|
Debussy: Snowflakes Are Dancing, Prelude, etc / Tomita | 
 enlarge
| Creators: Claude Debussy, Isao Tomita
Label: RCA
Category: Music
List Price: $11.98
Buy New: $6.87
You Save: $5.11 (43%)
New (37) Used (10) from $6.87
Rating:  23 reviews
Sales Rank: 16414
Format: Original Recording Reissued, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 63588
UPC: 090266358823
EAN: 0090266358823
ASIN: B00003OP6X
Release Date: January 10, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Tracks:
| • | Snowflakes Are Dancing | | • | Reverie | | • | Gardens in the Rain - Tomita, | | • | Clair de Lune | | • | Arabesque No. 1 - Tomita, | | • | The Engulfed Cathedral | | • | Passepied | | • | The Girl with the Flaxen Hair | | • | Golliwog's Cakewalk | | • | Footprints in the Snow - Tomita, Traditional | | • | Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun" - Tomita, |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| 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
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Snowflakes of Memories!!! January 20, 2008
Louie Bourland (Nashville TN via Garden Grove CA)
"Snowflakes Are Dancing" is the 1974 debut album from pioneering Japanese synthesist Isao Tomita. Like Wendy Carlos before him, Tomita was highly successful in re-creating Classical music on synthesizers and was way ahead of his time when his early albums were first released.
"Snowflakes Are Dancing" exclusively features the music of French composer Claude Debussy decorated in Tomita's own original arrangements and is still a real treat to listen to over 30 years later.
Standout tracks include the title track, "The Engulfed Cathedral", "Passepied", "Golliwog's Cakewalk" and of course, the versions of "Clair De Lune" and the first "Arabesque" which are worth the price of the CD alone.
In addition to the original 10 tracks, this CD also has Tomita's outstanding 1975 arrangement of Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" as a bonus track. This track retains the lushness of the orchestral original while being spruced up with Tomita's unique sound.
The remastered sound quality of this CD is outstanding and sounds great on a large stereo system with its amazing dynamics.
"Snowflakes Are Dancing" was a pioneering album back in the day and is a classic piece of electronic music today. Personally, this album has some very special memories for me and listening to it decades later still brings back those memories.
A Highly Recommended CD for fans of Tomita, Debussy and electronic music in general.
Outstanding December 28, 2007
Karen S. Contestabile (New Port Richey, FL, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have been trying to find out who did the theme tune for PBS Star Gazer which used to be Star Hustler. I have been watching Star Gazer for over 20 years. I finally got it on Pandora Radio. I ordered it as soon as I found out. This is top notch synth sounds. I would definitely buy more by Tomita. I love Debussy music anyway.
Thanks!!
Debussy: Snowflakes Are Dancing, Prelude, etc / Tomita November 4, 2007
Kim Kwan Sic (Daegu, South Korea)
The Music of this CD(Snowflakes Are Dancing) was fantastic & charmed to relax the mind, heart, and body.
I knew this music to be induced by my friend.
I think it is a good choice to buy this one.^^
Amazing interpretation September 17, 2007
R. Sigwald (Baltimore, MD)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This CD really gave me a new way to listen to Debussy. Adding different timbres to his piano works really allows you to hear the inner workings of his beautiful impressionistic piano works. My favorite track, and i recommend everyone listening to it, is the Arabesque No. 1, track number 5. Simply amazing. Some people might remember it as the theme from the Star Gazer, a show that came on late night on public television.
Another great electronic adaptation of classical music by Isao Tomita June 1, 2007
Jeffrey J.Park (Massachusetts, USA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Released in 1974, this all electronic adaptation of works by Claude Debussy is really quite good and showcases Isao Tomita and his flair for synthesizer wizardry. I think that Isao more or less captures the dreamy and haunting mood of Debussy's compositions and also adds a bit of his own (humorous) flair here and there with some "light-hearted" synth sounds.
The music on this album was recorded entirely with a moog synthesizer although the sweeping and majestic sound of a mellotron with string setting pokes through the mix on occasion. As a big synthesizer fan, I thought it was interesting that the various settings on the moog were listed as "equipment" including things like oscillators and lowpass filters etc. This particular synthesizer was pretty versatile and a virtually infinite number of sounds could be generated, as is amply demonstrated by Isao on this album.
In addition to the works originally included on Snowflakes are Dancing, the last track was taken from his Firebird album (1976) and is another work composed largely on the moog synthesizer although other keyboards were used including a Fender electric piano and a Hohner Clavinet C.
The sound of this high performance CD is excellent and trust me, the changes in dynamics virtually leap out at you.
All in all, this is an excellent recording of electronic music by an excellent electronic composer. Highly recommended along with his 1976 adaptation of The Planets (by Gustav Holst).
|
|
|
Used CDs | |
