GRANDINE IL VENTO [AKA: SYMPHONY OF LIGHT]

A great new record by Renaissance.

This is the first album by Renaissance in over 10 years, and it is definitely a great comeback. If you are a fan of Renaissance, you should certainly get this. I have only listened to this on the pre-release downloads available to the Kickstarter-backers, (who had pledged on kickstarter.com to make "Grandine il Vento" a reality) and it is a great album. Sure, it sounds a lot different from the 70s, but still a lot of the same qualities are present. The album will probably be more friendly to non-progheads, but at the same time have a lot to offer for fans of early prog rock.

Some prog pieces to be mentioned are "Symphony Of Light" and "The Mystic And The Muse", which are the longest tracks on the album. Symphony Of Light is a 12-minute epic about Leonardo Da Vinci. It starts with a sort of operatic piece, where Annie Haslam shows she still can hit the high notes. After that it changes tempo. There are a bunch of tempo-changes in that song. The Mystic And The Muse originally from the EP of the same name is also a great piece. The instrumental piece in the beginning is among the highlights of the album.

Also there are some great guest-appearances. On "Cry To The World", Ian Anderson plays flute. The flute mixes wonderfully with that song. Also, John Wetton sings a duet with Annie on "Blood Silver Like Moonlight", which is a beautiful ballad.

Another favorite of mine on this album is "Air Of Drama". Very classically inspired (of course), and featuring an accordion.

And of course the sad thing is that this is the last offering from guitarist/songwriter Michael Dunford, whom died from a cerebral hemorrhage. Michael Dunford is the one who has written the music to virtually all Renaissance songs. He died far too early, but this album is a fantastic "last album".

If you like Renaissance, go buy this! If you are new to Renaissance, feel free to buy this, but you should probably also hear their early albums, like "Scheherazade", "Turn Of The Cards" and "Ashes Are Burning". I think this album will be enjoyed best, if you are familiar with Renaissance and know who they are.

Great album!

The first track off Grandine il Vento that I listened to was The Mystic and The Muse. Fans who have kept track of the activities of the latest incarnation of Renaissance would be familiar with the EP titled The Mystic and the Muse which, of course, had the eponymous track among two others. While the other two tracks had evoked Annie Haslam's solo work for me (and I don't mean that in a glowing light, to be clear), The Mystic and The Muse was very promising. Dark and full of twists and dramatic dynamics, along with lots of vocalise delivered by Annie. Think the title track of A Song for All Seasons or Touching Once (Is So Hard To Keep). When I watched the impressive performance of said track in the 2011 concert video, I liked it even more but the other two tracks left me with mixed impressions and expectations from the (then) upcoming album. That is very much what Grandine il Vento delivers, except more of the Annie-solo kind of tracks in spades.

It was said in the run up to the album that the band had experimented with a lot of styles, including African music, and that it was one of their most exciting albums. There are indeed sounds and instruments on Grandine il Vento that you have never heard before...on a Renaissance album. Trouble is, if you have been even modestly in touch with developments in pop and rock music over the last three decades, you wouldn't find it particularly new, except for the reason that it's on a Renaissance album.

That is, a track like Porcelain evokes typical pleasant pop music (probably intended for the adult contemporary market) that incorporates (ostensibly) African percussion. But you don't really get a Renaissance-perspective of African influences.

Of course, what is a Renaissance-perspective, composition wise, is a question in itself. From the get go, Renaissance were after a sound - a rich, orchestral, but pleasant and inoffensive sound, evoking rock only modestly, if at all and often times dressing up pop songs in classical clothes. So, to be fair, Renaissance do attempt to capture the quintessential elements of that sound. Porcelain has soaring chorus singing for example. But we are not in the 70s anymore and Renaissance cannot afford an orchestra so keyboards are used as a substitute to recreate the effect. Unsurprisingly, it is only partially effective and also tends to make them sound rather like other contemporary bands. In a word, generic. In the 70s, with their peculiar mix of orchestral bombast with an un-electrified ensemble and a beautiful soprano voice, that was one thing Renaissance were not, at least from the point of view of sound.

