Vangelis-El Greco (1998)

For many, "El Greco" is the culmination of the vast discography of the Greek composer Vangelis. Conceived as a concept album, it was officially released in 1998, following an expanded reissue of a work titled "Foros Timis Ston Greco", which had been released in limited quantities by a Greek museum in 1995. On this occasion, the Greek musician delves into the life of the Hellenic religious painter, Doménikos Theotokópoulos, known as El Greco, who lived in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. In this work, Vangelis continues to demonstrate that he is a true artist who pays no attention to commercialism, presenting a sober and ethereal album, emotionally profound and spiritual music for the eyes of the mind. Composed of ten extraordinary movements, it portrays the suffering of the painter and his works, almost oppressive in nature, representing life as a concept and the mortality of the physical sense. During its nearly 73-minute duration, the keyboardist attempts to convey a profound emotional charge and a pleasing, sophisticated musical aesthetic, where medieval and Byzantine music are extraordinarily intertwined, at times resembling a powerful film soundtrack. The music also possesses a delicate sphere of mysticism and melancholy, making this thirty-fourth album by the Greek musician one of his great masterpieces.