Live at the Acropolis

Product Review

* Expanded package includes new photos and new liner notes. * The DVD features the most dramatic footage filmed of Yanni live in concert. * The DVD contains backstage interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the video.

On the night of September 25, 1993, beneath the golden glow of the Parthenon, a standing-room-only crowd assembled to witness a stunning spectacle of sight and sound. The majestic stone arches of the 2,000 year-old Herod Atticus Theatre became the setting for a performance of a lifetime. The passionate crowd warmly embraced its native son, internationally known composer and performer, Yanni, who was returning home after two decades in America.

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Yanni can be likened to 1970s rock group Emerson, Lake and Palmer. There are several basic parallels, especially in this orchestra-enhanced concert reworking of his more propulsive, anthemic compositions. Yanni, who in concert sometimes strikes the rapturous two-keyboard "iron-cross" pose that served as one of Keith Emerson's trademarks, uses, as ELP did, classical and world-music influences to elevate pop-inclined compositions to more sophisticated levels. He then turbocharges the whole concoction with bold strokes of prog-rock bravura to give his finest pieces a dramatic, chest-swelling, larger-than-life impact. A key difference between the two acts, of course, is Yanni possesses a much stronger romantic streak, plus he refrains from attacking his keyboards with sharp objects. At his best, Yanni strikes incendiary sparks with the driving, celebratory quality of his music, and this production, culling some of the best audio moments from his much-televised 1993 concert performance in Athens, is a most appealing showcase. Yanni can sometimes strike the sonic hammer as forcefully as a Greek god ("Santorini," "Keys to Imagination") and, on this album at least, gives even overtly romantic pieces ("One Man's Dream," "Swept Away") a warmly masculine flair. Beautifully arranged and recorded; a pleasure to experience. --Terry Wood

Title Tracks for Live at the Acropolis (CD & DVD)

1. Santorini
2. Keys To Imagination
3. Until The Last Moment
4. The Rain Must Fall
5. Acroyali/Standing In Motion; Acroyali\ Standing In Motion
6. One Man's Dream
7. Within Attraction
8. Nostalgia
9. Swept Away
10. Reflections Of Passion
11. Santorini
12. Until The Last Moment
13. Keys To Imagination
14. The Rain Must Fall
15. Felitsa
16. Within Attraction
17. One Man's Dream
18. Marching Season
19. Nostalgia
20. Acroyali/Standing In Motion; Acroyali\ Standing In Motion
21. Aria
22. Reflections Of Passion
23. Swept Away
24. The End Of August

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review

(154 customer reviews)

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful

REFLECT ON THE PASSION OF ONE ASTOUNDING MAN'S DREAM!, June 18, 2000

Soaring Heart - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Acropolis (Audio CD)

If I had to pick 10 CD's that were the very essence of passion this would be one of the top picks! I saw Yanni first playing live on TV as I was "channel surfing" and I was frozen in my seat, completely entralled by his passion and originality. I went straight out the next day and bought this CD. Rarely does any music reach out and Grab my heart the way Yanni does; oh if everything were as romantic and passionate as his music!My personal favorites are: 1 ONE MAN'S DREAM 2 REFLECTIONS OF PASSION 3 UNTIL THE LAST MOMENT 4 NOSTALGIA and 5 THE RAIN MUST FALL.Whether you are a hopeless romantic, or a firey aggressive person this is the music for you!I whole-heartedly recommend Yanni's music for the entire world! There is so much beauty. No words are needed.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

Yanni at his best, September 14, 2005

Constantinos V. "Constantinos V." (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Acropolis (Audio CD)

Inspiring. He has the backing of a great philarmonic orchestra and two virtuosos on the violin. Track number 7 is great, the two violin players it is as if they have a competition who will play faster. And the last one (reflections of passion) is propably one of the best songs he has ever composed. it was my wedding song. If you are planning to visit Greece get this cd and take it with you. you will be able to understand Yanni's music even more.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

Well Crafted Record, or The Audience Plays the Part of Ostinato, August 15, 2005

Christopher "chrysaetos" (Wengen-en-esprit) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at the Acropolis (Audio CD)

I never thought my love for music would extend to Yanni. I purchased this album back in high school (10 years ago or so), covertly, and without mentioning it to my friends. Sure enough, it was a beautiful record but I didn't appreciate it for what it was.

Now, as I've found my part of the world to be a raucous, traffic-ingested sort, I can find peace in Yanni's Live at the Acropolis. Even his most invigorating tunes are like listening to a combination of classical music and the better of Hollywood scores...but his music is still a genre on its own.

The piano is beautifully played, my favorite instrument to listen to (with accompaniment); the orchestra is molded perfectly to his music and the very subtle keyboard effects (e.g. haunting ambient choirs in "Until the Last Moment" or string pizzicato in "Standing in Motion") work wonders to add atmosphere. I actually don't know Yanni's other music, so I don't know if he uses orchestras otherwise, but credit must...Read more