found 'The Classical Album 2011" (released in UK last year, now Universal Music Indonesia made it released here). This compilation album is a serial recording following The Classical Album 2008 & 2009, which was released here too. But unfortunately the 2010 version wasn't released. I found my self excited as Uninversal Music Indonesia to continue releasing the 2011 version. Talking about the price, the 2011 album is more expensive than the last year version. I spent my rupiahs for about 115,000, for 44-song album, while 2008-2009 version just costed me 75,000,- Rupiah. However, I can't guarantee you, the album lists some of biggest name in classical music of this decade, from the traditional to the crossover one. It has Il Divo, Russell Watson, Blake, Camilla Kerslake, Katherine Jenkins, Rhydian, Charlotte Church, The Priests, listed on this album. So, It's worth. 

Not only The Classical Album 2011 I found there, but also IL VOLO. This is the debut album of three classically trained young fresh-faced boys, named their group 'IL VOLO' ( I regard them as the combination of The Three Tenors and The Jonas Brothers). Also released by Universal Music Indonesia, the price of this album is 75,000 Rupiah.

Hoping for tons of new classical cds to come in Jakarta. Finger (really) crossed.

TORI AMOS goes CLASSICAL (like Sting & McCartney did)

Another mainstream musician explores classical music. Tori Amos, follows Sting and McCartney footsteps, to release classical album. 


The alternative pop rock singer/songwriter will release her debut classical album, under classical label Deutsche Grammophon. "Night Hunters" will due in September. 


On her official website, the singer says about the upcoming album as a "21st-century song cycle inspired by classical music themes spanning over 400 years". She also adds :"The protagonist is a woman who finds herself in the dying embers of a relationship. In the course of one night she goes through an initiation of sorts that leads her to reinvent herself allowing the listener to follow her on a journey to explore complex musical and emotional subject matter. One of the main themes explored on this album is the hunter and the hunted and how both exist within us."


A few years ago, McCartney and Sting did the same stuff. In 2006 The Beatles star released classical recording, titled "Ecce Cor Meum" (Behold My Heart), a choral and orchestral work in both English and Latin. Also in the same year, The Police frontman, Sting, relaesed "Labyrinth", which brings up the music of Elizabethan age back to the modern era. The world reacts. Numbers of award nomination followed the recordings. Both Sting and McCartney were nominated in Classic Brit Awards, a British classical music award equal to Grammy.

We've seen pop acts like Sting and McCartney had released classical album before. Awards and honor followed as the album went 'mainstream'. And now, Tori Amos. Who's next?