Absent also is the energy and the involvement of the 70s. That is probably understandable, given the age of the two remaining original members (on this album), Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford. Think of the piano chords that introduce Things I Don't Understand or, well, the piano intro (again) of Can You Understand...or the 'pa pa pa' vocalise in Touching Once. Even while working with a soft sound and orientation, Renaissance did not lack at least a touch of vigour and vibrancy in the 70s....moments that still leap out of the speakers and grab the listener's attention just as he is about to feel lost in the orchestra-keyboard noodling. Strangely enough, Renaissance were very much able to bring back that energy in their 2011 performance of Turn of the Cards and Scheherazade and other Stories, but inspiration seems to have eluded them in the studio.

Could part of the reason also be the chief attraction of the band, namely Annie's vocals? Yes and no. There is nothing apparently remiss with Annie's singing here. Oh yes, there are a few pitch mistakes, some strained notes, some high notes sung in falsetto that she might have attacked more heftily earlier (all of these mostly on Symphony of Light and the title track). But she still sets a very high standard so it would be churlish of me to find technical flaws with her performances. Blood Silver Moonlight, where she duets with contemporary John Wetton, highlights for instance how well her voice has aged, sounding noticeably stronger and more supple than her illustrious collaborator.

Where there does seem to be a problem is the lyrics and how they constrain her ability to emote. It is admittedly a strange complaint to make as the lyrics are penned by Annie herself, unlike the 70s. But it is my considered opinion that the late Betty Thatcher's lyrics brought out the undertone of pain and melancholy in Annie's voice that is not always evident from her vivacious persona. Thatcher gave Annie great material to emote and in her bright, soft voice, it acquired a bittersweet tinge, sorrowful but uplifting at the same time. Annie's own lyrics don't appear to dig deep, at least from the listener's perspective though she has, I am sure, put in stuff there that she cares about a lot personally. This perhaps accentuates the impression of Annie finding it hard to really make an impact, as great as she sounds throughout the album.

Except, that is, on Mystic and the Muse, which gives her plenty of scope to showcase her range and dynamism in a virtuosic vocal masterclass. It is perhaps fortunate then that the band placed said track right at the end, which gives you a taste of Renaissance as per the 70s and leaves you longing for more (if ever there'll be another album). But you have to sit through two mini-epics that promise initially only to disappoint and, well, 5 other middling tracks that do no leave much of an impression (not on me, they didn't, at any rate).

In a later interview, Annie said she consciously sought to move away from the Thatcher vein of lyrics as she wanted the audience to feel positive and have a good time listening to their songs. Far be it for me to fault the thought. But for this not yet 30 young Ren fan, Renaissance going all happy and cheery at this stage of their career just sounds too mellow and passive to appeal to me. I hark back again to the energy they showed on the Song for all Seasons when they attempted a sunnier approach to music. Hard as Annie and the band try, they cannot disguise their age which however may have been more appealing (to me) in the form of evoking melancholy, reflecting and perhaps regretting with a chuckle or two thrown in.

At the time of writing the original review, I gave it 3 stars, preferring to be slightly optimistic given the signs of promise in the material. Having waited nearly a year for a re-look, I feel even that's a bit on the higher side. Grandine il Vento was received fondly by loyal Renaissance fans and understandably so because the band hadn't released studio material (excluding the Mystic EP) for over 10 years. But it is not recommended unless you are a fan and really not where you ought to begin your Renaissance journey from. 2 stars for an average effort lifted a bit at the end by the sparkling Mystic and the Muse.

Well. Truly this is symphonic prog.

And symphonic prog in the line of Renaissance oldies.

Yes in comparison to some of their latest .."pop prog albums"....a real advance.

But well years pass....and the product can,t be (or is difficult to be)as good as the ones in the best of times....Scheherazade,Turn Of The Cards,Ashes Are Burning....

Annie Haslam vocals got tired...composition inspiration not as good... instruments playing not so genial...

Mostly all the songs are like opera little arias ....Haslam s voice now is more operaness......but in general boring songs..not inspired...

So some things of the best Renaissance...but don t expect long masterpieces of the old times.

2,5 stars for me.

When I heard that Renaissance was releasing a new album I had quite great expectations. Maybe a little more than I should. But, after all, it was Annie Haslam´s superb voice put together with Michael Dunford´s compositions. It could not fail, right? Besides, the new back up band is excellent, and their recent live DVD/CD playing their classic stuff is there to prove how skillful their are musically and respectful of their glorius past. And, additionally, they have a couple of prog icons (Ian Anderson and John Wetton) to give them a little help on a couple of tracks.

