A number of years passed between the release of Qntal II and Qntal III: Tristan und Isolde. In that time Ernst Horn, of Deine Lakaien left Qntal and was replaced by Phillipp Groth. Like their two earlier albums, Qntal III is a perfect example of the ethereal or heavenly voices genre of music and will appeal to fans of bands like Dead Can Dance, Estampie, or Corvus Corax. Most of the songs have a nice blend of soft electronics, stringed instruments, and enchanting medieval vocals (many of which are sung in Latin).

Many of the tracks from this album have worked their way to goth radio broadcasts and club floors in Europe and North America. A few of the songs I'd recommend listening to include: "Name der Rose", "Maiden in the Mor" in which Groth's guitar compliments Syrah's lovely vocals, "Ecce Gratum" with its male and female vocals, "Entre moi et mon amin", and "Vedes Amigo". The album is fantastic ... and you will not go wrong with any of its tracks.

If you enjoyed this album, I'd also recommend checking out other European ethereal artists such as Love Is Colder Than Death, Helium Vola, Sophya, O Quam Tristis, and Collection D'Arnell Andrea (some of which you can find here on amazon)!

Dark, driving and sometimes spooky, this third recording of Qntal is one of the more interesting attempts to deconstruct and modernize medieval music. Whispy, sometimes detached vocals float above a deep, multilayered foundation of keyboards, guitars and insistant beats that develop and grow beyond the mindless repetition often heard in modern dance music. The compositions are well thought out, carefully layered, and have interesting and varied sound effects. And, thankfully, Qntal has chosen to move beyond the much-overused Gregorian chant (a la Enigma's many copycats) to tap into the music of the medieval laypeople--minnesingers, troubadours, scholars, kings and that ubiquitous composer of all that is traditional, fondly known as "Anonymous." It's nice to have this sort of music given some exposure too. But I have to admit, what with the techno elements and dark ambience, not to mention the driving dance beats that threaten to drown out the vocals, it's sometimes hard to find much of the Middle Ages in this album. To be sure, the lyrics are taken from period sources as minnesingers Walter von der Vogelweide and Gottfried von Strassburg, as well as the Carmina Burana, the Cantigas de Santa Maria, and the Cantigas de Amigo. I recognize the melody of Maravillos as being relatively intact, and some additional melodies sound familiar as well, such as that of Cantiga de Santa Maria #1 in track #8, here coupled with German lyrics by Gottfried. But other songs seem more contemporary in origin, constructed with the general assumption that anything in a minor key with a simplistic or droning harmonic structure will sound "medieval." Nonetheless, for a comparative traditionalist like me, it's fun to kick my shoes off sometimes and listen to elements of my accustomed period repertoire performed in a different way, and Qntal certainly fills the bill on that count. The group is made up of Syrah on vocals, Michael Popp on fiddle, oud, saz, tar and vocals, and Fil on keyboards, guitars and programming, with guests Ernst Schwindl on drehleier (hurdy gurdy), Thomas Zoller on dudelsack (bagpipe), Till-Robin Hennecke on djembe, Klaus-Dietrich Groth on vocals, and narration by Andreas Seyferth. For more pseudo-medieval music with a modern edge, try also the recordings of the Mediaeval Baebes, Corvus Corax, Faun, Dead Can Dance, and "MCMXC A.D." by Enigma. The seminal and prolific German group Estampie offers more of an authentic experience, mixing fairly pure presentations of authentic medieval fare amongst their more modern stylings. And if you'd like to take the plunge and try the real thing, check out the following: "Music of the Crusades" and "Music of the Gothic Era" by David Munrow and the Early Music Consort of London, "Music of the Troubadours" and "Alfonso X `el Sabio': Cantigas de Santa Maria" by Ensemble Unicorn, "Carmina Burana" by the Boston Camerata, "Libre Vermell" by Sarband, "A L'Estampida" by the Dufay Collective, and "Istanpitta" I and II by New York's Ensemble for Early Music. Great stuff--unplugged and all on its own!

This is just the right album to lean back and relax while listening to the wonderful voice of Syrah, the singer of this band. The songs deal with the subject of tristan and Isolde, and in all the songs a great atmosphere is built up. Just buy it and start dreaming!

Having enjoyed Qntal VI: Translucida, I decided to give Qntal III: Tristan Und Isolde a spin. I'm not so crazy about it... too many uptempo songs, and lots of instrumentals that remind me of a Renaissance Faire. The vocals are lovely as usual -- I just wish this music had more of them.

i am forver a fan of music insipred by classical themes that carries the charm and grace of antiquity, yet uses the power of modern software to manipulate these sounds, giving them a cutting edge. Having based this work on Wagner's famous opera 'Tristan und Isolde,' Qntal proved to me that they are one of the best in the world at making the adaptation between the classical and the modern.

this CD is well worth the purcahse primarily for the high quality production and undoubted vocal talent of the trio that make up Qntal. the CD starts kind of slow with Owi Tristan, then builds steam with Pingit Rosa, and finally comes into its own during tracks like 'Maiden in the Moor,' 'Ecce Gratum' and of course 'Entre Moi.' They use all manners of instruments, which they are capable of playing live, and excellent mixing and engineering to tie these instruments together with the voice and theme of the songs.

the CD is also a good value because it comes with a DVD disc that includes a full length live concert filmed from many angles of the group performing each song on the album in sequence. There are other extras like the music video for 'Entre Moi' whose melodic beats are sure to get stuck in your head, and an interview with the group (in German).

on a final note, the female vocalist, Syrah, has all the talent of Sharon den Adel (of Within Temptation) but will never match her in terms of beauty. this should not detract from your appreciation of Qntal's music, but consider yourself warned.

fans of the classical, somewhat medeival sounds with a modern edge will surely appreciate this, as well as those just looking for something new and pleasing to the ear. i would recommend this to fans of just about any genre.

5 stars for originality, classy production and good value for the money with the live DVD. great purchase.