HiRez Poll Tomita - PLANETS ULTIMATE EDITION (SACD)

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Rate the SACD of Tomita - PLANETS ULTIMATE EDITION

  • 6:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 5:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Poor Surround, Poor Fidelity, Poor Content

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    39
After much prevarication, mainly over the cost for Japanese discs in the UK, I decided to buy this from Amazon UK at £31. I left the product page open on my PC for a couple of days went back to buy and, imagine my surprise, Amazon had reduced it £29 so obviously went for it. And today Amazon UK have changed the price again, now £27!! 🙄

I have voted this a 10. I really like the music - it's Gustav Holst so what's not to like and I know this well in its original orchestral version. Tomita's style reminds me a lot of the late great Keith Emerson so there is another positive and the surround presentation is exactly why I have 5.1 system (OK this is 4.0 and is absolutely awesome) There are very few mixes that are so totally joined up with a full soundstage between all speakers. As a result I have now ordered his Pictures At An Exhibition Ultimate SACD from CD Japan. I have had the CD-4 vinyl since it first emerged so am really looking forward to this SACD. I am also enjoying Amin Bhatia's Interstellar Suite which definitely comes from the same stable. Aren't we lucky to have such fantastic music presented so brilliantly?!!
I was just looking at this on discogs not 5 minutes ago, guess I'll have to pull the trigger!
 
I was just looking at this on discogs not 5 minutes ago, guess I'll have to pull the trigger!
It really is an aggressive mix. I'm not a huge Tomita fan but love the themes presented in The Planets. I do appreciate that it's not an entire note-for-note arrangement either, as there are bits and pieces where he interprets some of the music himself. I'd call it demo material.
 
Not much into this type of music but it is pretty cool...listened a couple of times since purchasing it . there are a some stand out tracks...fidelity/sq is excellent...if u like electronic synth music a definite must for surround enthusiasts...a 9
 
Yet another delve into my discs that haven't had a spin in some time, and once again I find I didn't post a rating first time around. This is becoming a bit of a theme!

Anyway, in this instance I'm very pleased that I didn't: I can remember quite clearly getting this as a Japanese import waaaaaay back, after reading the glowing reviews on QQ and then being quite taken aback when I first played it. I know The Planets inside out from my childhood and I knew of Tomita from listening to a friend's vinyl collection back at uni, so I thought I knew what to expect. How wrong I was. Expecting a pretty straightforward electronic/synthesised version of Holst, I was shocked at the liberties he had taken. I could appreciate the expertise and talent in the arrangement, construction of the sonic pallet, the superb surround mix and production, but I found the huge amount of change over the original to be a little too much of a mind f*ck, especially on the opening track. So I put it back on the shelf and, well, you know the rest...

...roll forward many years and I'm listening again with a completely open mind; no expectations and I'm blown away by it. It's very clever in all respects, has a huge dynamic range, the synthesised orchestral instruments, voices and whistles, and use of electronic "space sounds" all works really well. And of course the mix and production. Huge, detailed, precise positioning and movement, full use of the quad surround field to maximum effect. The thing that's changed most for me is that I can take his many playful interpretation of the themes without considering it an irreverence. With no baggage or preconceptions, I'm much more able to appreciate Isao's unique take on this classic.

Easy 10.
 
I bought this for my wife to give me for Christmas and last night went to read the sleeve notes but of course they are in Japanese. However, I used the translate app on my phone and had some fun trying to divine the true meaning. Seeing as the app had already created all the text, I thought I might as well copy it here for others to enjoy or ponder over. Obviously, these translations are very rough and literal, but you can see some info about the changes for the new edition and the inspiration for the new track.

Music journalist Shinya Matsuyama Synthesizer Music pioneer Isao Tomita's "Planet" was first released as an LP in late 1976. Tomita, who put it in a new electronic musical instrument called the Moog synthesizer after encountering Walter (now Wentedy) Carlos's "Switcht on Bach" (1968), played Debussy's music only with synths in 1974. With the album "Moonlight", the possibilities of synthesizer music are pushed up to the next level at once. Following "Pictures at an Exhibition" and "Phoenix", this "planet", which appeared as the fourth synth album, was ranked number one on the US Classic charts (both billboard and cash box) at that time. Recorded a big hit such as shining. Tomita continued to release epoch-making works such as "Kosmos" and "Bermuda Triangle" one after another, but looking back on those careers, both in name and reality, the fame of synth maestro = Isao Tomita. There is no doubt that this "planet" is one of his masterpieces that made it unwavering. In the first place, the work "Planet" is a suite for orchestra made by British composer Gustav Holst (1874-1934), and has the name of a planet other than the earth among the eight planets of the solar system. It consists of two movements. It was composed from 1914 to 1916 and officially premiered in Birmingham in October 1920. It was a work that was almost forgotten by the world after Holst's death, but it became a popular song in the 1960s due to the excavation and performance of conductor Karajan, and continues to this day. In particular, the fourth song "Jupiter", which has a brave and lyrical melody, is famous, and as you know, in recent years, "Jupiter", which Ayaka Hirahara covered with Japanese lyrics, has penetrated into the tea room.

