All the Days of My Life: The Wedding Album

I came across this album while helping a friend choose the song she will walk down the aisle to. Listening to it, though, I wish I could get married again just so I can play some of these songs at my wedding! Although this soundtrack was made for weddings, I also found it to be very relaxing for my everyday life. Great job!

This is such beautiful music. Vicente Avella's performance on the CD is amazing. His work is flawless. The CD incorporates wonderful traditional as well as music composed by Avella. I love the work.

The way the music is played on this CD will let you relax and think of that special day when you got married, I got transported by the music and I wish I could have played this on my wedding day! Bravo!

I have enjoyed this CD tremendously. It is a modern take on some of the classics. The playing is amazing, great sound! I am planing to use it on my wedding during the cocktail hour.

"All The Days Of My Life" is the Will Ackerman-produced debut solo piano CD by Vicente Avella. Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, Avella has been writing and performing internationally since 1998. He has scored numerous independent films, orchestrated and worked on music production for major network television shows including Family Guy (FOX) and American Dad (FOX), and written music for worldwide advertising that includes Intel (Saudi Arabia), Red Bull Air Race World Championship (Brazil), and official branding for FPC Sports Channel (Colombia). He has also provided the music for hundreds of weddings and found a serious need for updates to some of the classical wedding piano repertoire. All The Days Of My Life is a collection of eleven arrangements and original compositions that reflect on Avella’s own wedding day. He wanted to capture every moment and hold onto the memory of that very special occasion as well as providing a treasured keepsake for other couples. The music is dignified without being stilted, arranged in a new age/contemporary classical style that should fit in beautifully in church as well as less formal settings. A companion sheet music book is also available, providing pianists with faithful transcriptions of the music on this CD. Individual sheet music downloads are also available from Avella’s site. The album begins with a lovely arrangement of Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” This version is uncluttered and has an easy flow that allows the gentle melody to really sing. “Dressed In White” is a love song that overflows with tenderness and longing and would be a graceful prelude to the ceremony. “Romanze (Canon in D)” has snippets of the venerable Pachelbel Canon woven throughout the piece, but you have to listen for them. Wagner’s “Bridal March” has to be one of the most-recognized pieces of music in Western culture and can be cloying in the wrong hands. Avella has given it a graceful contemporary setting that works beautifully, keeping the traditional melody intact while updating it with a fresh new setting. The intro to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” contains the melody of this classic, but after that, phrases from the original piece pop up here and there. A bit more lively than some of the other tracks, it is subtle enough to use as a quiet background piece during the ceremony. The title track is another original composition, this time conveying the promise of wedding vows with confidence and deep emotion - a favorite. “Romanze (Reprise)” clocks in at just over a minute, restating a few of the themes from the first “Romanze.” “The One I Love” has a slightly haunting quality, alternating between major and minor modes - I like this one a lot, too. Schubert’s “Ave Maria” is another universally-recognized theme, and Avella’s update is a fitting and appropriate treatment of one of the most beautiful melodies ever composed. His arrangement of Vivaldi’s “Spring” is lively and joyous, but still gentle and quiet. Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” is often used as the recessional to the wedding ceremony, and the traditional arrangements are usually very big and triumphant. This one is slower and much quieter, building slowly to a peak and then fading back to a subdued ending. It’s different, but also quite lovely. "All The Days Of My Life" is an impressive project, and I can see why Will Ackerman (founder of Windham Hill Music) was enthusiastic about producing it. Recommended!!!

One of the more unique niche albums I’ve come across recently is Vicente Avella’s piano music for weddings, Entitled "All The Days Of My Life," it is a present day perspective on “timeless classics” performed on solo piano in a style that brings to mind George Winston, David Lanz, Peter Kater, and many of the Windham Hill artists. The connection to Windham Hill goes even deeper in that Vicente’s album was produced by the iconic label’s founder, Grammy winning producer Will Ackerman. The album’s opening track, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” is played with a tenderness that sets just the right mood for this blessed time in a couple’s lives. I was also aware of and impressed with his sense of timing and way he impeccably used the space between the notes, as well as the notes themselves. This is followed by an original tune called “Dressed In White,” which was inspired by the first time Vicente saw his bride, now his wife in her wedding dress. Next up is “Romanze,” a graceful rendition of “Canon in D.” One of my, and I’m sure many other people’s favorite melodies is interpreted in a stately and graceful manner that is truly moving. Of course, no album of wedding music would be complete without that most archetypal song for the occasion, “Bridal March,” sometimes referred to as “Here Comes The Bride.” This is an emotionally evocative melody to begin with and Vicente’s heartfelt version of it might even bring a tear or two to the eye of even the most unsentimental listener. However, out of all the beautiful music on the album, my absolute favorite is the next to the last track, “Spring” by Vivaldi. I love the light-hearted optimistic air about it and the image of hopefulness it evokes of a couple on their special day contemplating a new life together. While the album features many classic songs, this compilation of Vicente’s performances of them could well become a classic in itself.

Very well played. I am always impressed by Vicente's performance. I am sure people will enjoy it!