TOMITA Clair de Lune - Ultimate Edition (Snowflakes are Dancing) SACD 5.1

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grill - thanks for posting the blog link! I'm definitely sold now. Based off of the samples he posted I know what kind of changes to expect and they sound alright to me!
 
Tomita's music has inspired me since the early 80s and while I don't know every detail I think I can shed some light.

The 6/2012 released "Claire de Lune Ultimate Edition" is a tasteful 2012 reworking/recreation of the 1974 album in 4.0 SACD with a CD compatible layer. Unfortunately I don't have a multichannel HDMI system for my SACD so I can't comment there. The back story is Tomita initially signed with U.S. RCA and his 1974 debut was titled "Snowflakes are Dancing". RCA Japan (now Sony), once he signed to RCA internationally released them and continues to release them with local packaging and occasional differences and localized cover art. One difference was they titled the first album "Clair de Lune" presumably because it's extremely high on the list of favorite classical pieces in Japan while "Snowflakes are Dancing" is a very loose translation from French of a lesser known work.

In 2012 and signed to Denon since around 2000, he's retained the most familiar Moog sounds while addressing various noise and distortion issues the original has. When speaking with Tomita in 1999 he seemed pained that the engineering quality was so far from what he considers excellence. Ironically a couple months later BMG USA released a fairly heavy handed audiophile version without his input. On this version he appears to be cleaning up individual parts and recreating and augmenting others. There are 3 new tracks. A demonstration from the 70s called "Whistle and Chime" which is just that, an short analog synthesis demo of creating his whistle and chime sounds out of simple raw waveforms a step at a time. He adds 2 new Debussy tracks, the other Arabesque which seems to be his showcase of physical modelling synthesis to imitate orchestral sounds, in other words digital but no instrument samples. Also the longer "Nuages" which sounds paired down in arrangement to match the rest of the album's orchestration (leaving the new Arabesque very slightly sticking out though the changed track order minimizes it). He seems to be sort of summing up his 70s Moog synthesis combining with current tech. He doesn't give a gear list, a rarity for his classical synth albums. He does seem to sneak in a sample or two. I'd sum it up as a good compromise addressing his early effort's issues with hardly any spoiling what works all in all.

Last years release was "The Tomita Planets Ultimate Edition" also SACD 4.0 with a stereo CD compatible layer. This one has a gear list which sheds light. He lists his Moog, does not list his Mellotron, he does list a bunch of 2010 era Roland synths and I'm sure that's what I'm hearing. He's retaining the Moog leads and his overall arrangement with tha substantial cuts and music box motif while many backing and pad sounds are newly recorded. Some material is tighter performance-wise other changes strike me as "why is he doing that?". For instance on Venus is a very realistic female solo voice. Is it Vocaloid? Is it his daughter who sings? The 1976 recording was said to be Tomita's own voice heavily treated to sound female. The new track is Hayabusa and Itokawa which represents that asteroids and commemorates Tomita's late space scientist friend Dr. Itokawa who's namesake asteroid was visited by the Japanese space probe Hayabusa just prior to the album. To me it functions as more a linking interlude than a full blown piece. In talking with Tomita in 1999 he explained that Holst was writing for a live orchestra. He feels his creation of synth albums required adaptation. For those unaware he wove in additional material in 1976 as well as making cuts in Uranus and Neptune amounting to around half of Holst's original music. He's clearly not changed his opinion since he's not changed major aspects of his arrangements in 2012 and mostly concentrated on the backing and articulation.

Some years back Tomita released a rather rare DVD-A 4.1 of "The Tomita Planets 2003". It's on his current label Dennon and makes no clear references to the 1976 RCA release which was available as a Quad LP back in the day. I am puzzled by the needledrop comment here. Did I hear the same disc? My understanding is Steinberg hooked Tomita up with his own Nuendo setup for surround mixing. I'm sure he's using original recorded elements from his 1976 album, I'm not hearing anything obviously new other than the entire mix. I don't have the album on my player this moment but while I heard some flaws I did not hear evidence of a vinyl origin. I can see zero reason or credit referencing RCA. I don't see why Denon with Tomita signed to them would be using RCA owned vinyl for anything. I do hear mixing automation surely unavailable in 1976. I mean the point seems to be to make something new and releasable for his current label. It revamps an old popular work. It strikes me as it is a remix but is probably considered a remake legally. I was quite pleased with his sense of space and dynamic movement of the parts and no fidelity issue seemed a spoiler for me.