Jollowes. It is often regarded as a work that depicts outer space because of its magnificent tune and title, but Holst himself did not draw the celestial body or the universe itself, but made it from astrological and mysterious interests. The fact that each song has its own subtitles ("Mars-War Bringers", "Jupiter-Pleasure Brings", "Neptune-Mystics", etc.) clearly shows this. However, Denda dared to express it as cosmic music. Although the song development is based on the original score, it can be said that it is Narita's original fantasy space music that borrows the material by Holst, not the arrangement work by the synthesizer. By the way, Tomita's version of "Planet" has such a structure, but the one released this time is called "Ultimate Edition". In other words, it is the ultimate version or the definitive version. In fact, this album "Planet" was released in 2003 as a DVD-Audio version of "Planet 2003" with a 4.1 surround system. There must have been many Tomita fans who were surprised by the overwhelming sound, but it was hard to reach the ears of general listeners because of the very special standard of DVD audio at that time. Therefore, this "Planet Ultimate Edition" was recreated as a hybrid SACD with a 4.0 surround system and normal 2ch. Originally, Tomita had an extraordinary passion for surround sound, and the latter half of the 1970s was the period of surround sound in the streets, so the LP "Magical Star" was released from the beginning on the Victor CD-. It was produced with a surround system called 4. In other words, it is this definitive edition that has appeared as the final financial report of Hakata's obsession and training, which has been exploring salawand sound for many years.

But it's not just the standards that have changed. It's different from the time of "Kando 2003". This time, I am working on the sound production itself while using the latest digital equipment that was not available in the 1970s. Since the sounds are added and replaced everywhere, the nuances of the tones are naturally different, and the length of each song is also slightly different. Furthermore, in addition to the conventional seven songs, a new song newly written between "Jupiter" and "Saturn" has been added. Difficult to say "Itokawa and Hayabusa". Yes, last year, a moving drama that surprised the world (a feat that Hayabusa, a Japanese spacecraft, completed a 6 billion-kilometer journey over seven years to collect samples of the asteroid Itokawa). It is the subject. At the same time, it is also a work that can be called a requiem, a temptation to the late Hideo Itokawa (a pioneer of Japanese writing system development), who had a close friendship with Raida. It's a small song that takes less than four minutes, but the loneliness and courage of the full-blown Hayabusa who continues to return to his enemies in the midst of a bright, large-sized space is beautifully expressed here, and his eyes get hot. And, with the insertion of this bart, the end of the life after "Saturn", no, even the whole group of "planet" has a different meaning. It is strange that it feels like this. Life as a fantasy that begins with a music box and suddenly ends with a music box. A masterpiece that breathes new life beyond Holst's imagination is now born here.

Fellowes Isao Tomita dedicated this album to Ms. Mio Kanagawa, and when I was promoted to the next higher class, I was able to get a picture of a tall old black self. The center is Kawaharu Hiroto, and the left is when I was young (40), and the right is Kawaharu 800S, who presided over Kaiya Ballet. The premiere of my "Moog Planets" (a photo taken at Teikoku, which was also 0 in 1977. Dr. Kurukawa was disappointed because the rocket experiment did not go on and on, and he designed musical instruments such as his violin and cello. After that, at the age of 60, he joined the Moog Valley Ballet Painting. Mr. Yaoyo Guiya said, "Because I am a famous music scholar, I do not give preferential treatment. Mr. Kawa gave Mr. Gutani a test-recorded tape before the release of the record, so that he would probably use the "Kansei" played on the 5-stage synthesizer from the top in the premiere of the ballet. Of course, at that time, Dr. Itokawa hadn't joined the ballet garden, and of course there was no "Itokari to Hayabusa" (recorded in this album) in the song. From the 6th grade of elementary school to the 1st grade of junior high school students, during the war, they were hit by an air raid in their hometown of Okazaki. However, when I looked up at the sky from between the Nonoha, I saw that the Japanese famous machine, my "Hayapsa fighter", immediately caught up with the enemy planes Graman and B29, and when I was shot from behind, Everyone cheered and cheered, and Japan, which has such an amazing ballet fighter, was put into a class under the premiere that I thought I could win this war, but I trained day and night. I worked hard, and my legs went up 10 senna higher than before, and I could reach my ears 419

