WITHIN THE REALM OF A DYING SUN

Description

Dead Can Dance's third album, the overall tone here is dark and at times dramatic, in perfect harmony with the cover, which features only a black band and a photo taken at Père Lachaise cemetery (showing the mourning woman adorning Raspail's tomb) and the couple, who were then in the midst of a breakup. This is the duo's most classical-sounding album: a small ensemble of strings and brass provides the instrumental part, with trumpets contributing greatly to the funereal atmosphere of the music, all while also incorporating counterpoint accompaniments, for which Brendan Perry took musicology lessons. The album's originality lies in clearly separating the songs sung by Brendan from those performed by Lisa Gerrard (the last four, including the classic "Cantara").