Debussy: Snowflakes Are Dancing, Prelude, etc / Tomita [Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered]

Claude Debussy (Composer), Isao Tomita (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Conductor: Isao Tomita
• Composer: Claude Debussy
• Audio CD (January 10, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00003OP6X
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #76,276 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #14 in Music > Classical > Instruments > Electronic > Computer
  • #80 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Preludes

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Back in the '70s, the rapid development of synthesizers and electronic keyboards had a huge impact on popular music, with Isao Tomita among the leading exponents of multimedia, surround-sound events associated in Western Europe with such very different musicians as Rick Wakeman and Jean-Michel Jarre. The present disc has less grandiose aims, being a well-balanced selection of, to quote the original liner notes, "Virtuoso electronic performances of Debussy's beautiful tone paintings." It's easy to scoff at the concept behind Tomita's approach--take some of the most poetic music around and give it the consistency of aural cotton wool--yet there's no denying the skill with which he translates Debussy's soundworld, preserving the harmonic interest of the piano originals and bringing out many subtleties of texture. Inevitably the slower numbers come off best--"Clair de Lune" or "Reverie" could easily become chill-out favorites. "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun," however, is not so much a travesty as a vaporization of the orchestral masterpiece. A mixed bag, but with enough musical interest to make Tomita's "sound clouds" of more than just curiosity value. --Richard Whitehouse

Product Description

High Performance 24/96 remastering of Tomita's American debut of electronic renderings of Debussy classics that turned both the classical and pop worlds on their ears and expanded that realm of electronic music. Sampled at 24bit, 96khz for the best possible sound!

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Complete List of All Classical Tomita Albums with Reviews April 6, 2002

By Jeff N VINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

In Tomita's music I have found serene beauty, relaxation, landscapes of wonder, mysterious spaces, thrilling excitement, inspiration, and some fun. He creates his music with more depth, color, imagery, feeling, and thought than any other synthesized music I have ever heard.

The big box set of all 11 CDs has finally been released! 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! So here is my list, improved and updated for accuracy (August 2009)... 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.

SNOWFLAKES ARE DANCING 1974
(11 Debussy pieces)
Some say Snowflakes is Tomita's best CD. I think it is in his top three. I love the range of styles in this album, the relaxing beauty, the depth of colors. The Snowflakes album is very enjoyable. One of the few CDs I have that I like to hear again and again.

The newly remastered High Performance CD is audiophile quality and adds Prelude To The Afternoon of a Faun also by Debussy.

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. Then he used these sounds very effectively in good orchestrations. The listening is as enjoyable as it is bizarre; quite an accomplishment in itself. (Unlike other synthesized music, I have never gotten a headache listening to this or any other Tomita recording. Not even close. Not even when playing his music loud, which I love to do. )

FIREBIRD 1976
(Stravinsky: Firebird Suite. Debussy: Prelude To The Afternoon of A Faun. Mussorgsky: Night On Bare Mountain.)

Firebird is one of Tomita's best CDs. The Round of the Princesses is beautiful. The Infernal Dance of King Kastchei is exciting, scary, and LOUD - much more so than any performance by any orchestra. 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. This is one Tomita album that is far better than any symphony orchestra performance could every be. Imagine Lord of The Rings before CGI. It is as if Holst was so far ahead of his time, that he composed The Planets for Tomita.

KOSMOS or COSMOS 1978
(Star Wars Title. Space Fantasy- R. Strauss: Thus Spake Zarathustra, Wagner: Ride of The Valkyries and Tannhauser Overture. Honnegar: Pacific 231. Ives: Unanswered Question. Rodrigo: Aranjuez. Grieg: Solveig's Song. Dinicu-Heifetz: Hora Staccato. Bach-Tomita: The Sea Named Solaris.)

This is a science fiction album without a theme, really. On this album: Star Wars is cute. The Space Fantasy is pretty good. Pacific 231 is exciting and fun, a quality piece. You can almost see the mechanical motions flying through space after the train leaves the tracks. Tomita's interpretation of the mystery and solitude of The Unanswered Question is far better than any orchestral performance of it! Hora Staccato is lots of fun. 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. Tomita fans and collectors should enjoy most of this CD.

THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE 1979 - A Musical Fantasy of Science Fiction
(Sibelius: Valse Triste. Williams: Close Encounters. 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.

Another reviewer is absolutely right... Turn off the lights, put the phone on silent, turn the volume way up, and sit down and listen! Really listen!! Because The Bermuda Triangle is an Experience; A Phenomenal, Powerful, Enlightening, Enjoyable Experience!! And it's fun too.

