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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.
Dinicu-Heifetz: Hora Staccato. Space Fantasy- R. Only Tomita could do that). 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 Infernal Dance of King Kastchei is exciting, scary, and LOUD - much more so than any performance by any orchestra. Because The Bermuda Triangle is an experience; a phenomenal, powerful, enlightening, enjoyable experience. (Unlike other synthesized music, I have never gotten a headache listening to this or any other Tomita recording.
Plus Dukas: Fanfare. So much depth and feeling, it is hard to describe how lovely it is. Then he used these sounds very effectively in good orchestrations. Williams: Close Encounters. Grieg: Solveig's Song.
In Tomita's music I have found serene beauty, relaxation, landscapes of wonder, mysterious spaces, thrilling excitement, inspiration, and some fun. The big box set of all 11 CDs has finally been released. Beethoven: Ode To Joy with full Choir and soloists).In my opinion, this is in Tomita's top five best albums. Bach: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring.
But it has fake reverb all the way through, and is not as bright and clear as the other Tomita CDs. The newly remastered High Performance CD is audiophile quality and adds Prelude To The Afternoon of a Faun also by Debussy. On The Trail is a lot of fun (although not as good as orchestra performances). LIVE IN NEW YORK 1988 - BACK TO THE EARTH(Live concert with live soloists. You can actually hear the fairies in the Fairy Garden (they sound like hummingbirds). KOSMOS or COSMOS 1978 (Star Wars Title. Tomita's Painted Desert gives a feeling of flying low over vast mysterious, enchanted, moonlit sands. Thank you.
Another reviewer is absolutely right. The whole experience is extraordinary. I love the range of styles in this album, the relaxing beauty, the depth of colors. The same violinist does an outstanding job on Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 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. A rare, expensive CD, that is not included in the big new Box Set. 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.
Gershwin: Rhapsody In Blue. Inexplicably, the U.S. 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. CD releases stopped with Kosmos. The Round of the Princesses is beautiful. Tomita fans and collectors should enjoy most of this CD.THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE 1979 - A Musical Fantasy of Science Fiction (Sibelius: Valse Triste.
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. Actually hearing a helicopter on a CD may seem silly. Some tracks are even cute, although at least one is solemn and another poignant. Plus, Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring. And it's fun too.
This CD features some new sounds and musical styles for Tomita Classical, a really wide variety of them. Honnegar: Pacific 231. Plus, there are only two Daphnis and Chloes that I like better than this one. This is a perfect finale for the entire Tomita Classical Line. The Snowflakes album is very enjoyable.
My subwoofer liked it too. 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. Mahler: Symphony 3 in D Minor - 5th Movement. 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: For some reason, the sound meant for the rear channels almost completely disappears, no matter what stereo equipment a person listens on. 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. Turn off the lights, put the phone on silent, turn the volume way up, and sit down and listen.
And the Pavane is very nice. It contains some of the most beautiful and unique performances ever put on a disk. 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. Albinoni: Adagio. It could have been mixed better, but it is very hard for a huge concert like this to be recorded perfectly. And I love the Space Fantasy.
The listening is as enjoyable as it is weird; quite an accomplishment in itself. I also love the Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde-Liebestod (which first appeared on this album). Bach-Tomita: The Sea Named Solaris).This is not Tomita's best CD over all, but parts of Kosmos are really very good. Mussorgsky: Night On Bare Mountain).Firebird is one of Tomita's best CDs. I hope you enjoyed it too. He creates his music with more depth, color, imagery, feeling, and thought than any other synthesized music I have ever heard.
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. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums- some with new arrangements and live soloists. The Bermuda Triangle is much better than Kosmos and The Planets. The popular Toccata and Fugue is a very good, virtuoso straight performance on very cool Synth Organ. Rodrigo: Aranjuez.
Really listen. For this album he created some of the most unusual, high quality electronic sounds ever heard. 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 great album with the best performance of The Mother Goose Suite that I have ever heard, by far. Not the best, but worth having. There is reverb at times, but it is natural, bouncing off things in the area. Not even close. (You can actually Hear the Lightning, Feel the Thunder, and then See a Rainbow at the end.
Carl Sagan used the amazing Sea Named Solaris in his "Cosmos." Tomita's interpretation of the mystery and solitude of The Unanswered Question is far better than any orchestral performance of it. PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION 1975 (Mussorgsky) This is definitely one of Tomita's best. But considering that a number of Tomita CDs are over $30, and all the CDs in the box (and only the box) have been remastered, it is almost a bargain. Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde-Liebestod. Hora Staccato is lots of fun. 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.
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. 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. This CD does have imperfect moments, but over all it is very good. Debussy: Prelude To The Afternoon of A Faun.
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. So here is my list, improved and updated for accuracy (April 2008). Vaughn Williams: The Lark Ascending. I listened on my Alpine car stereo last night with Polk Momo speakers, good amp, and Infinity subwoofer all turned up very LOUD.
I could type two pages on The Bermuda Triangle, and you can find many pages on various websites. The most important parts are clean. Strauss: Thus Spake Zarathustra, Wagner: Ride of The Valkyries and Tannhauser Overture. I never liked The Planets much, but I do have to say that what Tomita does with the music is far better than any Symphony Orchestra performance I have ever heard. The current price is expensive. Ives: Unanswered Question. I think it is in his top three. SNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING 1974 (11 Debussy pieces)Some say Snowflakes is Tomita's best CD.
This is the shortest Tomita album. I love the range of musical styles in the Mother Goose Suite. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums- some with new arrangements and live soloists. 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. Not even when playing his music loud, which I love to do. BUT, it is these things that make you Feel as if you are At the Live Concert, and this is a huge Plus. So, if you prefer more balanced sound, other releases may be better.
1: Moderato; Allegro Moderato. The quality of the recording is bright, full, deep, clear, and clean. 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. Well, almost.
(Part of The Sea Named Solaris is mixed different). It is almost as good as the Live At Linz concert (above). The quality of this album is not nearly as great as Snowflakes, Pictures, The Bermuda Triangle, or the Ravel 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. Rachmaninoff: Vocalise. )FIREBIRD 1976 (Stravinsky: Firebird Suite. Several of the tracks are most enjoyable.
I especially like the second half- the really good Prokofiev stuff. 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. Traditional: Chinese War Lord Going Home. 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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