A Time for Us in Bloomington, MN

Silence, on joue!
is a gathering of familiar themes from the movies, some of which -- like
John Williams
'
Schindler's List
and
Memoirs of a Geisha
-- originally featured the violin, but most of which have been arranged for
Angele Dubeau
and her ensemble
La Pieta
. What is appealing about this album is that even though the music is often bittersweet or tender, there is little bathos in the way the musicians play it. Their sound is lush, warm, and expressive without being too overpowering, allowing the music to generally speak for itself and the listener to construct his/her own images to go with it. The arrangements are also done interestingly enough so that not everything is a simple melody with orchestral accompaniment. There is also a pleasant sprinkling of whimsical humor (
Concerning Hobbits
) and dance (
Suite Far and Away
Por una Cabeza - La Cumparsita
). Some might still argue that this is a saccharine collection, but the album would suit many casual movie fans looking for background ambience with some recognizable melodies. ~ Patsy Morita