"Tales of Genji" is Tomita's symphonic tour de force for the concert hall. It's written for a real orchestra augmented with synths running through (at least initially) Roland's RSS "3D" sound processing system and features traditional Japanese music soloists in addition. The first version out on Pioneer with a supposed pressing of 1000? was apparently some sort of contract misunderstanding. Apparently Tomita had thought Pioneer was doing a live performance video and not a CD. This bothered him since he was planning a studio recording of it with the London Philharmonic. He released what was for a time the definitive version on Denon in separate CD and later a 4.1 DVD-A edition (very hard to find). Ironically for Tomita the Pioneer edition seems better known at least outside Japan. In 2011 he released a substantially longer and new recording as part of his "Ultimate Edition". I've not had the notes translates as to where the new movements come from.

"Oldest Living Quad Artist?" perhaps, Morton Subotnick is a year or so younger though he's been at it longer and really stoked he can do the work he wants to do in realtime live these days without overdubbed tracks and in surround. Waiting for the new releases though.

Tomita's new releases? I've translated "Firebird" listed as forthcoming at one time though not always on the list and "Pictures at an Exhibition " but the next thing is open for debate. It seems to say compilation of Space Fantasy and Grand Canyon. "Space Fantasy" was an alternate title or suite from for "Cosmos" (USA name "Kosmos"). "Grand Canyon Suite" was an album where Tomita was transitioning to digital synths and while it has it's strong points, isn't ranked as his best by most accounts. My guess is perhaps he doesn't want to keep redoing old albums and conclude with whatever works well from the remaining ones, but I'm just guessing. It would be great of course if he does something brand new all through. He is adding new tracks so it's not like he can't.
 
Technopop.info, welcome to QQ and many thanks for your valuable input. Do you have an idea how to get an official or unofficial English translation of the linear notes of Tomita SACD's?
 
Hmm... still have not heard the SACD releases in Surround or gotten translations.

Still don't "get" the needle drop comments on the 2003 DVD-A release, all I can guess is that Google shows torrents of a needledrop 1970s quad vinyl rip were circulating. Could be someone listening to those misrepresented to be the DVD-A. While I've not heard the ripped net files or the 1970s quad vinyl, when I played the DVD-A in 4.1, Tomita was doing spatialization decades beyond what was achievable in the 70s. That was sort the point of Tomita updating it the first time in 2003. Denon wanted a showcase DVD-A for their catalog not an "archival" reissue of another label's vinyl.

A recent and related Tomita release is the stereo-only "Okaeri, Hayabusa" Original Soundtrack SOST-1004 releases 2.29.2012 on Shochiku (the movie Studio's label). The film seems to dramatize the story behind the space probe Hayabusa visiting the Itokawa asteroid. It includes a more orchestral arrangement of the new asteroid oriented track from The Ultimate Planets with trumpet leads. Some original music and theme variations are included as well as some reworkings of "Kosmos" and "Bermuda Triangle" 1970s recordings. Interestingly Tomita avoids any Holst music considering the film has a planetary journey and opts for new synth and synth with trumpet solo arrangements of "Tristan and Isolde" as well as Ives' "The Unanswered Question" with a new added sequencer motif that I'm sure purists won't take to. Interestingly enough that with swubstantial use of trumpet solos elsewhere, the soundtrack does not retain Ives' original solo trumpet instrumentation and keeps the Moog sound from "Kosmos" in the 70s. I'd say the most substantial piece is a nice long and very Tomita-esque rendition of the Libestod from Tristan followed by a second Tristan arrangement with trumpet solo. One downside is there are many abrupt fadeouts and a general film cue collection feel rather than album programming. I see Tomita is not album producer so that may say something. The sound quality is good though.

Released 11.23.2011, another Tomita SACD release is "Planet Zero" which is subtitled "Freedommune Zero session with Dawn Chorus" which doesn't help at all to explain what it is. (Denon COGO-57, SACD 4.0, SACD stereo, CD Stereo) I think I've pieced together that it was going to be an outdoor summer concert with Tomita on tape and live trumpet solos, surround, etc.. But it was rained out and not rescheduled. The SACD reconstructs it. Unlike the soundtrack, Tomita is the album producer here. What I'm hearing is material from The Ultimate Planets as well as the "Welcome Back Hayabusa" OST arranged into a concert program. I can also hear some naturalistic reverb sort of "gluing" the sound for a somewhat smoother different feel than the albums. Or at least that's what I think I'm hearing. Having both the 2011 Planets and the Hayabusa soundtrack covers all of the material other than mix and edit differences.
 
