Dark Age of Camelot: A Musical Journey Through the Realms of Hibernia, Midgard and Albion

Artist: Various Artists
Label: Decca U.S.
Category: Music

Average customer rating:

Format: Enhanced
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1

UPC: 028947213024
EAN: 0028947213024
ASIN: B00005UNCC

Release Date: 2002-01-15

Dark Age of Camelot: A Musical Journey Through the Realms of Hibernia, Midgard and Albion

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Tracks:

Main Title - Rick Schaffer
Hibernian Village Dance - Rick Schaffer
The Ranger - Rolf Lovland
The Warden - Cheryl Ann Fulton
The Mentalist - Declan Masterson
The Bard - Deborah Henson-Conant
The Champion - Secret Garden
The Druid - Thomas Loefke
Midgard Dawn - Rick Schaffer
The Berserker - Tonu Kaljuste
The Skald - Tonu Kaljuste
The Spiritmaster - Jan Garbarek
The Runemaster - Jan Garbarek
The Shaman - Jan Garbarek
Albion Dream - Rick Schaffer
The Wizard - New London Consort
The Scout - New London Consort
The Minstrel - New London Consort
The Friar - New London Consort
The Paladin - New London Consort

Amazon.com

One of the cool things about modern video games is that some very interesting people--such as former NIN drummer Chris Vrenna and contemporary instrumental composer David Arkenstone--have been commissioned to score recent titles. Now Dark Age of Camelot unites an eclectic batch of artists in its soundtrack. Whether one is a fan of the game or simply wants to indulge in music from, or reflective of, the Middle Ages, this CD offers a surprisingly diverse range of compositions, most symbolizing an individual character type from the game. Deborah-Henson Conant's delicate and graceful harp playing characterizes the Bard; Veljo Tormis's eerie "Litany to Thunder," performed by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, heralds the Berserker; the Ranger is accompanied by a sprightly Celtic theme from Secret Garden; and the Wizard is represented by a beguiling medieval gaming and drinking song performed by the New London Consort. Composers Rick Schaffer and Charles Washington also provide three electronic/symphonic tracks, including the opening fanfare of "Main Title." Further, the three realms from the game each possess a dominant musical style--for Hibernia, it's Celtic, for Midgard, Nordic, and for Albion, medieval European. Let's hope the impressive Dark Age of Camelot marks the future of video-game soundtracks. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews:

Unpleasant surprise.......2003-07-18

I am a collector of soundtracks and, even though I do not play DAOC, I purchased this one based on the sample clips presented. If you are thinking of buying this, be aware that the clips above are not indicative of the album. In fact, only four, very short pieces on this album are even part of the game soundtrack. The rest are a mishmash of pieces from various other sources. The two from Secret Garden are lifted from their "Dreamcatcher" album. As has been mentioned, there is no real flow to the music. Most jarring are the numerous choral arrangements, which I did not expect and don't particularly enjoy.
If you're thinking of starting DAOC like I was and hope to get a feel for the game by listening to the soundtrack, don't waste your time. I'll most likely be selling this one.

A really cool idea! (And great music too!).......2003-05-26

Most compilation CDs I've come across are either marketing tools featuring the artists of a particular label, or else themed collections of similar music. This album is neither. Rather, it contains music from a wide variety of artists and musical traditions, selected to reflect and give voice to the imaginary world created by a computer game (also entitled "Dark Age of Camelot"). Musical styles range from Neo-Nordic and New Age to Celtic and Renaissance, with a bit of Estonian and soundtrack-style music thrown in as well. The resulting mix is somewhat uneven to listen to straight through, which can be disconcerting. However, the disparities seem to be intentional; each of the fictional cultures in the game is represented by markedly different styles of music. And it's real music too, not hokey, electronicized game motifs. The selections abound with mature compositional and arrangement styles, passionate performance and professional delivery. In fact, some of my favorite artists are featured here: Thomas Loefke, Secret Garden, and the New London Consort. And the other musicians were well worth being introduced or re-introduced to. I love the creative concept of this CD: drawing evocative, inspiring, professionally-produced music together from a variety of sources, for the purpose of enhancing another creative effort of a different genre--synthesis and synergy. There exists such a huge amount of recorded music to choose from in an endeavor like this, and there are probably other games out there which could inspire similar collaborations, not to mention many, many books (remember books--those things you don't have to plug in to enjoy?) which could easily do the same. I, for one, would be delighted to discover more albums like "Dark Age of Camelot". Whether used to sample the work of some fine musicians, or to get in the mood for the DAoC game, this CD is well worth the price, as well as the effort that went into producing it. Thanks, Steven Singer, Penny Bennett, and company! And if you like this album and its concept, you might also enjoy these others, also inspired by works of fantasy fiction: David and Diane Arkenstone's "Music Inspired by Middle Earth", "Byzantium" by Jeff Johnson and Brian Dunning, and the Danna brothers' "A Celtic Tale".

Dark Age of Camelot More Than A Game........2002-02-09

Who wants a game soundtrack? You should. From day one of playing the game Dark Age of Camelot I enjoyed the background music that accompanied my journey through Celtic lands. I've now purchased the soundtrack and I LOVE IT. I play it when I'm away from my computer in the mix of rush hour traffic. The music includes traditions from Celtic, Nordic, and European music. I find some tracks playful but in total the CD is a soothing pleasure. My favorite is ''The Ranger'' (The Rap) performed by Secret Garden. The CD also includes the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir and Philip Pickett. The Dark Age of Camelot Soundtrack should be apart of every music collection, especially if you love new experiences.

Maybe a little too authentic?.......2002-02-03

I love the CD and the music is very beautiful, but somehow it didn't seem to fit the game. Perhaps it's because I'm so conditioned to hear that typical game genre music, this seemed far too "real". Maybe this would work well for those on the role playing servers, but I didn't find it to necessarily enhance my DAoC experience. (that's not to say it detracts from it either!) I listen to the CD often, but ironically, not usually when I'm playing the game as was the initial suggestion. :)

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