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Release Date: 07/09/1998
What a bizarre concept. The NorthSound label, which proudly bills itself as "the premier name for music-and-nature audio," presents eight of the most beloved classical music pieces ever written with recordings of natural sounds playing in the background. The album opens with Schubert's "Impromptu in G," originally a piano solo, improbably performed in a five part setting for piano, barred owl, chuck-wills-widow, limpkin and (their words:) "a full ensemble of frogs." Odder still, the 4th movement of Brahms' :"Symphony No. 1":is accompanied by gales of wind and a mournfully braying pack of wolves. The frog section returns for Beethoven's "Symphony No. 6," sharing the stage with American bittern, common snipe and something called a pied-billed grebe. Sound hokey? Oh, yeah. And more than a little presumptuous. Of course, none of the featured composers are alive to offer their opinions of the project, but it doesn't seem likely that, say, Johannes Brahms is up there somewhere smacking himself on the forehead and saying "Eastern timber wolves! Why didn't I think of that?!" And yet, it would be disingenuous not to concede that the whole thing is really rather soothing. The selections are all exceptionally relaxing pieces, performed quite competently by an uncredited orchestra. And, as ridiculous as the bird songs and ocean waves are, it's hard not to be carried away a little. Classical Nature is actually quite enjoyable if you think of it as an outdoor concert in a beautiful woodland setting. By the seashore. Without any mosquitos. Just try not to snicker. ~ Evan Cater, All Music Guide
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