In 1974 Tomita released the
album Snowflakes are Dancing which was an electronic styling of Claude
Debussy’s impressionist pieces. It was well received world-wide and helped to
begin the popularisation of synthesizer programming. Tomita talks about his
methods for recording Clair de Lune from Snowflakes are Dancing-
“Through recreating Debussy's
"Clair de Lune," I wanted to add a different colour to his
composition by focusing on the tone of the sound more than the melody itself. So,
at first, I started recording with an 8-channel recorder but decided to switch
to AMPEX's 16 channel recorder because I wanted to make the whole thing more
intricate. On top of Moog costing around ten million yen, I paid about 30
million yen for other equipment—including the recorder and mixer. But it was
still cheaper than making a studio. I used a 30-inch analogue tape that didn't
need noise reduction, but a reel of that tape was very expensive, plus it could
only record up to 15 minutes. So, that's the recording environment I was
working in. I brought in a sleeping bag in the studio, and just worked and
worked on that album for 16 months. “(Tomita) [1]
He then released Mussorgsky’s Pictures at
an Exhibition 1975, Firebird by Stravinsky 1976 and Holst the
Planets 1976. This album caused controversy as Imogen Holst; daughter of
Gustav Holst refused permission for her father’s work to be used.
“He was known worldwide for his electronic arrangements
of classical compositions, with which he followed in the footsteps of
synthesists Wendy Carlos and Rachel
Elkind, creators of the 1968 LP Switched on Bach and the
soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange. Tomita’s pioneering use of
the Moog III and his layering of monophonic sound sources to
achieve polyphony were what gave his arrangements of Debussy,
Ravel and Stravinsky such intrigue
and popular appeal, while his combined understanding of orchestral composition
and sound modulation enabled him to give movement and dynamic variation to his
music, in a way that Carlos never managed.”[2]
Tomita’s next jaunt into the
classical world was with his compilation album Kosmos 1978, where he
emulated the music of John Williams, Strauss and Wagner, Honegger, Ives,
Grieg, Dinicu-Heifetz and J.S. Bach. On this album Tomita blended the
pieces Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss and the Ride of the
Valkyries /Tannhauser Overture by Wagner, into one piece of music he titles
Space Fantasy. Listening to this piece is staggering in a sense that
Tomita has experimented with varying sounds from the synthesizer for each
section of the orchestra, playing or programming string scales and flourishes
with a flute sound, timpani, bells and brass. The build in Ride of the
Valkyries is quite immense and moving as is the crescendo at the start and the
end of the piece with the fanfare Also Sprach Zarathustra.
“This recording saw Tomita becoming more experimental
and international in approach, incorporating the strange, ethereal 'Unanswered
Question' by the equally strange American composer Charles Ives, and inventive
reworkings of works by J.S. Bach and Richard Strauss. The Moog Polymoog, which
was the first polyphonic synthesiser, was introduced here, no doubt making life
somewhat easier for Tomita. This album was also released under the name 'Space
Fantasy' and as 'Cosmos' in Japan. The '"Star Wars" Main Title' track
was also released on a quadraphonic demonstration LP for the Ford Motor Company
in 1980 entitled 'Quadrasonic Sound for the 80's'”[3]
One needs to take into
consideration these are not pre-set sounds you would find in a modern
electronic keyboard but are designed by Tomita himself as he experiments with
the synthesizer parameters and patches. This new polyphonic synthesizer was a
big new step for Tomita’s compositions, and enabled him to play chords adding a
new dimension to his work. The epic nature of this album is in Tomita’s
reworking of these classical pieces. The broad sweeping sounds of space fantasy
and a Sea Named Solaris give an atmosphere to the renditions. The quirkiness of
the Star Wars main theme as an introduction brings you into the album and to
the fanfare crescendo of Also Sprach Zarthustra. The crescendo nature and
larger than life sound of an electronic orchestra of Ride of the Valkyrie and Tannhauser
make for an epic journey into sound. The haunting melody of the atmospherics
and bass line to Greig’s Peer Gynt Suite, Solveig’s Song takes the listener on
a melancholic drift into the eyrie sounds of the Moog. Tomita’s choice of
sounds and patches for the mimicry of the pieces are quite inventive, giving a glimpse
of the original compositions but adding a new pallet and timbre and making his
own of the material. Jim Brenholts gives a good review of the album in the
publication All Music-
“Isao Tomita is a brilliant interpreter. He has
transcribed several classical and orchestral works for the synthesizer. Kosmos
is a slick album of those works that translate well to Tomita’s' spacescapes
and his visionary style. These pieces had acoustic atmospheric resonance in
their original formats. Tomita's synthesized versions have all of the original
bravado and essence and he has added ambient atmospheres to give each piece new
meaning and depth. The modernized pieces are genuine spacescapes. The disc
opens, somewhat predictably, with John Williams "Star Wars Theme."
Tomita's light-hearted version adds humour to the piece. Track two, "Space
Fantasy," just might be Tomita's best work. He combines elements from
"Thus Spake Zoroaster" by Richard Strauss and "Ride of the
Valkyries" and "Tannhauser Overture," both by Richard Wagner.
The depth of this performance on this is amazing. Arthur Honegger’s
"Pacific 231" is an excellent transitional piece. Experimental sounds
give it an avant-garde feel. "The Unanswered Question" by Charles
Ives is pure atmospheric minimalism in both its original and electronic form.
Ives was a risk-taker and one of the foremost avant-garde composers of his
time; he would like this treatment. Rodrigo's "Aranjuez" takes on new
beauty and character in Tomita's translation. Teamed with Ives' piece and the
next piece, this is the travel and exploration leg of the journey. Edvard Grieg’s
"Solveig's Song" from "The Peer Gynt Suite" has tremendous
atmospheric qualities also. While the journey continues, so does the beauty.
"Hora Staccato" represents an end or a milestone of the journey.
"The Sea Named Solaris" is based on J.S. Bach’s "Three Part
Invention, No. 2" and "Ich Ruf zu Dir, Jesu Christ." Tomita also
wrote some of the music for this piece. It is a beautiful finish to a wondrous
journey. This is one of the strongest albums in Tomita's discography. Only the
work of Wendy Carlos can compare to Tomita's work. “[4]
“Actually, I felt that when
you try to create strings digitally it sounds too clean. It's too clear. If you
listen to the sound of a violin really carefully you can hear the rosin that's
applied on the bow. I realized that by not reducing the analogue tape noise, I
could get a feel in the sound that's almost like rosin. So basically, I tried
to use noise to my advantage.” (Tomita) [5]
[1] 2012, Isoa Tomita, Moog Reverie, Accessed on 25/10/2019,
[2] 2016, The Immeasurable Influence of Isao Tomita/Band
on the Wall.org,
[3] Isoa Tomita.net, Kosmos, accessed on 26/10/2019
[4] Jim Brenholts, All Music.com, Accessed on 26/10/2019
[5] 2012, Isoa Tomita, Moog Reverie, Accessed on
25/10/2019,
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