Product Details
- Artist: Loreena McKennitt
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- Binding: Audio CD
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- EAN: 0774213011107
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- Format: Live
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- Label: Verve
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- Manufacturer: Verve
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- Number of Discs: 3
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- Product Group: Music
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- Publisher: Verve
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- Release Date: 2007-08-21
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- Studio: Verve
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- Title: Nights from the Alhambra - (Jewel 2 CD + DVD)
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- UPC: 774213011107
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Avg Customer Rating: 
Product Description: After nearly a decade off the scene, Loreena McKennitt returned to the performance and recording stage in 2006 and 2007. The Canadian singer picked up exactly where she left off, traveling through the Celtic-Middle Eastern fusions she explored on The Book of Secrets with her latest studio album, An Ancient Muse. Now, with momentum behind her, she's released a DVD document of her performance at Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. This is the same performance that has been running on PBS station pledge drives for the last year, but with a double CD included. McKennitt's renditions of songs from An Ancient Muse and her earlier albums are impeccable. As she is something of a perfectionist, there isn't much deviation from the original studio versions, but McKennitt is in fine voice and the band gets to rave it up a few times on tracks like "The Bonny Swans," where violinist Hugh Marsh and guitarist Brian Hughes trade increasingly frantic leads. This is an expanded group for McKennitt, with players from England, Greece, and the Middle East playing oud, dumbek, kanoun, hurdy-gurdy, duduk, and other ancient sounds from the British Isles to Turkey. The advantage of this edition of the Alhambra performance over that seen on PBS is that we're spared McKennitt's earnest and precious interstitials, talking about the location and her inspirations while slowly running her hands over Celtic carvings. But if you want it, that version of the performance is also on the DVD, as the commentary track. The CDs wisely drop even the between-song patter, which is fine, but not something to sit through on repeated listenings. Although the performance is beautifully, if conventionally filmed, and it's great to see this virtuoso band playing in communion, it's ultimately McKennitt's songs themselves that brim with visual imagery as she creates her ancient evocations as effectively on the concert stage as she does in the studio. --John Diliberto More from Loreena McKennitt 
An Ancient Muse | 
The Book of Secrets | 
The Visit | 
To Drive the Cold Winter Away | 
The Mask and Mirror | 
A Winter Garden: Five Songs for the Season | 
Parallel Dreams | 
Elemental | 
Live in Paris and Toronto |
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Customer Reviews
Celtic spirit
fabulous music, requiring your heart to listen to it
I purchased again for another two to send to friends
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Beautiful Celtic Music
I became a fan of Loreena McKennitt since "The Book of Secrets"."Nights from the Alhambra" is simply excellent-For the music as well the DVD.Watching her in concert is simply great along with her band of musicans as well hearing the cd's.It was a shame her last live cd-"Live in Paris and Toronto" did'nt have a dvd.This more makes up for it."Nights from the Alhambra" came in a diga-pak with the discs spread out-beautifully packaged.If you want to see and hear Loreena Mckennitt in concert-This is it.Her Celtic Music simply beautiful.
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Great stuff!
Probably the best compendium of her work (and a great DVD too, as this gives the audience the chance to see Loreena's really outstanding musicians show off their 'stuff!'), this and 'Ancient Muse' are two of my favorite CD's!! More! More!!
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Loreena is great
Saw her live and enjoyed her and the band very much.
I was hoping this CD and DVD would recreate that experience
and it mostly does. If you like her music I think
this is definitely worth the money.
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Celtic pleasure
If there is a singing goddess it is Loreena McKinnett and Nights from the Alhambra is proof. The only problem with her music is that it seems to reverberate in your mind long after each performance. Her vocals are unforgettable and the accompaniment magical with a wide array of unique instruments rarely heard in any venue. In addition to the sheer joy of lsitening to her performance, the lyrics provide a veritable history lesson about the mysterious Celts. As a testimony to her skill as a singer/musician, I'm not sure Ms. McKinnett is capable of a poor performance. She is both an artist and professional and obviously committed to excellence.
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