So why only 3 stars? Well, after repeated spins it is my painful duty to say the weakness of the album lays exactly on the shoulders of Haslam and Dunford. First: Michael´s new compositions are far from his best. They are nice, alright, but completely predicable and unimaginitive. The band tries hard to sound like the classic 70´s line up: you´ll find the familiar tickling classical piano lines, the fat bass runs, Dunford´s discreet but effective acoustic guitar and the very organic percussion. Even the bass player does a complete Jon Camp interpretation nicely singing some parts of Air Of Drama. But the new songs are, most of the time, just too bland.

Worse yet is Haslam´s interpretations: she sounds tired and without conviction. The technique is there, but not the passion.Not that the end result is bad, since no song here is crap nor Haslam´s voice have not lost its beauty. But, really, I expected a lot more from such talented bunch. And the saddest thing to know it the fact tha there is no chance for Dunford to redeem himself, since he passed away during the recording of Grandine Il Vento. A real big loss for the music world.

So in the end I found this album good: nothing that compares to the classic 70´s stuff, of course, but better than most of what they released afterwards. At least a couple of tracks, Porcelaine and, specially, The Mystic And The Muse, are above all the others. The latter, a kind of spin off from A Song For All Seasons, is the album´s highlight. I really wish all the tunes were like that one.

Conclusion: Renaissance fans should listen and judge. Newbies should try their earlier albums long before they tackle this one. final ratins: something between 2,5 and 3 stars.

Renaissance is an interesting band, quite unique would I say. Firstly I would axaggerate if I said it was rock, but it do tangents the rock subject. Secondly I must state it's certainly symphonic music, more symphonic than most of the prog. The strength in Renaissance is concert piano and a clear female voice. Renaissance made it's first record 1969 and "Grandine il Vento" is their sixteenth studio making, released thirteen years after their last one "Tuscany".

Michael Dunford died this year but he contributed on this record. Together with the vocalist Annie Haslam he had been in the band for the longest time. Michael Dunford plays guitar, Rave Tesar keyboards, David J Keyes bass guitar, Jason Hart keyboards and accordion and Frank Pagano plays percussion.

What's best on this record is the orchestral feeling shown in the piano and the vast sweaping melodies. Haslam's voice is also very enjoyable. I think she sounds like Maddy Prior, the vocalist of Steeleye Span, one of my favourite bands.

The most proper rating would had been 3,5 and I don't like to give too many fours, but I think this is a record to advertise. The tracks I like do really affect me, and they're quite marvelous. Especially the first and last tracks: "Symphony of Light" is a perfect modern symphony and "The Mystic and the Muse" has a very special power and, truely mystical approach. The title track "Grandine il Vento" is also powerful and highly recommended just like "Waterfall", a calm and young song and "Blood Silver Like Moonlight" which is a duet with John Wetton which is interesting to hear.

Three more tracks are not mentioned yet. "Cry to the world" contains great flute by no one else than Ian Anderson, but the song is a little bit annoying. "Air of drama" is a tune is what I would say enjoyable and "Porcelain" though is a less important track. My overall rating would be 3,6 and therefore four stars. The beautiful oil painting on the front gives a glimpse of the music inside. Fantastic that this band still exists.

Renaissance was one of the first Prog bands I've heard. When I was 16/17 I've bought a copy of Ashes Are Burning (1973) and I was in love with their music.

Now, years passed, I've enjoyed many of their albums and the band naturally came to an end.

Around 2010 the band made a comeback and since then they're quite active. In 2010 they released an EP with 3 new songs called The Mystic And The Muse (review: progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=290114), in 2011 they went on tour and played two of their classic albums Turn Of The Cards (1974) and Scheherazade & Other Stories (1975), after that they released a nice box with CD and DVD of this tour (review: progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=642201).

After all that they started to prepare a new album in 2012. To be able to do that they successful crowdfunded a campaign to release their new album Grandine Il Vento (2013). Unfortunately, after the album being recorded Michael Dunford (one of the original band members) sadly passed away.

I must say that I was REALLY excited with the news of a new album by the band, their EP was quite good so I could expect some really nice work. I took my time to listen to the album, and last night I finally did? Well, what can I say, I am disappointed after all. Being a fan of the band I had so many high hopes on their new album, but it turned out not that good as I was expecting.

First of all, from the original classic lineup there's only Annie Haslam (vocals) that continues to be a hell of a great singer, and Michael Dunford. Michael, unfortunatell is faded on this album, his guitars are superb, but they barely REALLY appear on the album.

