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Perhaps the best example in my experience is the Snowflakes Are Dancing recording. Artistically, this may be a worthy retrospection of Tomita but energetically, it drags. I know this is probably one of his most cliched works but it is also what garnered him a lot of his listeners. There are songs taken from almost all of Tomita's recordings to date and they are all well done and immaculately performed. Tomita's artistry is never in question and in that category he delivers strongly.For my ear, I prefer the pieces by Tomita that build in energy to a frenetecism of sound exploration. I would have liked to have more heights and volume to this recording, but I did not find that.I would recommend to the potential buyer that you weigh this review with the others that rave about this disc. Ask yourself what you are looking for and make your decision appropriately.
As far as I know, Isao Tomita is not an original artist in the sense that he composes new works. This results in some parts being more emphasized than one would expect to hear in a concert hall. He is, however, an original artist who puts a new spin on existing compositions and reinterprets them in a new and, mostly, delightful way.The selection on this album come right out of a "pops" concert given by any symphony orchestra but they are not performed my symphonic orchestras. They are performed electronically by Tomita. It is a new experience.This work is new and different in its presentation. It is quite enjoyable.
Debussy: Prelude To The Afternoon of A Faun. The listening is as enjoyable as it is bizarre; quite an accomplishment in itself. )FIREBIRD 1976 (Stravinsky: Firebird Suite. Williams: Close Encounters. The Space Fantasy is pretty good. CD releases stopped with Kosmos.
This is the part of The Bermuda Triangle near the end that gets so exciting, and with the live violinist and Tomita's magical orchestral creations, it is truly one of the most thrilling musical experiences I have ever enjoyed. This CD does have imperfect moments, but over all it is very good. Albinoni: Adagio. In Tomita's music I have found serene beauty, relaxation, landscapes of wonder, mysterious spaces, thrilling excitement, inspiration, and some fun. Beethoven: Ode To Joy with full Choir and soloists).In my opinion, this is in Tomita's top five best albums.
Plus, there are only two Daphnis and Chloes that I like better than this one. Plus, Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring. But it is worth checking out, as parts of it are far more colorful, magical, and entertaining than any symphony orchestra version I have ever heard. And it's fun too. Bach-Tomita: The Sea Named Solaris).This is a science fiction album without a theme, really.
SNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING 1974 (11 Debussy pieces)Some say Snowflakes is Tomita's best CD. The same violinist does an outstanding job on Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. Because The Bermuda Triangle is an Experience; A Phenomenal, Powerful, Enlightening, Enjoyable Experience. I love the range of musical styles in the Mother Goose Suite. Imagine Lord of The Rings before CGI. My subwoofer liked it too.
The quality of the recording is bright, full, deep, clear, and clean. He creates his music with more depth, color, imagery, feeling, and thought than any other synthesized music I have ever heard. 4 pieces from Villa Lobos: Bachianis Brasileiras 2, 4, and 7).Sweet is the word I would use to describe pretty much this whole album. The quality of this album is not nearly as great as Snowflakes, Pictures, The Bermuda Triangle, or the Ravel Album. Rodrigo: Aranjuez. On The Trail is a lot of fun, although not as good as orchestra performances.
The most important parts are clean. Honnegar: Pacific 231. PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION 1975 (Mussorgsky) Also in the top 3. For this album Tomita created some of the most unusual, high quality electronic sounds ever heard. Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet, Scythian Suite, Symphonies 5 and 6, Violin Concerto 1).After nearly 30 years of listening to The Bermuda Triangle off and on, I have decided that it is my all time favorite record album, CD, concept album, and my all time favorite synthesized music. I also love the Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde-Liebestod (which first appeared on this album).
This is a perfect finale for the entire Tomita Classical Line. Only Tomita could do that. Plus Dukas: Fanfare. Strauss: Thus Spake Zarathustra, Wagner: Ride of The Valkyries and Tannhauser Overture. Another reviewer is absolutely right.
It contains some of the most beautiful and unique performances ever put on a disk. So much depth and feeling, it is hard to describe how lovely it is. Bach: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. Tomita's Painted Desert gives a feeling of flying low over vast mysterious, enchanted, moonlit sands. On this album: Star Wars is cute. BUT, it is these things that make you Feel as if you are At the Live Concert, and this is a huge Plus. You can actually hear the fairies in the Fairy Garden (they sound like hummingbirds).
Inexplicably, the U.S. Tomita's interpretation of the mystery and solitude of The Unanswered Question is far better than any orchestral performance of it. A rare, expensive CD, that is not included in the big new Box Set. Thank you. Vaughn Williams: The Lark Ascending. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums- some with new arrangements and live soloists.
Not even close. The whole experience is extraordinary. And Carl Sagan used the amazing Sea Named Solaris in his "Cosmos." The Sea Named Solaris is one of the greatest works of music every performed by anyone. I love the range of styles in this album, the relaxing beauty, the depth of colors.
Really listen. Rachmaninoff: Vocalise. THE GRAND CANYON 1982 (Grofe) (Bonus track: Syncopated Clock by Leroy Anderson)Most music critics would say that this performance of The Grand Canyon Suite is not as good as a symphony orchestra's. The live violin solo (Mariko Senju) of the Lark Ascending is by far the most captivating, lovely, and perfect I have ever heard; the best performance of The Lark Ascending that I know of. But I will just say that the orchestrations and performances of the music itself all fit together masterfully to tell a story that is part thrilling science fiction and part impressionistic dream.
