A Book of Luminous Things

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A Book of Luminous Things
Aga Zaryan - A Book of Luminous Things.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedJune 14, 2011 (2011-06-14)
RecordedMarch–April 2011
StudioCastle Oaks Studios, Calabasas
Genre Jazz
Length50:49
LanguageEnglish
Label EMI Music Poland/Blue Note
Aga Zaryan chronology
Looking Walking Being
(2010)
A Book of Luminous Things
(2011)

A Book of Luminous Things is the fifth studio album by the Polish jazz singer Aga Zaryan. It was released on June 14, 2011 by EMI Music Poland and Blue Note Records.

Contents

The album contains twelve compositions to the poems of Czesław Miłosz and his favourite poets: Anna Świrszczyńska, Jane Hirshfield and Denise Levertov. In October, 2011 EMI Music Poland published another version of the album, called Księga olśnień (which is the Polish translation of A Book of Luminous Things) with the same songs being performed in Polish. Apart from the language, the only difference between the two versions is in the song This Only (Polish: To jedno), which in the English version is performed by Aga Zaryan as sole vocalist, while in the Polish version she was joined by Grzegorz Turnau.

Recorded at Castle Oaks Studios in Calabasas, California in spring 2011.

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsCompositionLength
1."Music Like Water"Jane HiershfieldMichał Tokaj5:11
2."Like a He-Bear and She-Bear/ Falling Asleep/ Sleepy Eyelashes"Anna ŚwirszczyńskaMichał Tokaj4:39
3."This Only"Czesław MiłoszMichał Tokaj3:44
4."Eye Mask"Denise LevertovMichał Tokaj2:34
5."Autumn Quince"Jane HiershfieldMichał Tokaj5:48
6."Meaning"Czesław MiłoszMichał Tokaj3:16
7."A Gift"Denise LevertovAga Zaryan, Michał Tokaj3:42
8."A Parable of the Poppy"Czesław MiłoszAga Zaryan, Michał Tokaj4:20
9."I Talk to My Body"Anna ŚwirszczyńskaAga Zaryan, Michał Tokaj4:06
10."A Song on the End of the World"Czesław MiłoszMichał Tokaj4:54
11."On Prayer"Czesław MiłoszMichał Tokaj4:30
12."This World"Czesław MiłoszDavid Dorůžka4:05

Personnel

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Poland (ZPAV) [1] Platinum20,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.

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References

  1. "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2011 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.