Fellowes. At that time, of course, the name of the designer was not announced, but after the light war, I learned that the designer was Hirokami Itokawa. To Haku, he is like a god. The 1329 was said to fly at a height of 12,000 meters, but it seems that it flew lower than that. I was always forming a formation at a height where I could see four engines. Flying to pile it up, the falcon fighters were strafing those enemy planes. During the day, the contrails shined in the backlight of the setting sun, giving off a mysterious tail of light that was too beautiful. Dozan Fujiwara's shakuhachi album "Hibiki" contains a song called "Songs for Buddhist monks", but at the time of its premiere, he was on the precipice of Mt. Horaiji in Okumikawa. He put on a life net and played while being hit by the rain. Beyond the mountain in front of it, there is a large munitions factory "Navy Arsenal", which is said to be the best in the Orient, and one day more than 100 B29s air-raided only there with a large bomb, and it was destroyed including those who were working. It was. It is also the song of Requiem. In the sky, our war fighter was punched out of the tail, lost rudder, and fell in balance with only the flaps of the Lord. However, I remember that the B29 contrail was so beautiful that it was so beautiful. I could see it from Okazaki. The synth strings of the question also show that. Similar expressions appear after "Itokawa and Hayabusa" on this album. Dr. Itokawa's dream of the sky in the midst of a tragic war must have been another dimension. One day, Mr. Kaitani called me and said, "I have decided to use that planet for a performance in the Imperial Theater in the Kaitani Ballet Academy." "Yes. I'm very happy!" "But Itokawa-sensei said that. When I listened to Planets, I really liked it, and I told him to perform even a part of it. It's also solo. "" Yeah, really !? I can't believe it. " I haven't done it properly. "No, this has become amazing." "I have a request, but could you please refuse from Mr. Tomita as a musician?" "Well, do you want to make a point?" Why? "G The original composition of this suite is Gustave Horst, but when Hoku arranges it and plays it on a Mog synthesizer instead of an orchestra..

It's Jellowes, but it's a choreography now because the media just wanted to get close to it and wrote it funny with a tail fin. "This stage is self-named" a scientist of the eyes " I also choreographed the solo corner in the shape of a scholar, and completed the stage of the imperial drama. At that time, it was a bestseller in the world. I was greatly inspired by Richard Bach's "Jonathan Livingston Seagull". It was the very way of life of Dr. Kikawa that I had heard in rumors. Dr. Kawa's fatness was all about "I want to make something that flies precisely." During the war, his talent was used by militarism, and after the end of the war, the American GHQ put pressure on him. For Dr. Itokawa, it seemed that either of these was fine, and in the dressing room of the Imperial Theater, Dr. Itokawa, who wore a miserable costume, asked, "Is it a 180-degree turn from Dr. Rocket to a ballet dancer?" "Well, I designed a pencil rocket, and everyone fell into the sea after a series of failures. (Kappa8) came up with this name because it was good to eat kappa at a sushi restaurant, and then the mountains of Shinshu. I learned that I had died quietly in the town of I. The producer when I performed "Sound Cloud" as the opening concert of the 1984 music festival "Ars Electronica" on the banks of the Donau in Linz, Austria. "I'm contacting Dr. Kawa to ask for a lecture, but even if I contact the University of Tokyo, he says," I have no idea these days, "and maybe Tomita doesn't know. I received a letter. Excuse me, I haven't been in contact with Dr. Itokawa for a while because of my stupidity and my busy schedule. When I called the Institute of Organizational Technology in Roppongi, he said, "This phone is not currently in use." I made inquiries to the places I could think of, but I couldn't get the point, and Yaoko Kaitani (although I had already died at that time, when I launched it, it exploded during the first stage of burning, and even in the second stage. The fire lit and it returned to the control room at the launch site. I grabbed 3 meters above and plunged into the farmhouse.

Eellowes. When I asked my husband, "I haven't contacted him recently ... but I'll try to find out what he thinks." I heard that the research institute was moved to Shinryu Omachi, which gives me the impression that it is deep in Shinshu. I made a phone call at once, but although I was calling, no one answered, and sometimes I got an answering machine, so I didn't get a reply even if I put in a message. When I was dialing persistently, one day a young man said, "This is something like this, but I would like to talk to Professor Itokawa." "... I'm not ready to talk now." "Where is that? Is it bad? ”Is it limited to the astronomical chart. Hayabusa, a small-sensing star probe that brings together the wisdom of Japanese science and technology, surprised the world by succeeding in the sample recoon project from the asteroid Itokawa, and impressed all over Japan, even though it became a full-blown creation. It was. Generally, this "Planets" is often heard up to "Jupiter" where the famous melody appears, and often not until "Neptune" after that, but this time "Itokawa and Hayabusa" Was added. I would like you to listen to it later. Hideo Itokawa continued to embrace Mizuto's dream while being at the mercy of militarism due to the unbelievable wind of World War II. I think that the life of designing a violin, designing a cello, and challenging ballet on its own was a long dream for Dr. Itokawa. In Shinshu, where the fog is deep, the reality was when I woke up from that dream. "I-..." "If you are hospitalized, could you tell me the hospital?" But teacher! Last year, 33 years after that astronomical stab, the teacher's tremendous dream finally came true, and while he said, "No, I'm just a big defeat," his formulas and papers are recognized worldwide. The name "Asteroid Itokawa" has been approved by the International Astronomical Union, and I would like to dedicate this album to the universe in Mizuhisa in memory of Dr. Itokawa. June 2011 Isao Tomita

