Those who manage to find 50 minutes of their day to give this album a listen are in for what may possibly be the best 50 minutes of their entire week.
Led by Mano Divina Giannone, a concert thereminist, Divine hand Ensemble consists of the man himself, backed by a string quartet, two harps, which is better than one harp, a vibraphone, and an accordion. Based in Philadelphia, the ensemble plays mainly covers, arranged for their unique outfit of instruments, with the theremin always playing a leading role, in spite of its charming limitations.
Here, we should stop for a moment and have a talk about the theremin. Invented in the 20s, the theremin was the first ever musical instrument whose function was purely electronic. Popularized by its eccentric utilization by Jimmy Page to play manic and spacey sci-if solos in many Led Zeppelin songs and performances, a lot of people who are already familiar with the instrument in this regard will be astonished to find out what’s possible when the theremin is used in its proper setting. Played by moving the hands to and from specialized metal rods to control the pitch and volume by altering magnetic fields surrounding those rods, the theremin playing involves no physical contact, making its aesthetic as mystical as its sound, and making its limitations just as profound as its capabilities, as it is all literally in the hands of the player.
Mano Divina Giannone is a wonderful thereminist. Having had an elaborate musical education and having mastered many instruments that range from bass to turntables, his heart turned towards the theremin in the late nineties and he never looked back, and with performances for the Dalai Lama, the Pope, and the president of the UN, it’s safe to say that his ensemble has found success with a wide reach of audiences. Aria 51 starts with a cover of Zappa’s jazz fusion cut, Peaches en Regalia, which sounds grand and whimsical, and spectacular as an introductory cut. Sounding like a mashup of fantastic animated film scores, this piece’s many twists and turns are gorgeously translated into the ensemble’s own sound and are arranged to perfection. The theremin starts to lead the party starting from the second cut, Opera. The haunting and melancholic composition makes perfect use of the theremin’s sweet and smooth delivery of the melody, with the pockets of light delivered by swelling strings and harps. Full of spectacle and wonder.
Following is a one-two set of Bowie covers. Starting with a cover of a cover, Wild is he Wind is as usual, dramatic, romantic, and beautiful, with the human quality of the theremin effortlessly replacing the need for either Bowie’s or Nina Simone’s voice, and it helps that the string arrangements are so wonderfully delightful and charismatic, providing a perfect backing for this lyrical masterpiece, thus highlighting the theremin and making it even more effective as a vocal replacement. The Man Who Sold The World is easy to cover and easy to enjoy and remains one of Bowie’s timeless classics, even in this delightful and peppy orchestral cover with a mad theremin solo. Their cover of Queen’s Who Wants to Live Forever is emotive and spectacular, making it easy to see why this endured as one of the favorites among Queen’s die-hard fans, even if it gets considerably less attention than a lot of their other iconic pieces. Touching and Grand, the melodies move between the Theremin and the cello, with nuanced string arrangements that move gracefully between curious pizzicato sections to serene and lush legato passages. The grand and cinematic rendition of La Vie en Rose is as delicate, delightful, and moving as ever, with the human-like fluidity and smoothness of the theremin playing the lead role in delivering timeless melodies. There can be no better time than this quintessentially French piece for an iconic solo on the characterful and colorful accordion.
The 10-minute-long Ghost Town is perfectly fitting to the eerie quality that the theremin can, and does bring. A much-elongated version of another timeless classic by The Specials, this cut makes use of the iconic progression and its eerie melodies and make them a basis for a sprawling, orchestral jam, with elongated and brilliant improvisations from the lead violin, woodwinds, and brasses, even the harp get a cut in this action, playing simplistic lead lines that must have been difficult to nail. The flute solos are particularly attractive, and rich with technique and prowess. This entire sprawling soloing section showcases the immense talents of every single player in this aptly named divine ensemble.
The eccentricity of hearing a theremin lead such an ensemble of musicians across such a varied selection of pieces made Aria 51 an exceptionally enriching listen, full of unexpected twists and moves, all executed with mastery and attention to detail, vividly mixed and produced, for a result that’s simply sublime, and with a ton of replay value. This album is artful and fun and is extremely worth the time for a dedicated listen.