Loreena McKennitt - Nights from the Alhambra (3-Disc set)

Contains 1-DVD live concert performance from 2006 in Spain & 2-music CD's from the same concert.


DVD RIP using MakeMKV v1.7.7 (MKV) [Video] MPG2 HDTV 720x480 (16:9) 29.97fps [Audio] Dolby AC3 48000Hz 6ch


DVD RIP using CloneDVD v2.9.3.0 (ISO - NTSC)


Audio CD RIP using AudioGrabber 1.83 SE (MP3-320kb/s LAME v3.99)




The ISO is recommended because it includes the options for Loreena's commentary in multiple languages. The MKV is the exact same video as the ISO, but without the commentary. The audio CD's are recorded during the same performance, but are a much "cleaner" recording than the audio on the DVD.

There is a possible point of confusion here, as there are TWO versions of the same performance offered on Amazon. The ONLY difference is the packaging; both contain 3 disks (2 cd's and one DVD). This set is packaged as a jewel box set, and the other is packaged in a DVD sized container.

Editorial Review from Amazon:

After nearly a decade off the scene, Loreena McKennitt returned to the performance and recording stage in 2006 and 2007. The Canadian singer picked up exactly where she left off, traveling through the Celtic-Middle Eastern fusions she explored on The Book of Secrets with her latest studio album, An Ancient Muse. Now, with momentum behind her, she's released a DVD document of her performance at Alhambra palace in Granada, Spain. This is the same performance that has been running on PBS station pledge drives for the last year, but with a double CD included. McKennitt's renditions of songs from An Ancient Muse and her earlier albums are impeccable. As she is something of a perfectionist, there isn't much deviation from the original studio versions, but McKennitt is in fine voice and the band gets to rave it up a few times on tracks like "The Bonny Swans," where violinist Hugh Marsh and guitarist Brian Hughes trade increasingly frantic leads. This is an expanded group for McKennitt, with players from England, Greece, and the Middle East playing oud, dumbek, kanoun, hurdy-gurdy, duduk, and other ancient sounds from the British Isles to Turkey. The advantage of this edition of the Alhambra performance over that seen on PBS is that we're spared McKennitt's earnest and precious interstitials, talking about the location and her inspirations while slowly running her hands over Celtic carvings. But if you want it, that version of the performance is also on the DVD, as the commentary track. The CDs wisely drop even the between-song patter, which is fine, but not something to sit through on repeated listenings. Although the performance is beautifully, if conventionally filmed, and it's great to see this virtuoso band playing in communion, it's ultimately McKennitt's songs themselves that brim with visual imagery as she creates her ancient evocations as effectively on the concert stage as she does in the studio. --John Diliberto

Product Description:
An enchanting musical performance, set beneath the stars in the breathtaking Moorish heart of medieval Spain. Captured in concert in September 2006, singer/composer Loreena McKennitt leads viewers through the multi-textured landscapes of her catalog, from traditional Celtic ballads to literary narratives and highlights from her latest recording, An Ancient Muse.
Filmed in rich HDTV, Nights from the Alhambra evokes the otherworldly magic of Granada's palace of dreams, the fiery and inspired performances of a stellar cast of supporting musicians and, of course, the unforgettable voice and songs of Loreena McKennitt herself. The package includes the complete footage on DVD and 2 separate audio CDs that encompass the complete evening.