Isao Tomita Born in Tokyo in 1932. Studied composition under Kishio Hirao and Kojiro Kobune while attending Keio University. While still in school, he started working on NHK music programs, and in 1953 participated in programs such as the stereo music program "Stereo Music Hall," which used both the first and second broadcasts of NHK Radio. In 1963, he was in charge of the music for the first Taiga drama "Hana no Shogai", and has worked on a total of five series, "Ten to Chi to", "Shin Heike Monogatari", "Katsu Kaishu", and "Ieyasu Tokugawa". In 1966, he composed the music for Osamu Tezuka's TV anime "Jungle Emperor" and "Princess Knight", and became popular because of its excellent musicality that surpassed conventional anime music. The symphonic poem version "Jungle Emperor" was released in the same year. Won the Encouragement Award at the Arts Festival. Started composing, arranging and playing with synthesizers from around 1970. In 1974, the album "Moonlight" released by RCA in the United States became No. 1 on the Tec US Billboard Classical Chart, was the first Japanese to be nominated for four Grammy Awards, and was nominated by the National Record Sellers Association (NARM). With the feat of being selected as the best record in the classic category in 1974, TOMITA's name became worldwide. Since then, he has released many synthesizer albums from "Pictures at an Exhibition", "Phoenix", "Planet" to "Bach Fantasy" (1996), all of which have been worldwide hits. He has also been nominated for the Grami Award as a recording engineer for the albums "Moonlight" and "Daphnis and Chloe". In 1984, in Linz, Austria, a magnificent event "Tomita SoundCloud" that composes super stereophonic sound using the ground, river surface, and sky on both banks of the Danube River and wraps up in the universe of 80,000 people To hold After that, Co-New York (1986 Statue of Liberty 100th Anniversary), Car (1988 Chubu Mirai Expo), Sydney (1988 Australia 200th Anniversary Festival), Nagoya (1997 Chunichi Dome) will perform similar events. In the 90's, he resumed his activities in video and music, composing NHK "Great Mongol", Shochiku movie "School" series, NHK "Going on the Road" series, etc. 1998 Composed the original work "Genji Monogatari Illusion Symphony Picture Scroll" which can be called the culmination of Tomita music. Recorded with the London Philharmonic after premiere in Tokyo, Los Angeles and London, and released a CD from Nippon Columbia in November 2000. Received the NHK Broadcast Culture Award in March 2001. Composed a symphony for three-dimensional sound police as entrance music for Tokyo DisneySea and Aqua Sphere. In charge of music for the NHK large-scale drama "Saintoku Taishi", and won the Japan Academy Award for Outstanding Music in the Toei movie "Sennen no Koi-Hikaru Genji Monogatari". In 2002, he produced the music for the NHK special "Asia Ancient City Story", and the music for the Shochiku movie "Twilight Seibei" won the Japan Academy Award for Best Music. Released "Planet" (DVD audio / video board) with 4.1ch surround in March 2003 as a compilation of stereophonic sound. In 2009, "Symphonic Poetry Jungle Emperor ~ The Story of the White Lion ~ (2009 Revised Edition>" was released. Simultaneous release as a surround album Tec Cove Art Direct B. Excutive Artist ar Artist an S Produc Spe Surround playable SAC Japan Columbia Co., Ltd. Precautions ● Please use this. Record, weird, or down, use Desuf After that, the original
 
Thank you so much for this! I just devoured it. I have the same release and always wondered about the Japanese text.
Amin

I bought this for my wife to give me for Christmas and last night went to read the sleeve notes but of course they are in Japanese. However, I used the translate app on my phone and had some fun trying to divine the true meaning. Seeing as the app had already created all the text, I thought I might as well copy it here for others to enjoy or ponder over. Obviously, these translations are very rough and literal, but you can see some info about the changes for the new edition and the inspiration for the new track.
 
This album introduced me to Tomita and I subsequently purchased a few more of his SACDs. It was a fascinating mix, especially for someone who liked the classical version. I can understand why Tomita’s interpretation outraged classical purists. According to this article, the Holst estate filed a lawsuit which temporarily blocked its distribution and succeeded in pulling 30,000 copies of the album from store shelves !

For its great sound and its ability to convert me, a 10 !
 
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