Classical Relaxation

Price: $16.00

Rediscover the classics with arrangements that explore the quiet side of Bach, Albinoni, Beethoven, Mozart, Saint-Saens and Dvorak. Performed by a live ensemble with piano, flute, oboe, English horn, viola and harp.

If you love classical music and are looking for peaceful but not boring music that you can use to accompany massage, spa treatments, meditation, stress-relief, bedtime or for pure relaxation, you'll be delighted with Michael's sensitive and gentle arrangements.

There are no jarring volume or tempo changes in this uninterrupted yet engaging blend of classical music.

Total run time: 61 minutes.

TRACK LIST
Ave Verum Corpus, Mozart 8:32
The Swan (Carnival of the Animals), Saint-Saens 8:22
Adagio in G Minor, Albinoni 10:02
Arioso in G, Bach 8:42
Sonata Pathetique, Adagio, 2nd, Beethoven 7:07
Lacrymosa (from Requiem), Mozart 7:41
Symphony #9, 2nd (New World), Dvorak 9:45

FROM THE MUSICIAN:
"Being trained as a classical composer, I have always felt a particular affinity to the pieces I recorded. I thought it would be interesting to do versions of these pieces with some improvisational sections; after all, most of the great composers, especially Bach, were great improvisers, and able to compose in real time at the keyboard. I decided to focus on traditional woodwinds (flute, oboe and English horn) as well as viola for melodies."

"The music is classical but the sensibility is modern. By selecting a single movement from a Beethoven sonata, for example, rather than including the entire piece, I've
chosen to focus on individual selections of music that are peaceful and contemplative with no jarring tempo changes. The CD offers a progression of classical tracks from different composers to give listeners a chance to relax and slow down while enjoying a variety of different yet harmonious musical perspectives."
~Michael Benghiat

ABOUT THE MUSICIAN:
A Santa Monica native, Michael Benghiat has experienced a multicultural musical palette since childhood. Accomplished on both the piano and guitar, Michael grew up in a home surrounded by music, with parents who not only treasured music but encouraged learning about music from a variety of cultural and ethnic heritages. This early exposure to the enduring folk traditions of Greek, Sephardic, Spanish, and Middle Eastern music as well as to classical orchestral music helped forge Michael's unique musical sensibility. Michael's curiosity and interest in non-Western musical instruments and traditions finds expression today in his study and collection of exotic acoustic instruments from around the world. His ongoing explorations of musical culture are a natural extension of his BA degree and graduate level work in classical music composition at UCLA. The author of several books on the guitar, Michael's work as a musician and composer reflects his desire to "reach more people than I can teach
one-on-one."