TOMITA has actually released THREE NEW CLASSICAL SYNTHESIZER QUADROPHONIC SACDs!!

They are CLAIR DE LUNE, THE PLANETS, and PLANET ZERO!!!

These are like totally new albums with some new tracks. Plus many of the old tracks have new intros, new mixes, and truly awesome new sounds and new music.

I had read that SACDs never caught on, and after buying some Classical ones I wasn’t surprised. Most SACDs don’t sound much better on my surround system than regular CDs do in my car. And why is there never anything in the rear channels on most?? But I am finally very glad to have a surround system that can play SACDs! These new TOMITA SACDs are TRUE QUADRAPHONIC with absolute 4-Channel Separation. They are ultra clean, with pure bright highs, and deep powerful bass. I listened on a Yamaha RX-A1000 Surround Receiver, Polk Tower fronts, Axiom bookshelf rears at ear height, and an OPPO blu-ray player through a top rated HDMI cable from Amazon.

CLAIR DE LUNE 2012 (SACD 4.0 Surround Hybrid – says 5.1 while playing)
Finally! A NEW TOMITA CD!! And this CD is superb. The original album had 10 tracks. This has 13. It adds the never before released “Second Arabesque” (which is delightful fun as it should be), plus “Whistle and Chime (The Art of Sound Creation)”, and “Nauges.” It is a completely new experience. “Footprints in the Snow” was moved to the middle, and several tracks feature new and different mixes with new sounds and a new opening. Although I was hoping for a different sounding “Nauges,” the new PLANETS makes up for that!!

THE PLANETS 2011 (SACD 4.0 Surround Hybrid – says 5.1 while playing)
The new SACD PLANETS album has a nice long new Introduction with Control Room, Spaceship Interior, and Pre-Launch Communications that knocked my socks off! And the new beginning of “Mars” is light years beyond the old one!! There’s even a brand new track called “Itokawa and Hayabusa” between “Jupiter” and “Saturn.” The whole new PLANETS album is just astounding. I couldn’t have been more surprised, amazed, and delighted.

PLANET ZERO 2011 (SACD 4.0 Surround Hybrid – says 5.1 while playing)
AKA: FREEDOMUNE ZERO Session with DAWN CHORUS
I cannot recommend this one. It’s another PLANETS, but with the Pre-Launch, “Venus” and “Saturn” cut way short; “Itokawa and Hayabusa” added twice; and no “Uranus” or “Neptune.” “Liebestod” from “Tristan Und Isolde” was a nice idea, but has a lot of tape hiss; and there’s a new trumpet mixed over many parts that just doesn’t work.

All three are Hybrid SACDs, so they will also play on regular CD players. AND CLAIR DE LUNE adds m4a files.

There are two more QUADROPHONIC SACDs by TOMITA. But they are not Classical Music on Synthesizer performed by him...

He wrote SYMPHONY IHATOV. But it was performed by Symphony Orchestra and Children's Choirs, and TOMITA himself did not perform in it at all.

He also re-released TALE OF GENJI - Symphonic Symphony (SACD Hybrid 2 CDs)
"Originally released in 2000, expanded version with Japanese traditional instruments, synthesizers and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Yoshiko Sakata's narration of the famous old Japanese tale, translated into modern Kyoto dialect. SACD 5.0ch Surround, SACD Stereo, CD Audio." But again, this is not TOMITA performing Classical Music by other composers on Synthesizer.
 
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Tomita has an all new 4.0 SACD (Denon COGQ-62) released 2013.1.23, "Symphony Ihatov", which I've not heard yet on disc though I was able catch the same performance @ Tokyo Opera City hall last fall. The label refers to it as a "Neo Nostalgic Music World" and while it's titles as a symphony it's more of a symphonic song cycle featuring synthetic pop star/vocal software Hatsune, Miku singing solo vocals, a live orchestra reinforced with banks of synths and choir and children's choir (300 performers).