Second, the band isn't that good. I mean, they were playing the bands back catalogue, but creating? Not really! Frank Pagano drums are there just to keep time, and that's all. David J Keyes bass' are? not quite there. I know, he's taking place of Jon Camp, an absolutely fantastic bass player. But that's no excuse!

Now, the worst part is taken by the keyboards. Renaissance's music is Symphonic, always been, so pianos and keyboards were a big part, especially pianos. Here the pianos are really well put and well played by Rave Tesar, but the rest of the keyboards? a shame! I cannot point my fingers to anyone really, cause the keyboards are credited to Rave and Jason Hart. Now really, what are those keyboards? There's even a dance/club music kind of keyboards on the opening track!

The music in Grandine Il Vento (2013) is not bad, in fact there's many great moments, but the overall arrangements kill anything really. As I said, especially the keyboards. And there's some songs that? shouldn't be here like 'Waterfall' or 'Porcelain'.

Unfortunately my high hopes were all felled, and I'm honestly sad about it.

I was quite excited when I heard that Renaissance would release a new album. So I ordered it from the band and received a copy signed by Annie Haslam herself, which is quite cool! I am, however, sad to say that I don't think "Grandine il Vento" is not as good as their fantastic album from the 70s. Although in my opinion the band tried hard to create an album that is similar to those albums mentioned above, it didn't really work out. The melodies are not as good as they used to be. This already shows in the first track of the album "Symphony of light" in which the vocal line is a bit of a letdown. Furthermore the production isn't really convincing. The orchestral synths sound thin, especially the brass section sounds unconvincing to me. But also most of the the keyboard sounds that are used sound "outdated" and I don't think they sound "vintage". An example is the synth pattern in the first track. Annie Haslam's voice is in the higher register not as light as it used to be, given her age this is not too surprising. They to try invent interesting melody line, but I am afraid they are not as good as they are on their fantastic albums in the seventies. I think the closing track "The Mystic And The Muse " is one of the better songs. I gave the album a lot of tries and really wanted to like it and there are some good ideas on the album as well, but in the end I have to say that this album is not the return to greatness I had hoped for.

A real prog album from the originators of Symphonic Prog. This elegant work is the best and most progressive album released by Renaissance since Novella in 1977. Annie Haslem is still in great voice at this late stage (amazing!) and the songs are true classical symphonic works that never veer toward the cliched. The standout songs are Grandine Il Vento, Symphony Of Light, The Mystic and The Muse and Blood Silver Like Moonlight (a beautiful duet with Annie sharing vocals with the great John Wetton.) My only complaint that I have is that I find some of Annie's "all is love and bliss" lyrics a bit trying on a couple of the songs. Aside from that, her lyrics are much improved from her solo work and the last Renaissance album,Tuscany, and are outstanding on the rest of the songs. New keyboard man Rave Tesar is an equal to the greats, John Hawkin and John Tout, that proceeded him and is probably the person most responsible for the sound of this album. BTW, I purchased an expanded edition of this album retitled A Symphony Of Light which includes three additional songs; one composed and recorded in honor of late guitarist/songwriter Michael Dunford that was, I believe, recorded just a few months after the Grindine Il Vento album was completed. Look out for it if you do not already own this album.

Renaissance returns to form with this lovely effort, 'Grandine il Vento' (retitled 'Symphony of Light' in 2014 with the other 2 tracks from 'The Mystic and Muse' ep, and a beautiful new track written by Rave Tesar and Annie Haslam for the late Michael Dunford, appropriately titled 'Renaissance Man')

The album starts with my favorite track, Symphony of Light, which returns to the sound of earlier albums, most notably 'Novella', to my ears. Slow paced, mellow, and emotional in traditional Renaissance fashion, this contains a nice instrumental bit as well (there are too few of them on the album) even if it does borrow a line from 'Dancing With The Moonlit Knight'. This 'borrowing' was undoubtably intended, as there is no way all the progheads involved could possibly have missed the reference. It is a cool section, maybe my favorite on the album.

'Waterfall', the next track, is another favorite for me, reminding me a bit of 'Bound For Infinity', from 'Prologue', albeit not quite as beautiful.

Each of the rest of the tracks are quiet and pretty, with the exception of 'The Mystic and The Muse', which seems to be the lone dynamic (relatively) track. Having said that, all of the songs are quite good, although none of them blow me away, the closest being the aforementioned opening song, and the new closer (of the 'symphony of light' version of the album), 'Renaissance Man', which is a VERY beautiful little song, and a beautiful dedication to Mr. Dunford, who was an irreplacable musical force, and as I understand, a very kind and thoughtful gentleman. The one good thing being that he was able to see a resurgence in interest in his music before he passed away. 3 and a half stars for me, rounding up.

