The newest release from "Trans-Siberian Orchestra" leaves the Christmas season behind, venturing into a Rock Opera built around Ludwig von Beethoven. I must admit, I was very curious to see how classical music mixed with electric guitars and keyboards and orchestral instruments, not to mention what kind of story Paul O'Neill, the force behind TSO, had cooked up this time. By my rating, I was obviously very impressed with this project. It's multicultural and multigenerational, both musically and lyrically. I really hope people of all ages take the opportunity to experience this latest bit of brilliance by O'Neill and Company.

The very recognizable classical music portions of the album range from Beethoven to Mozart to Rimsky-Korsakov, and songs range from "Moonlight Sonata" to "Flight of the Bumblebee" to "Für Elise." The arrangements built around the classics by Paul O'Neill, Robert Kinkel and Jon Oliva, as well as the original material created to support the story, put forth a most interesting package. The characters are very distinctive and you can easily picture the story unfolding as a full stage production.

Let me set the stage for the story and introduce the cast of characters as they become part of the story.

On a late night, in the spring of 1827, during the worst lightning storm ever recorded, Beethoven is slumped over his piano where his just completed Tenth Symphony sits. It is his final and, he is certain, greatest work. The story centers on Beethoven and the strange visitors who appear to him on that night.

The first track, "Overture," opens with the simple piano notes that begin the "Moonlight Sonata." As it moves to about the fourth melodic change, the piano is joined by drums, strings and electric guitars with an original slant that goes off in it's own direction. This is where you get the first hint of the powerful music on this album. Continuing with chord changes on the piano, the song moves on to a small portion of "Ode To Joy." After a few seconds of original music the bass violins lead into "Beethoven's Fifth" followed by a crash of thunder and a segue into the first original song on the album, "Midnight."

As the story continues, the beautiful spirit, Fate, and her deformed son, Twist, arrive in Beethoven's room, along with many spirits and ghosts from his past. They've come to tell him this is his last night on earth. He begs them to leave, but he's told that as shadows they're only there because of the light that his life has cast and that light is slowly dimming.

With a combination of characters, each vocal accompanied by it's own kind of music, Fate, Twist and the other ghosts tell Beethoven what's happening in their separate ways. Twist is loud and accompanied by a lot of bass and drums, while the "ghostly chorus" are a driving, hard-hitting group accompanied by percussion and strings. With music and vocal changes combined in the songs "Midnight" and "Fate," the tone for the album is established. The first appearance by Beethoven is on track 4, "What Good This Deafness," as he converses with Twist. An almost carnival atmosphere surrounds Twist as he taunts Ludwig.

At the stroke of midnight, a new character appears - Mephistopheles! Of course this character has a sarcastic tone of voice with a growl of a vocal and heavy percussion accompaniment. He tells Beethoven he's there to collect his soul. Faced with eternal damnation, Beethoven is terrified. He says it can't be his time. He has to finish his Tenth Symphony. With uncharacteristic generosity, the Prince of Darkness offers him as much time as he needs as long as he shows him what parts he plans to add or change. At this point the voice of Mephistopheles becomes melodic and cajoling. A musical bridge of solo piano repeats the beginning of "Moonlight Sonata." Finally Beethoven is forced to admit he won't change a single note. Ever the devious trickster, Satan makes the composer another offer. If Beethoven will give him all his music for him to wipe from the memory of man, he will return his soul to him.

Beethoven is in a quandary. He fears an eternity of damnation and is desperate to reclaim his soul, but the thought of losing his music, his life's work, makes him hesitate. Mephistopheles even offers to leave for an hour before returning for Ludwig's answer.

"What Is Eternal" is Beethoven agonizing over what to do about his music, with dramatic vocals and the full band and orchestra backing him. Now Beethoven tries to recall the actions in his life that led to his damnation. Angrily, he confronts Fate for dealing him such a cruel hand. She asks what he would have her change. Forced to review his life, he realizes the removal of the most painful moments of his life would also remove the inspiration for what he considers his finest work. His music is who he is, the reason he was put on earth. He decides he would rather suffer for eternity than have it destroyed. He can't remove the music that he's seen bring joy to so many people.

Fate reminds him of "Vienna" as he ponders what to do, remembering his arrival years before in the city of his dreams. Beautiful melodies, harmonies and musical bridges bring things back to a more upbeat sound in this song. The instrumental "Mozart/Figaro" symbolizes his communication with the ghost of his idol, Mozart, about what he should do, and "The Dreams Of Candlelight," sung by a female, relates the story of his love for Teresa who he turns away from to spare her a life with a deaf musician.

In despair over losing both his love and his hearing, he composed "Requiem (The Fifth)." However, this version, done with the band and the orchestra is a quite different take on that piece of music! "The Dark" is a powerful and beautiful song performed by Beethoven's "Muse," as he continues to think about his past and how his life may have been different if he hadn't gone deaf.

