"Purgatorio" is a continuation of the project which spawned "Inferno." I found Inferno to be rough sledding, and could only give it 3 stars, one of which was for simple adventurous. This double CD set is different. The opening tracks really cook, and they keep on cooking. It slows alittle in the middle, but picks up again at the close. The women who sing in many differnt and beautiful voices fit perfectly with TD's masterful music. I've played if over and over, and am playing it as I write. For me this set suceeds in the many ways the Inferno seemed to suffer. TD deserves credit for reaching deeper into the complex of musical possibilities, including the wondrous diversity of the female human voice. This band has worked hard and has earned my trust. On Purgatorio they score and place a marker at the edge of aural experience which embraces both electronic and human textures. I am thankful.

Part 2 of Tangerine Dream's Dante project improves on the tedious droning sections of Inferno.Everyone seems to hate vocals in TD music going back to the 70's album Cyclone and though this cd probalbly won't change their mindset the vocals actually work quite nicely here giving the music a haunting fantasy flavor.Unfortunately without the visuals of their live performances some meandering pieces of music leave you in the dark and being no literature buff the songs sometimes struck me as mystifying.After a few listens though this cd really grew on me...a bewitching 2 hours for the openminded.

In nearly 132 minutes on two CD's, Tangerine Dream produces moving elegance and a colorful portrait in words and electronica.

The follow-up to Inferno, this 2004 release contains 18 tracks that are inspired by the epic poem, Dante's Inferno, and is artistically created by Edgar and Jerome Froese.

The vocalists - Barbara Kindermannn, Bianca Acquaye, Iris Camaa, Jayney Klimek, Saskia Klumpp, Tatjana Kouchey - are prominently featured and add a powerful statement to the performance. The strength of this project comes from this marvelous choir.

This is classic performance art and shows the vision of Edgar Froese to explore creative avenues for TD.