Where he could have gone from here, no one will ever know...

The best Renaissance album for 35 years!

Renaissance has never been among my favourite bands, but they are one of those bands of which I have heard everything they have ever done. Like most people would probably agree, the band's output from the last three and a half decades has not been overly impressive compared to the output from their first decade of existence. Hearing this new album is a pleasant surprise and I would say without a doubt that it is their best since 1978's A Song For All Seasons. Indeed, Symphony Of Light stands heads and shoulders above the generally weak material the band has produced since then.

The most noteworthy track here is by far the 12 minutes plus opening title track (Symphony Of Light) which belongs to the band's all-time best compositions. It has all of the ingredients of classic Renaissance: the captivating voice of Annie Haslam, the piano and the acoustic guitar, the symphonic bombast. But it also has more than that, it has other keyboards beyond just piano (which I would have wanted to have heard more on the band's classic albums).

After such an excellent opening the rest of the tracks are not quite as interesting in comparison, but nonetheless the album continues to be enjoyable all the way. The band is helped by two stalwarts of progressive Rock in Ian Anderson and John Wetton. Anderson adds his characteristic flute to Cry To The World and Wetton his equally distinctive voice to Blood Silver Like Moonlight.

The Mystic And The Muse, Immortal Beloved, and Tonight were previously released as an EP, but are here tagged on as bonus tracks. The Mystic and the Muse in particular is another strong track in the style and quality of the band's 70's material.

Recommended, particularly for fans of classic Renaissance

Perhaps unlike some of you, my introduction to Renaissance's discography wasn't chronological; rather than starting from the beginning, my first exposure to the band was their 1975 album Scheherazade and Other Stories album, albeit many years later. The format of the album is engaging, starting out with several shorter, more accessible tracks, and climaxing with the massive beauty that is "Scheherezade" a piece that had me in awe of the classic British act due to their jaw dropping orchestrations, deft songwriting capabilities, and of course, the angelic voice of Annie Haslam. While for many, including myself, Scheherazade represents the pinnacle of Renaissance, their 2014 release, Symphony of Light, effectively reminded me of all the nice things that make these veteran symphonic rockers tick. Like their classic 70′s albums, Symphony of Light boils down to the knack Renaissance has for delivering solid art songs and epic symphonic rock pieces.

One thing that catches my attention about Renaissance is their keen ability to make songs that somehow call to mind something between pop rock, the classical art song tradition, and musical theater. "Air of Drama" is perhaps my favorite example of this, a track that would blend in perfectly on a stage musical production, particularly in the way that Annie and David trade vocal lines, calling their dialogue to the forefront, highlighting Haslam's darker parts with the more optimistic sections led by David Keyes. Throw in Hart and Tesar hammering it out on the harpsichord, Mellotron flutes, and swelling according and we get a nice art song with strong theatrical overtones. The John Wetton fans will be pleased to hear his duet with Haslam on the pleasant piano ballad, "Blood Silver Like Moonlight," and if you're looking for a nice pop track with a huge, uplifting symphonic chorus, "Cry to the World" will certainly suit your fancy. And even though I generally run like the dickens when a ballad appears, I can't help but feeling that "Tonight" absolutely nailed it with its romantic sway, pretty arrangements, and Broadway musical feel. And while Symphony of Light is mainly a re-release of last year's Il Grandine Vento with new cover artwork and two extra tracks, it is certainly well worth it due to the presence of the new closer, "Renaissance Man." A touching tribute to the late Michael Dunford, Renaissance's very own chief mastermind, "Renaissance Man" sports lyrics of grateful praise to Dunford's hard work, inspiration, and wide imagination. The dynamic of this song is absolutely lovely as the recurring piano theme walks the line between sadness and joy, while the 'chorus' spouts a majestic, symphonic swell before ending each time delicately with a major chord and gentle ritard before the return of the primary piano motif. Recognizing both the sadness in death and the hope in life, this track truly is a great tribute to Dunford's legacy.