It's inspired by a work by early 20th century fantasy author Kenji Miyazawa (who's literary "Night on the Galactic Railroad" previously inspired works by Tomita, Haruomi Hosono and Joe Hisaishi) and is in an early 20th century orchestral style Tomita often favors for his original works Quite charming, dreamy and open to love it/hate it debates over the software generated vocalist who seems to be performed at least semi-live by a dedicated keyboardist. Two other keyboardists performed traditional synths reinforcing the orchestra including ex- P-MODEL member Hikaru Kotobuki. Tomita has supervised the performance though he does not conduct or perform. I'm sure you can preview on iTunes or see video and determine if the piece is of interest or not one's thing.
 
Thank you for the reply. I was just reading about this, and the reviewer incorrectly stated that there were ... "no synths here nor does Tomita play or mix anything, he appears briefly on stage acknowledging the musicians and audience then returns back to his seat in the audience..." Since this is a new Symphony, that sounds like it is mostly based on Japanese Folk Music and Tales, written by TOMITA, but not performed by him (unlike all his other Classical Synthesizer albums). I did not include it in my announcement. Also, I haven't heard it yet. But I'm glad you got to see the concert. What did you think of it compared to lets say... Tomita's Bermuda Triangle, Daphnis and Chloe, Live In New York? ... Thanks again.
 
Thank you for the reply. I was just reading about this, and the reviewer incorrectly stated that there were ... "no synths here nor does Tomita play or mix anything, he appears briefly on stage acknowledging the musicians and audience then returns back to his seat in the audience..." Since this is a new Symphony, that sounds like it is mostly based on Japanese Folk Music and Tales, written by TOMITA, but not performed by him (unlike all his other Classical Synthesizer albums). I did not include it in my announcement. Also, I haven't heard it yet. But I'm glad you got to see the concert. What did you think of it compared to lets say... Tomita's Bermuda Triangle, Daphnis and Chloe, Live In New York? ... Thanks again.

Well no really up front synths other than Hatsune, Miku if she counts as a synth, there was someone by the conductor with a controller keyboard who was, I believe just focusing on Miku live. Anyway there were definitely 2 more keyboardists with racks of gear

I'd say his appearance on stage was more than brief but not lengthy, he talked a few minutes. Brief to me would be to take a bow (which he did at the end too). I was glad to see him jaunt up on stage. He's not performing but surely this is considered a proper Tomita album by his label, though not a classical realizations of synthesizer music like he did for U.S. RCA and is reworking recently.

To put this in context with his other works, "Tale of Genji", his symphonic fantasia would be in the same general category. That's an orchestra augmented with synths and Japanese instruments.

It's not Japanese folk music, it's mostly orchestra with a couple Japanese instruments (as I recall) and lyrics in Japanese. The point is I think it's an orchestral portrait of a fantasy land like Oz or Narnia in an early 20th century style (Respighi, Grofe off the top of my head). in any event there are excerpts online.

http://www.mtv81.com/videos/video-interviews/isao-tomita-only-has-eyes-for-hatsune-miku-segment-1/
 
TOMITA has actually released THREE NEW CLASSICAL SYNTHESIZER QUADROPHONIC SACDs!!

They are CLAIR DE LUNE, THE PLANETS, and PLANET ZERO!!!

These are like totally new albums with some new tracks. Plus many of the old tracks have new intros, new mixes, and truly awesome new sounds and new music.

I had read that SACDs never caught on, and after buying some Classical ones I wasn’t surprised. Most SACDs don’t sound much better on my surround system than regular CDs do in my car. And why is there never anything in the rear channels on most?? But I am finally very glad to have a surround system that can play SACDs! These new TOMITA SACDs are TRUE QUADRAPHONIC with absolute 4-Channel Separation. They are ultra clean, with pure bright highs, and deep powerful bass. I listened on a Yamaha RX-A1000 Surround Receiver, Polk Tower fronts, Axiom bookshelf rears at ear height, and an OPPO blu-ray player through a top rated HDMI cable from Amazon.