Inexplicably, the U.S. CD releases stopped with Kosmos. The Bermuda Triangle is much better than Kosmos. I could type two pages on The Bermuda Triangle, and you can find many pages on various websites. 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. I especially like the second half- the really good Prokofiev stuff. 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. The quality of the recording is bright, full, deep, clear, and clean. The whole experience is extraordinary. 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. I love the range of musical styles in the Mother Goose Suite. You can actually hear the fairies in the Fairy Garden (they sound like hummingbirds). Plus, there are only two Daphnis and Chloes that I like better than this one. And the Pavane is very nice.

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. 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. Tomita's Painted Desert gives a feeling of flying low over vast mysterious, enchanted, moonlit sands. On The Trail is a lot of fun, although not as good as orchestra performances. And The Thunderstorm is exhilarating and even a little frightening, especially when turned up Loud. You can actually Hear the Lightning, Feel the Thunder, and then See a Rainbow at the end. Only Tomita could do that!! 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. Rachmaninoff: Vocalise. Albinoni: Adagio. Bach: Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring. 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. Some tracks are even cute, although at least one is solemn and another poignant. The quality of this album is not nearly as great as Snowflakes, Pictures, The Bermuda Triangle, or the Ravel Album. 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.

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. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums- some with new arrangements and live soloists. Plus, Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring. Japanese Traditional: Cranes In Their Nest. Vaughn Williams: The Lark Ascending. Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde-Liebestod. Beethoven: Ode To Joy with full Choir and soloists.)

In my opinion, this is in Tomita's top five best albums. It contains some of the most beautiful and unique performances ever put on a disk. 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. The same violinist does an outstanding job on Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1: Moderato; Allegro Moderato. 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.

I also love the Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde-Liebestod (which first appeared on this album). So much depth and feeling, it is hard to describe how lovely it is. 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. 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. This CD does have imperfect moments, but over all it is very good. I listened on my pretty good car stereo system last night turned up very LOUD. The most important parts are clean. There is reverb at times, but it is natural, bouncing off things in the area. It could have been mixed better, but it is very hard for a huge concert like this to be recorded perfectly. 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. Actually hearing a helicopter on a CD may seem silly... BUT, it is these things that make you Feel as if you are At the Live Concert, and this is a huge Plus.

LIVE IN NEW YORK 1988 - BACK TO THE EARTH
(Live concert with live soloists. Includes 7 pieces from previous albums- some with new arrangements and live soloists. Plus Dukas: Fanfare. Read more ›

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars A guilty pleasure, but still a pleasure. January 23, 2000

By Ann Brickell

Format:Audio CD

Is Tomita a sound magician or the ultimate in retro moog cheese? I wouldn't worry too much about the answer as you listen to these electronic "realizations" of famous Debussy pieces. Just (as I do) indulge yourself in lots of great early Moog synthesizer sounds and fascinating arrangements (at times embarrassing, but only briefly). Tomita is much more of a colorist than his Moogmate Wendy Carlos, and his early work is more interesting than Wendy's, drawing on a much broader palette of sounds. One Tomita recording is probably enough, and this excellently remastered classic is The One. By all means don't get rid of your Debussy piano recordings, but make room in a hidden drawer for "Snowflakes Are Dancing."

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A good old fashioned masterpiece in a great re-release October 1, 2005

By Edgar Lou

Format:Audio CD

If you happen to be a spaniard, you're born between 1975 and 1980 and you're reading this, you probably already know that 'Arabesque no 1' is the amazingly sad music that we heard everyday after the school as the opening title of 'Planeta imaginario'. So, yes, this is the song you do need to hear again and probably the one that made us all to love the sound of synthesizers. Now, for the rest of the album (and of course for the rest of the people), this was the first lp of japanese's synth virtuoso Idao Tomita, and also one the first -and finest- works ever recorded using only this kind of instruments. Many classic composers have been translate into synthesizer's language, including Bach or Beethoven by Walter Carlos or Holst and Mussorgsky by Tomita himself, but nothing fits so good with this hypnotic, colourful and nostalgic sound than the impressionist melodies of Claude Debussy. Anyway, if you're not accustomed to this kind of music it will probably take a few more listenings to be fond of the sounds: although electronic music seems to be everywhere nowadays, the fact is that nobody uses these spacey and old fashioned arrangements anymore. A shame, because they still sound great. Companies liked them when a modular synth was more expensive than a house and you couldn't compete with them at you're home. Now everyone can do this sounds at a low cost, so it won't be a good bussiness to promote this kind of recordings, as they'll have to fight with thousands of amateurs for their piece of market. Needless to say, very few of them will be able to display the genius of Tomita, not to talk about Debussy. By the way, I think there's been a terrible misunderstanding with some previous reviews. The High Performance release contains a great remaster -not a remix- of the original production by Tomita and, although finding the original vinyl shouldn't be very hard, I recommend this version. Of course the volume is very dynamic, so could wake up the neighbors if you try to enjoy it at night without your headphones. But this is not a disadvantage. In fact, it works quite good and makes the music more similar to the classical performances of Debussy, while it maintains every nuance of Tomita's awesome synth playing.