Luna for Women

Sarah Brightman, a superstar crossover vocalist, greets the new millennium with an even surer and bolder sense of her unique musical niche, as evident from her 2001 album, "La Luna." This concept album, though only vaguely free-associative, touches on images of the moon that reinforce its ambiguity as a force known to draw together "the lunatic, the lover, and the poet." Brightman's photo shoots for the album suggest a sort of Titania-like figure out of a New Age Midsummer Night's Dream.

The album is a stylistic as well as thematic voyage, coursing from contemporary sounds such as synth pop on "This Love" to vintage jazz standards like Billie Holiday's atmospheric and haunting "Gloomy Sunday." It also features high opera for the title track, a version of the sublime "Song of the Moon" from Dvořák's fairy-tale opera Rusalka, and draws on the gorgeously sinuous melodies of Bach, Handel, and Rachmaninov, with one song, "Figlio Perduto," even adapting the slow movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.

Throughout the album, producer Frank Peterson swathes Brightman's shiny small voice in luxuriant fabrics of sound. Detractors may lament the resulting sameness of tone, no matter the style involved, but Brightman's focus on spinning an ethereal spell never gets eclipsed. The domestic release of "La Luna" includes three tracks not available on the import version and has a special treat hidden in the final track as a bonus.

The album's thematic and stylistic diversity reflects Brightman's versatility as a crossover artist, blending elements of classical, contemporary, and jazz music to create a cohesive and captivating listening experience. Her ethereal, otherworldly vocals and the album's production values contribute to the overall sense of enchantment and mystique that pervades "La Luna." This release marks a significant milestone in Brightman's career, solidifying her status as a unique and innovative voice in the music industry.

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