When I first heard David Lanz, it was because of a cable television radio station. I was walking through a room and heard this beautiful music. I had to stop. There was nothing else to do but listen. I couldn’t have left without hearing the entire composition… it just was too magical and too good to leave. The name of the piece of music that caught my ear was, “Cristofori’s Dream,” from the album of the same name.

“Cristofori’s Dream,” is one of Seattle-born Lanz’s best known compositions. It was in the number one slot on Billboard’s first adult alternative/new age chart for 27 weeks. And although Lanz was nominated for a Grammy in 2000, he is unsure of the New Age label for his music, as are many musicians in the neoclassical or instrumental genre. Calling himself a “SNAG,” Lanz says, “My acronym for a Sensitive New Age Guy. It was a comfortable and funny way of breaking through misconceptions of the ‘New Age’ label in a way similar to Victor Borge’s unique talent for making classical music more accessible by including his own witty personality as part of his concerts.”

As an interesting trivia note, even though Yanni outsells Lanz in actual albums, Lanz far outsells Yanni in sheet music. His piano playing encompasses a tremendous range and he smiles about children learning piano to his music.

Although all of Lanz’s music is worth owning, my favorite remains, “Cristofori’s Dream.” Perhaps it is the memory of music unexpected, or perhaps it is the magic of the first encounter of something really special. The title piece is my favorite and “Green Into Gold,” and “Wings to Altair,” are close seconds.

I don’t care what label we call David Lanz’s music. It should be filed under “The Best,” because you simply won’t find anything better. I’ll be listening to it for the rest of my evening!

David Lanz Official Web Site