La Luna

Sarah Brightman has gone where no woman has gone before--to the top of the international pop, classical and crossover worlds. But she remains as down-to-earth as anyone when it comes to the mysteries of the moon, the inspiration for her latest, stunning recording, LA LUNA. In five different languages, Brightman's crystalline soprano graces an incomparable mix of classical and pop music ranging from Rachmaninov, Beethoven, Handel and Dvorak to the traditional "Scarborough Fair," and the dark standard, "Gloomy Sunday," which gives listeners a rare glimpse of the jazzy side of her voice. Perfectly suited for Brightman's voice and repertoire is "Whiter Shade Of Pale," the Procol Harum Pop Hit from the 1960s, which was based on a Bach cantata. Other highlights include the first English language recording of "He Doesn't See Me," by top French artist Jean-Jacques Goldmann (whose songs are frequently recorded by Celine Dion); "La Califfa," by acclaimed film composer Ennio Morricone; the minimalist trip hop ballad "This Love;" the Latin pop of "Hijo De La Luna," and Brightman's
soaring dance/pop interpretation of "Here With Me." On the amazing diversity of her material, Sarah notes, "Being varied is something I do instinctively and naturally. I feel a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Everything is in tune: the voice, the type of music, who I am and who people think I am. I've been trying to find my own niche, a style very much my own. At last I've found it."

Brightman first thought of recording a moon-themed album once while she was singing what has become the title track, Dvorak's "La Luna," or "Song to the Moon." She performs it in Italian, explaining that the Latin languages often allow more fluidity than the original if the composer is German or Czech. Although not all the pieces on LA LUNA are as closely related to the moon, Brightman chose those she felt had the right "feeling" for the theme.

"Themes come to me at different times and I don't always use them at that time," she explains. "It was such a kind of magical, mystical piece, it gave me an idea to do an album at some point that would include other songs associated with the moon. There are so many stories and poems and so much folklore about the moon and its' mysteries. They're very magical, they're very romantic, they're very mystical. It's a mix of ancients and the modern. It can be something very old and folklorish or it can be something from space travel. In your imagination you can create so much from that particular theme. I just thought it would give me a lot of scope. The barriers wouldn't be too tight for me when choosing material."

Also among the folklore-inspired tracks on LA LUNA are Beethoven's "Figlio Perduto" and "Hijo De La Luna," by contemporary songwriter J.M. Cano. LA LUNA marks the third Brightman album to feature one of his songs. The legend that inspired it is about a child who was born to a gypsy, but he was actually the son of the moon, born with an albino skin. Brightman drew upon two myths for the Beethoven: a German poem about a lost child who was taken away by evil as well as the folk tale of a poor, young girl who begged for help from the heavens and saw all the stars turn into coins and fall into her apron. Such tales infuse the track with its dark, mysterious mood.

Brightman's strongest personal connection on LA LUNA is to the Rachmaninov piece, "How Fair This Place," one of the first songs she sang when she was very young. The work is one part of a larger song cycle which she found to be absolutely beautiful. "This particular piece always touched me. It's about being in a beautiful place. I interpret it as being in a beautiful, empty space with God. "

LA LUNA has more in common with Brightman's previous albums, DIVE, TIME TO SAY GOOD BYE and EDEN than just being a themed work. All were produced by Frank Peterson, who co-produced Enigma's first multi-platinum hit. They all also represent what Brightman wanted to be doing when she left her successful career in musical theater, where she starred in "Cats" and became virtually synonymous with the role of Christine in Andrew Lloyd Webber's phenomenon, "Phantom of the Opera."

Recalling how she sought out Peterson when she heard the Enigma album, Brightman says:

"Enigma had just been in the charts and been very big in America. I was signed to another label at the time and they kept sending me American producers and it just wasn't gelling. I just thought there was something about Enigma that was so kind of European, it felt like exactly my taste. It was what I would do if I were producing and doing instrumental pieces—not a symphony, but with a classical dance vibe."

Brightman's instincts once again proved to be correct when it turned out to be the right move. Peterson was based in Germany where she was still virtually unknown. It was a time of working, experimenting, learning and training. She lived in Italy part of the time and worked with a vocal coach to improve her bel canto style. And it allowed her to return to her roots in classical music. But, as Brightman recalls, it was not without its risks:

"It took a lot of courage to seize control. I literally from one day to the next said no more. I just thought I wasn't going to be happy unless I moved on. I knew I'd have to take the risk. There were great offers coming in from all over the world and I just sort of had to blank out really and start again. Germany didn't know me from Adam. They had no idea who I was, they didn't care and it was great because I had a fresh start. I had to really struggle in another area but it was an area I knew that I should be in and I should be doing because it's actually what I came from originally before I went into musical theater. I only went into theater at first because I was out of work. Sometimes life takes you down those paths," she adds with a laugh.

Since then, Brightman has recorded an unbroken string of crossover hits. In just the last two years alone, Brightman has sold five million albums worldwide. Her platinum breakthrough, 1997's, TIME TO SAY GOOD BYE topped the Billboard Classical Crossover chart in the U.S. for a staggering 35 weeks, sold three million copies worldwide and went gold or platinum in 21 countries. The title track, a duet with Andrea Bocelli, sold five million copies worldwide, and stands as the biggest selling single in history in Germany. She followed that up with her 1999 release, EDEN, which hit #1 on Billboard Magazine's Classical Crossover chart (spending a total of 51 weeks on the chart), is far past gold in the U.S. and has sold two million copies worldwide.
1999 saw her biggest tour yet. The remarkable "One Night In Eden" tour, which included a 60-date, sold-out North American leg, was seen by nearly 200,000 people and garnered rave reviews:
"a breathtaking production...the most memorable concert of the year."
- Washington Post
"the petite singer with the glorious voice...it was the crystalline purity of her voice that carried Brightman's 90-minute show."
- New York Post
"...she's forged a very personal musical image of her own in the crossover market, embracing rock, new age and techno-pop while continuing to improve her operatic range." -
- Denver Post
"the show-stopping set...took the concept of soaring vocals to new heights..."
- Boston Herald
Filmed for a PBS TV special, "Sarah Brightman: One Night in Eden" repeated the success of 1998's "Live at the Royal Albert Hall." Both ruled the airwaves during pledge drives and rank among the most successful pledge events to date. "One Night in Eden" was released as a home video with bonus footage on both VHS and DVD in October 1999 and it too (like all that Sarah seemingly touches) went gold.
"I love a challenge and the last four years it has all come to fruition and it has been wonderful," simply states the singer hailed by Billboard as, "one of the truly glorious voices..."