Also, during The Conversation from Close Encounters and the first couple minutes of Ode To Joy you can hear the helicopter that was holding up a huge speaker during the show. The newly remastered High Performance CD is audiophile quality and adds Prelude To The Afternoon of a Faun also by Debussy. Hora Staccato is lots of fun. Not even when playing his music loud, which I love to do. This album also has an extended version of Cranes In Their Nest, a very good performance by Goro Yamaguchi, on the Shakuhachi.Of the two concert CDs, this one has more awe-inspiring moments, and more depth. Not the best, but worth having. This is one Tomita album that is far better than any symphony orchestra performance could every be. I hope you enjoyed it too.
The big box set of all 11 CDs has finally been released. The Finale is so awesome; Tomita played it at the end of his live concerts.THE PLANETS 1976 (Holst)This one album is a completely different mood for Tomita. It is almost as good as the Live At Linz concert (above). It is also the longest Tomita album ever made, which is perfect, since it is so enjoyable.Note on sound quality: I appreciate good sound quality. The Round of the Princesses is beautiful. Dinicu-Heifetz: Hora Staccato. Turn off the lights, put the phone on silent, turn the volume way up, and sit down and listen.
(Unlike other synthesized music, I have never gotten a headache listening to this or any other Tomita recording. Traditional: Chinese War Lord Going Home. These last two CDs are my all time favorite live concert albums.BACH FANTASY 199610 separate Bach pieces, which include two tracks from previous albums. It could have been mixed better, but it is very hard for a huge concert like this to be recorded perfectly. Mahler: Symphony 3 in D Minor - 5th Movement.
You can actually Hear the Lightning, Feel the Thunder, and then See a Rainbow at the end. Pacific 231 is exciting and fun, a quality piece. Then he used these sounds very effectively in good orchestrations. So here is my list, improved and updated for accuracy (August 2009).
Fisher-Dvorak: Goin' Home).The Live In NY music is less demanding than Live At Linz, which makes it more suited for playing in the background. You can almost see the mechanical motions flying through space after the train leaves the tracks. It is as if Holst was so far ahead of his time, that he composed The Planets for Tomita. (Part of The Sea Named Solaris is mixed different).
Tomita fans and collectors should enjoy most of this CD.THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE 1979 - A Musical Fantasy of Science Fiction (Sibelius: Valse Triste. I listened on my pretty good car stereo system last night turned up very LOUD. The Infernal Dance of King Kastchei is exciting, scary, and LOUD - much more so than any performance by any orchestra. LIVE AT LINZ, AUSTRIA 1985 - THE MIND OF THE UNIVERSE(Live concert with huge speakers on both sides of the Danube River and live soloists. And The Thunderstorm is exhilarating and even a little frightening, especially when turned up Loud. I think it is in his top three. Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde-Liebestod. Space Fantasy- R.
The Bermuda Triangle is much better than Kosmos. There is reverb at times, but it is natural, bouncing off things in the area. Ives: Unanswered Question. KOSMOS or COSMOS 1978 (Star Wars Title. Considering that a number of Tomita CDs are over $30, and all the CDs in the box have been remastered, it is almost a bargain. Grieg: Solveig's Song. Actually hearing a helicopter on a CD may seem silly. One of the few CDs I have that I like to hear again and again.
This CD features some new sounds and musical styles for Tomita Classical, a really wide variety of them. I am so grateful the album is on CD.BOLERO or DAPHNIS AND CHLOE 1980 (Ravel: Daphnis and Chloe, Pavane for A Dead Princess, Bolero, Mother Goose Suite).This is a very good album with the best performance of The Mother Goose Suite that I have heard, by far. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums- some with new arrangements and live soloists. I especially like the second half- the really good Prokofiev stuff. The popular Toccata and Fugue is a very good, virtuoso straight performance on very cool Synth Organ. LIVE IN NEW YORK 1988 - BACK TO THE EARTH(Live concert with live soloists. The Snowflakes album is very enjoyable. 1: Moderato; Allegro Moderato.
The sounds Tomita used in creating this album are his most sophisticated and fascinating yet, as innovative and high quality as Pictures At An Exhibition or more. It almost seems that Tomita did this one in his sleep, but some tracks are very good, and since all the tracks are individual pieces it would be worth owning as a reference CD. Japanese Traditional: Cranes In Their Nest. As a person who started collecting Tomita and lots of other electronic music when I was 19 in 1979, plus the original symphony orchestra versions of the classical music that Tomita used, I hope you consider me qualified to create the following list of Tomita albums and review them as well.Note on the 1991 Surround Sound CDs (Snowflakes to Kosmos): Tomita originally mixed his albums for special Quadraphonic LPs and tapes, but for some reason, the rear channel sounds almost completely disappear, no matter what stereo equipment a person listens on. This Tomita CD has found its way into my top 5.
But it has fake reverb all the way through, and is not as bright and clear as the other Tomita CDs. Some tracks are even cute, although at least one is solemn and another poignant. This is the shortest Tomita album. It would easily fit on a CD with Canon of The Three Stars.CANON OF THE THREE STARS or DAWN CHORUS 1984 (Pachelbel: Canon. Mussorgsky: Night On Bare Mountain).Firebird is one of Tomita's best CDs. Several of the tracks are most enjoyable.
I could type two pages on The Bermuda Triangle, and you can find many pages on various websites. And the Pavane is very nice. Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue. IN CONCLUSIONOther reviewers on Amazon have done a more eloquent job than I of describing Tomita's amazing musical style, but I have enjoyed creating this guide.
This is the true reason God invented the CD player. Ravel's "Bolero" and Holst's "Bringer of War" are standouts, in my opinion. If Mr. Tomita is still living, perhaps, he can grace us with Camille Saint-Saens' "Organ Symphony" or "The Carnival of the Animals" electronically interpreted.
I use this CD with elementary school children. It's classical music with an electronic twist--fun, sometimes surprising, and well-done.
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