And while Renaissance shows great skill at bringing art music elements to their more 'catchy' tracks, I would bet that what truly has won over our little prog hearts is their more dramatic, symphonic prog pieces. Such is the case with "Symphony of Light," "Grandine il vento," and "The Mystic and the Muse" all tracks which reminded me of why I love this band. In terms of dramatic flavor, the intro to "Symphony of Light" couldn't get any better with its surreal chord changes that undulate from dark to light alongside a solid dose of theatricality. Haslam's voice certainly has aged well, still feeling expressive but now taking on a more haunting edge. The first two minutes had me grinning, but the song only gets better as a break with tolling church bells leads the way to a duo of synth and acoustic guitar that introduces perhaps what would be the main verse, exhibiting loads of tension in its repetitive motion. As the drumming kicks in we get a more optimistic section full of symphonic elements prior to the next verse. Over various instrumental twists and turns we get all the things we love in Renaissance, including their classic piano playing and huge orchestral arrangements that always exhibit just enough dynamic bombast without forgetting restraint. A bit more on the 'symphonic rock-lite' side of things, "Grandine" really hits the spot with introspective, surreal lyrics, and deep sense of mystery. From its delicate piano to the gentle sparkling of guitars, ambient keys, and upbeat, operatic sensibility, we see Renaissance delivering their specialty, this time in a more conventional form. Just as the band kicked it off huge with "Symphony of Light," they make sure to give us an epic feast towards the end of the record in the form of "The Mystic and the Muse," my personal favorite from the album. In my opinion this track is right up there with the classics of Renaissance's catalog, a song featuring loads of feeling. Opening up like a horror film soundtrack, "The Mystic and the Muse" delivers dark, gothic chords under Haslam's roaring and eerie bombast. When the drum kit gets in the groove I must admit that there was a lot of head bobbing going on in the room and I could feel that the band was really going to take us on a big, musical journey. Repeated descending piano riffs contrasting orchestral arrangements make for a very visual presentation as Annie holds some fascinating verse melodies that scream out mystery and wonder. Following a beautiful narrative refrain, Renaissance takes us on an a powerful tour of symphonic rock through several key changes before a brief breather that takes 500% advantage of carefully placed notes on the vocal line for grand effect on a quiet yet intense middle section. I must say that I was also pleased that the song eventually led us back to that killer refrain and beastly vampire chords, big drums, and soaring vocals that ooze coolness.

If what you're looking for is something that deliver's 21st century Renaissance with the marvelous feel of the 70′s era of the band, Symphony of Light should be right up your alley. Essentially, what you get a slew of good art rock alongside a couple of ambitious symphonic rock pieces that marvelously succeed in their efforts to bring dramatic music, theatricality, and strong songwriting to the table. All in all, Symphony of Light is a worthy memory of Dunford and the band's sophisticated vision of what rock can be.

I've enjoyed the work of Renaissance since the 70's but have recently revisited some of the core albums:-

1974 Turn Of The Cards 1975 Scheherazade And Other Stories 1976 Live at Carnegie Hall

I've spent many many hours in recent years swallowed up in these masterpieces which are all solid 4 and 5 star albums in my view.

Being a big fan of the original sound, I approached 2013's Symphony of Light with caution but was surprised and delighted with the material and the performances. This album is absolutely classic Renaissance in every way. Annie Haslam, who's voice is one of the defining qualities of the band, is spot on, hitting impossible notes and retaining that unique clarity of tone throughout. The quality of the compositions is right up there with their core albums as far as I can hear, and Symphony of Light can be listened to right after Scheherazade without skipping a beat - they flow so naturally, it could have been recorded the same year.

High points for me are "Porcelain" with beguiling atmosphere, hook and melody, the acoustic piano driven "Blood Silver Like Moonlight" with a great vocal duet, and the somewhat Lloyd- Webber-esqe "Tonight" - just a sublime anthem, with some headphone challenging high-notes!! Be warned. Weaker tracks: "Immortal Beloved" and "The Mystic and the Muse" are still engagingly theatrical songs that would be standouts in almost any other song-list.

It's very unusual that a band can connect to the muse so strongly 40 years later!

I'd really like to give this 4.5 stars, but 4 is fair!

4.3 stars :-)

Best Renaissance album since "Song for all Seasons". Might even be better than that. Does not matter. Great stuff.

I respect everyone's review here on this album. I respect the low reviews and the high reviews. We all see/hear different things in the same album. What makes the world exciting.

I'm not hearing any "tiredness/weariness" from Annie's voice. I don't know how old she is now but I imagine perhaps in her early-mid 60's?