CLAIR DE LUNE 2012 (SACD 4.0 Surround Hybrid – says 5.1 while playing)
Finally! A NEW TOMITA CD!! And this CD is superb. The original album had 10 tracks. This has 13. It adds the never before released “Second Arabesque” (which is delightful fun as it should be), plus “Whistle and Chime (The Art of Sound Creation)”, and “Nauges.” It is a completely new experience. “Footprints in the Snow” was moved to the middle, and several tracks feature new and different mixes with new sounds and a new opening. Although I was hoping for a different sounding “Nauges,” the new PLANETS makes up for that!!

THE PLANETS 2011 (SACD 4.0 Surround Hybrid – says 5.1 while playing)
The new SACD PLANETS album has a nice long new Introduction with Control Room, Spaceship Interior, and Pre-Launch Communications that knocked my socks off! And the new beginning of “Mars” is light years beyond the old one!! There’s even a brand new track called “Itokawa and Hayabusa” between “Jupiter” and “Saturn.” The whole new PLANETS album is just astounding. I couldn’t have been more surprised, amazed, and delighted.

PLANET ZERO 2011 (SACD 4.0 Surround Hybrid – says 5.1 while playing)
AKA: FREEDOMUNE ZERO Session with DAWN CHORUS
I cannot recommend this one. It’s another PLANETS, but with the Pre-Launch, “Venus” and “Saturn” cut way short; “Itokawa and Hayabusa” added twice; and no “Uranus” or “Neptune.” “Liebestod” from “Tristan Und Isolde” was a nice idea, but has a lot of tape hiss; and there’s a new trumpet mixed over many parts that just doesn’t work.

All three are Hybrid SACDs, so they will also play on regular CD players. AND CLAIR DE LUNE adds m4a files.

There are two more QUADROPHONIC SACDs by TOMITA. But they are not Classical Music on Synthesizer performed by him...

He wrote SYMPHONY IHATOV. But it was performed by Symphony Orchestra and Children's Choirs, and TOMITA himself did not perform in it at all.

He also re-released TALE OF GENJI - Symphonic Symphony (SACD Hybrid 2 CDs)
"Originally released in 2000, expanded version with Japanese traditional instruments, synthesizers and the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, and Yoshiko Sakata's narration of the famous old Japanese tale, translated into modern Kyoto dialect. SACD 5.0ch Surround, SACD Stereo, CD Audio." But again, this is not TOMITA performing Classical Music by other composers on Synthesizer.
 
Genji and Ihatov sound really interesting. Thank you TechnoPop for the explanation, much better than what I read elsewhere. I might buy Genji and Ihatov, but Tomita has created so many works over the decades, in so many genres - movie soundtracks, symphonies, theme park area music ... that when I speak of him, or create a list of his Classical albums, or talk about a new SACD, I focus on the Classical albums of synthesizer music performed entirely by Tomita. Because that is what I like best, and I also felt I needed to focus on one thing to collect them all, and always be able to find and buy the new releases. With the two new SACDs of Clair de Lune and Planets, he has actually created 14 Classical albums performed entirely by himself alone since 1974. And when you count the various releases of each album on CD - U.S., Japanese, Dolby Surround, Audiophile, Box Set, it's been quite a challenge to always find the best sounding release of each of those albums.
 
I concur with technopop.info that the 2003 edition of The Planets is NOT a needle drop of the CD-4 LP. The tracks themselves are different, either in content and/or duration. I have knocked up a graphic of the 3 versions from my iTunes playlists (attached) which shows 1) the original 1976 2) the 2003 DVD-A edition and the 2011 'Ultimate' edition. For the 2003 & 2011 editions, Tomita dispensed with much of the latter half of 'Jupiter', down from 2m 45s on the original to about 50s on the 2003 edition. The 2003 edition is a fairly straight remix (for 4.1 surround of course) with a few overdubs; the 2011 edition is the most different, with the completely new track 'Itokawa And Haybusa' after 'Jupiter', as I think technopop.info mentioned above.

Track lengths for the 2003 edition are approximate (though pretty accurate) as I was unable to extract the tracks separately from the Planets 2003 DVD-A so I had to extract the audio and then edit the tracks up for iTunes as I saw fit.

(nb I uploaded a clearer version of this information, but I cannot find a way of deleting the original graphic.

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I concur with technopop.info that the 2003 edition of The Planets is NOT a needle drop of the CD-4 LP. The tracks themselves are different, either in content and/or duration.

Why would anyone doubt? Does it sound mediocre? A master tape is going to sound a million times better than even the best needle drop.
 
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