Yanni Live at the Acropolis

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Yanni Live at the Acropolis
Yanni Live at the Acropolis

Yanni Live at the Acropolis, is the name of both an album and video by Greek composer Yanni, recorded live at the Herodes Atticus Theatre, Athens, Greece, on September 25, 1993, and released in 1994. In a three-year television deal with PBS, the live television special was one of the top fundraising subjects for PBS, raising $13 million, with more than 750,000 home videos and more than 7 million albums sold worldwide. It has been seen in 65 countries by half a billion people, has almost continuously remained on the charts since its release, and is the second best-selling music video of all time. This album peaked at #1 on "Billboard's "Top New Age Albums" chart and at #5 on the "Billboard 200" chart in the same year. The film received an Emmy nomination in 1994 for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special". The corresponding concert tour of the year was "Yanni Live, The Symphony Concerts 1994".

Contents

[edit] About

This was Yanni's first live album and utilizes the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra under the supervision of conductor Shardad Rohani, in addition to his core band. Yanni said, "Ever since I left Greece more than two decades ago, it has been my dream to return and perform at the Acropolis. This project took more than a year and a half to plan and accomplish, and I would like to thank my band and crew, and the scores of people involved in helping my dream become a reality".

The film version, released in 1994, was broadcast throughout the U.S. on public television and was one of the top fundrasing subjects for PBS. It was seen in 65 countries by half a billion people, and has almost continuously remained on the charts since its release and is the second best-selling music video of all time, selling more than 7 million copies worldwide.

The video production received an Emmy nomination in 1994 for "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special". This accomplishment was credited to Lee Rose (lighting director/designer), Richard Ocean (lighting director/designer), and David 'Gurn' Kaniski (lighting director/designer).

In a 2004 interview, drummer Charlie Adams was asked to point out which shows stood out in his mind in the last 25+ years of working with Yanni. Adams replied, "Obviously the most exciting one for me was Live at the Acropolis. Playing in front of over 10,000 people every night, right below the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The thing that made it so exciting was it was the first time for Yanni to be playing at home in front of his fellow Greek citizens it made you feel warm in the heart for him. Also, I was playing a drum solo in front of a majority of people who did not speak English yet responded to my drums, I really felt that the drums communicated with them, you know. Like drumming and music is in fact an international language. A great experience that will stay with me the rest of my life." Similarly, keyboardist Bradley Joseph recounts, "When I reflect back over the years, one of the high points that stand out include performing at the Acropolis with Yanni. Imagine all these different cultures coming together with the challenges of language, equipment, travel, and weather problems. I still picture the police running their dogs through the dressing rooms to sniff out any bomb possibilities right before the show. People still come up to me and comment how that show has affected their lives."

Katie Tamms of All Movie Guide writes, "Before a sold-out crowd on September 24, 1993, new age musical artist Yanni, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, performed the first of three historic concerts at the Acropolis in Athens, Greece. Himself a native of Kalamata, Greece, Yanni had returned to perform in his homeland after more than 20 years in America. This video production, headed by award-winning director George Veras, includes a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the live video, as well as backstage interviews with Yanni and some of his musical entourage."

Jonathan Widran of All Music Guide writes, "It's no surprise that Yanni is most identified with this amazingly powerful experience (also presented as one of PBS' most popular concerts ever), because it seems like the musical project he was most destined to make. After making millions stateside, he returns to the historic ancient Acropolis of his Greek homeland to share his sweeping music with his countrymen. One of the most impressive aspects of Yanni in this live setting is the way his beautiful piano passages blend with the occasional boom of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Shardad Rohani. Widran goes on to say, "Whereas it's easy to complain that his studio recordings are over-reliant on synthesized strings, here it's the real deal. 'Santorini' epitomizes the musical balance, opening with several minutes of percussive string fanfare, then allowing Yanni to be simply expressive on the acoustic piano as the orchestra tones down and provides a caress of accompaniment. 'Until the Last Moment' flows along tenderly with the same effect. Even songs like 'Keys to the Imagination', which are played on synth, are taken to more emotional levels with the dramatic swells of the orchestra. The concert features its share of familiar tunes ('Swept Away', 'Reflections of Passion'), but surprises in spots with more drawn out, thoughtful dishes of exotica like '[Acroyali]/Standing in Motion', which begins with atmosphere and chime effects, then evolves into an adventurous orchestral and synth explosion more ambitious than anything Yanni has attempted on his studio recordings. The sticker on the original disc release also informs listeners that it's recorded in 48-track digital sound. The same sticker calls it the event of a lifetime. It's an amazing concert, but more the core event of Yanni's life and career than anyone listening to this recording."

[edit] Album

[edit] Tracks

Track Title Duration
1 Santorini 6:57
2 Keys to Imagination 7:35
3 Until the Last Moment 6:37
4 The Rain Must Fall 7.24
5 Acroyali/Standing in Motion (Medley) 8:51
6 One Man's Dream 3:36
7 Within Attraction 7:46
8 Nostalgia 5:46
9 Swept Away 9:22
10 One Man's Dream 05:22

[edit] Awards & Certifications

Year Pos. Chart
1994 #1 Billboard's "Top New Age Albums" chart
1994 #5 Billboard's "Top 200" chart

[edit] Video

[edit] Tracks

Track Title
1 Santorini
2 Until the Last Moment
3 Keys to Imagination
4 The Rain Must Fall
5 Felitsa
6 Within Attraction
7 One Man's Dream
8 Marching Season
9 Nostalgia
10 Acroyali/Standing in Motion (Medley)
11 Aria
12 Swept Away
13 Reflections of Passion
14 The End of August

[edit] Awards & Certifications

Year Award
1994 Emmy Nomination "Outstanding Individual Achievement in Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Drama Series, Variety Series, Miniseries or a Special".

[edit] Credits

All music composed and produced by Yanni, except "Aria", which is based on the French opera The Flower Duet and popularized by various British Airways TV commercials

[edit] Band

[edit] Production

  • Recorded by Andy Rose.
  • Engineered and mixed by Yanni at his private studios.
  • Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Los Angeles.
  • Orchestrations by Shahrdad Rohani, Jeffrey Silverman & John Rinehimer
  • Transcriptions and arrangement preparation by Richard Boukas and Shahrdad Rohani.
  • All music published by 23rd Street Publishing, Inc./YanniWorks, administered worldwide by 23rd Street Publishing, Inc. (ASCAP)
  • Art Direction & Design: Norman Moore
  • Photography Lynn Goldsmith

[edit] Trivia

  • In a three-year television deal with PBS, the live television special was one of the top fundraising subjects for PBS, raising $13 million, with more than 750,000 home videos and more than 7 million albums sold worldwide. It has been seen in 65 countries by half a billion people, has almost continuously remained on the charts since its release, and is the second best-selling music video of all time.
  • From this appearance and others with Yanni, violinist Karen Briggs gained the title "The Lady in Red".
  • "Acroyali/Standing in Motion" was determined to have the "Mozart Effect", by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine because it was similar to Mozart's K 448 in tempo, structure, melodic and harmonic consonance and predictability.

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[edit] External Links

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