The opening "Symphony of Light" his you hard with her angelic/operatic style similar to what you hear on SCHEHERAZADE and other stories. Fabulous. Add in the usual classic 70's Renaissance classical riff sections with piano/bass, etc.. Just this song alone makes the album worth while.

"Waterfall" so much reminds me of the classic "Bound for Infinity" from Prologue. OMG, I'm back in 1972 again and it's 2014.

"Grandine il Vento" is another classic 70's sounding piece that could easily find a home on their "Ashes are burning" album.

Ian Anderson adds a nice touch with his flute solo on "Cry to the world"... Just fabulous.

"Air of Drama" sort of reminds me of the song "Kiev" from Prologue. Almost like a Dr. Zhivago soundtract song :-)

So nice to hear John Wetton on Blood/Siler/Like Moonlight. Haunting melodies.

Album closes with an attempt for the most powerful fairytale like song "Mystic and the Muse". Classic sound.

Personally, I prefer the opening track but this is a very strong effort from 2 of the members of their classic 70's period.

I wish Camp/Tout were back (for completist novelty sake) but this is not to take anything away from their replacements who were excellent.

This is a wonderful "return to the Prologue --> Scheherezade" period.

Annie's voice has not lost a step. In-fact, it's even more operatic here and she still hits those high notes.

One way or another, this album is a blessing. considering years back in the 90s I never figured they would ever reform. Tucsany (2000) was a nice album but was more 90's-like. This album is intentionally a return back to their 70's sound.

I am so grateful that they reunited back to do this. This is not just a ho-hum "lets do one for old time sake" albums. They put their heart and soul into this. And it shows. To Annie and the rest, I'm so appreciative for this album!!

Right on up there with the classic albums they did in the 70's. There's nothing "modern" sounding. You could have haev released this in 1973-1974 and it would have fit right in.

The "Symphony of Light" album marks the third appearance in about as many years of "The Mystic and the Muse", easily the best RENAISSANCE track since the masterful "A Song for all Seasons" charted on both sides of the Atlantic in 1978. Initially it was the title cut of a 3 song EP, then the ultimate piece of the self produced "Grandine Il Vento" album, and finally on a worldwide release of "Symphony of Light" which compiled everything from both prior recordings and added a tribute to sadly departed guitarist and principal composer Michael Dunford. I mention this partly to update the increasingly confusing history of this seminal band, and partly to underscore the challenge faced by these artists to recapture the old magic or maybe even conjure a new spell. And while bits and pieces from the rest of "Symphony of Light" do sparkle, and every track is good, only "Mystic", with its flourishes reminiscent of the great "Can You Hear Me" from "Novella", consistently attains a level of excellence and distinction that, rightly or wrongly, fans expect all the time from Renaissance.

If I may evoke a snippet of elementary chemistry, the RENAISSANCE sound has always been, oh, say, 3 parts Annie Haslam and 2 parts everything and everyone else. While Annie's voice remains pitch perfect at the limit of the average middle aged eardrum, it doesn't seem to resonate emotionally as much as in the past. An exception is in the denouement of "Grandine Il Vento", when she clenches a crescendo and soars. The thing is, I have no idea what she is singing at that moment and it doesn't matter, while the factual correctness of her lyrics and delivery in "Waterfall" doesn't even inspire me to make a donation to save the rain forest.

It is clear from the formula above that even a perfect Haslam isn't enough on its own; Her lyrics are competent but fall short of the brooding gusto of the late great Betty Thatcher who penned so many of the band's classics. While budget constraints contribute to an overall scantiness of sound, they left no ill effects on "Mystic", which is bold and full as anything from their 1970s work. Conversely, "Air of Drama", a pleasant duet between Annie and bassist David Keyes, plows a quite different furrow - art song meets tango perhaps - which doesn't require symphonic splendor to succeed, even if it's not what most long time fans are looking for.

In spite of Ian Anderson's flute and Michael Dunford's acoustic guitar, "Cry to the World" lacks an intensity that would have elevated its status beyond the merely competent. In fact that is the general theme throughout this disk. What sounds good on paper just doesn't quite pan out, and I often find my mind multitasking during the audition. If I could isolate one missing element from the classic sound, it would be the bass playing, and possibly even the songwriting and arrangements of Jon Camp, who is still in the music business. He was not only adept and melodic but he also tendered much needed muscularity and the only real rock aspect to their sound. It worked brilliantly on "A Song for All Seasons" where it powered the sparkling melodies, but , when the band tried to go new wave in the early 1980s, it was no longer the needed yang to the others' yin. I believe the pieces on "Symphony of Light" are crying for those values.