A short version of "Für Elise" bridges to "After The Fall," a song sung by Teresa, still unmarried as is Beethoven, when she sees him in a bar many years later. She doesn't let him know she's there, but the memories and lost chances haunt her as well. This is a powerful ballad that gains strength and more and more musical accompaniment as it continues, with some blues-toned vocals and jazzed-up rock near the end.

"A Last Illusion" begins with a boogie-woogie, jazzed-up version of "Flight of the Bumblebee" that segues into a rock instrumental of said song, followed by "Ode To Joy" done in wailing electric guitars with the rest of the orchestra joining in soon after. The ghosts serenade in Latin to the tune of the original music, also played by the wailing guitars, that again moves into classical mode.

"This Is Who You Are," sung by Beethoven, is his acceptance of his life as he's lived it and realization he wouldn't change anything. Changes would have prevented the music he composed. This is an original song that starts softly with little musical accompaniment, but as it continues the passionate vocal and orchestral build to a powerful ending. Segueing into another instrumental entitled "Beethoven," one of the best instrumentals on the album in my opinion, showcases the musical talents of all the musicians in both the band and the orchestra in a very powerful interlude.

"Mephistopheles Returns" is a long, original track, where Beethoven makes up his mind not to let his music disappear. This is another awesome song with emphatic music and lyrics, round-robin harmonies by more than one choir (a Paul O'Neill trademark), that really brings the point home.

When Satan returns and finds his offer refused, he replaces it with another. If Beethoven will only give the unreleased Tenth Symphony (unheard by any other living person) he will return his soul. Beethoven is torn once more and consults the ghost of Mozart. Again he decides that he can't destroy his music.

Desperate to obtain the Tenth Symphony, Mephistopheles points out a window to a child sleeping in the gutter. He informs Beethoven he owns the child's life, and details the suffering that will be heaped upon her in her short life in the song "Misery." Jon Oliva does a great job playing Satan. The inflection, sighs, wicked laugher and threats make this song! This is how he tries to force Beethoven to give him his final musical creation -- he will give up all claims on the child. Ludwig turns away, determined to give Satan a final no. His dilemma is expressed in "Who Is This Child." Before he has time to say no, he once again looks at the child. He tries to convince himself she means nothing to him, she's not his responsibility and there are millions more like her. Her life will make no difference, while his symphony will bring joy to countless generations. He wonders why he should care about her, but his heart won't let him leave the child to this evil prince, so he makes his deal with the devil.

Twist moves over and whispers in Beethoven's ear that he can make his own contract and proceeds to write it for him. Being a trickster himself, he writes a contract that will never come to pass. Enraged, Mephistopheles throws the music back at Beethoven and disappears in an explosion of smoke and flame.

Beethoven is surprised and confused and asks if Satan is coming back to collect his soul. Fate tells him that Mephistopheles never had a claim on his soul. This surprises Ludwig even more because of what Satan said, but Fate say he is the devil and he lies. With this explanation, Beethoven feels at peace. He asks Fate what happens next and she sings the last track, "A Final Dream," telling him it's time for him to rest. That night he will dream a new dream inside the gates of paradise.

As his soul departs, the room becomes still and the ghosts and shadows fade away. The peace is broken when Twist returns, takes the manuscript for the Tenth Symphony, climbs up a bookcase and slips it behind a wall. Here it will remain hidden, the world blissfully unaware of its existence, until that day in the future when it will be discovered and once again live!

Paul O'Neill says this story is about 50-50 fact and fiction, but what a wonderful tale he has woven! The lyrics to all the songs tell the story I've outlined above in much greater detail with fantastic music and passionate vocals that can't help but move the listener.

Because of the nature of this album it's very difficult to describe how it sounds, although I've done my best to arouse your interest. I know that saying it's a rock opera based on classical music, Beethoven in particular, doesn't help much! The mixture of an excellent hard rock band, with the extremely talented orchestra of strings, percussion and piano (Yes, TSO and Savatage have done this several times already, way before Metallica's outing last year!) is just wonderful and inspiring. The characters are vivid, even if you don't read the story; the variety of lead vocalists, backup vocalists and child choir is enchanting; the use of percussion for emphasis gives the vocals additional power.

Personally, I would really love to see this epic as a stage performance, but a concert would be fantastic too. Until tour dates are announced, get yourself down to your local music store and BUY THIS ALBUM!! It is a fantastic addition to ANYONE'S music collection. It's also 22 tracks long, so you definitely get your money's worth!

Here are a few quotes that I've received from people who've already listened to the album:

". . .a wonderful way to introduce young people to classical music." A convert in St. Louis!

"Beethoven never sounded so good . . ." Props from California!

". . .and fans of classical music should check this album out! They may move out of their little corner of the world for a while and see what can be done! The same goes for rock fans!" A shout out from Ohio!

NOTE: Please see my interview with Paul O'Neill in the Interviews section of AMZ in a week or two. Learn more about Paul and his career, as well as this and other projects he's working on!