While this comeback album has received near unanimous critical approval, even among the fussbudgets of the progosphere, it's simply too light, in every sense, to qualify as an essential work. It's also too significant, in every sense, to be relegated to collectors.

A fitting Tribute to Michael Dunford, and a Great Return to Form.

It took a long time. Thank goodness for crowd-funding. Like so many other wonderful 70s bands, record company pressure forced a change in their sound. You first hear it in 1979's Azure D'Or (although still a decent album), but the changes would continue with Camera Camera and degenerate to the point of no return in Time Line (where the band's time line literally ended, for a long while). For some reason, it took Renaissance much longer than other bands for the two key members to get back together to make a new album (both Annie Haslam and Michael Dunford tried their own separate versions of Renaissance in the 1990s, but those don't cut it). I am very glad they finally did. Michael Dunford passed away during the recording of this album, after writing most of the material. It is a testament to his strengths as a composer that this material is as good as it is. Annie Haslam writes all the lyrics here, which are (mostly) very good, and although her voice has aged she sounds very good for a 65 year old. She has that same presence, and is still able to hit those (very) high notes.

Musically and stylistically, this album comes closest to A Song for All Seasons. The song "A Symphony of Light" opens the album, and (on the first release, before the bonus tracks) the song "The Mystic and the Muse" closes it. These are the two best and most musical songs, as well as the longest and most progressive, on the album. In between are a number of songs of mixed quality, with most of the album fairly soft, slow and mature. (So, again, in its structure it mirrors A Song for All Seasons). Some of the other tunes are quite good. "Blood Silver Lake Moonlight" is probably the third-best tune, and features a duet with Annie Haslam and John Wetton. In also find "Waterfall" to be quite musical, as well as parts of "Grandine Il Vento" and "Air of Drama". On the other hand, I find "Porcelain" and "Cry to the World" to be weak, in the same way that some of the songs in the middle of A Song for All Seasons are weak (that is, a bit too cheesy, with some trite lyrics). Three bonus tracks were added to the initial release, with two of these explicitly written as tributes to Michael Dunford and recorded after his death ("Immortal Beloved" and "Renaissance Man") although the third also sounds like a tribute to my ears ("Tonight"). These are all decent. Of these three, I like "Tonight" the best musically, but all three fit very well with the rest of the album, and together add up to a very fitting tribute. I agree that this is the best Renaissance album in almost 40 years. Who knows if Renaissance will make another album, but even if this turns out to be their last it is a great gift to the world. All taken together, I give this album 7.4 out of 10 on my 10-point scale, which translates to (high) 3 PA stars.

Hi all From Argentina where Renaissance had only one vinyl pressed locally ("Novella") with no commercial sucess and where i had my dream-come-true experience in attending a Renaissance show in its last incarnation in 2017, needless to say it was the first time this band played live here in front of some 150 people. Despite of all this I have been a huge Renaissance fan and loyal listener and collector since age 15 (that is, 41 years ago...) While shocked and deeply pleased to experience "Annie and his band" first row-centre somehow I felt that a bit of the glory of old times has been lost. Despiite the undeniable beauty of their music it sounded tired and a bit slower. No doubt there`s something unique in master Tout ok Keyboards, Camp`s bass, even Sullivan`s drumming all absent today. There`s Annie, a 70 Yr old lady who sings as if still 25, and manages to fill the air with her fantastic voice bringing the old songs some of it`s past spirit.

I felt so pleased while getting this last CD Grandine Il Vento...maybe too much expectations. My feel is that you should take it as a new Annie solo album whith a touch of more progressive approach. As I read on so many other reviews, it`s correctly defined as "bland", it`s played as if musicians are low blood pressured, in fact for me it should be qualified as 2 - 1/2 stars, while it`s not bad at all, it lacks almost everything we love from the Renaissance Brand. In terms of sound and Dynamics it`s absolutely the opposite you can hear on "Running Hard" to name just one old tune. On GIV you can find some interesting music and twists on both first and last tracks. The Music in between is what I would call something in between filler and half baked songs...Above all, is again Annie `s voice in perfect shape as usual and very present all along the disc (should I Say Too much Present..., at times seems she`s too loud over the mix)

Get Grandine Il Vento, but maybe it will be archived after 1 or two complete hearings.