Firebird

I bought this back on vinyl when it was new, then somehow lost it. In the meantime, I never stopped thinking about it. In comparison, the electronic realizations of these pieces edge out his other synthesized masterpiece,  Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition . The primary reason, I think, is that PICTUERS AT AN EXHIBITION was too halting, with too many abrupt changes after headlong advances into a solid theme, sprinkled with odd noises that didn't work toward the ultimate visualization. It had perhaps only two pieces that expanded on a theme for any length of time, and instead allowed the shorter, quirkier pieces to dominate the album.  Firebird  is the opposite, with longer pieces that allow the melodies to breath, and you, the listener, begin to trust the journey, and just ride along. The longer pieces give the album a solid backbone, so that the shorter pieces are assimilated, track to track. The more I think about it, the more I like it. Tomita creates an aural universe that enhances the music with a towering dimensionality. I think my own favorite might be "Night on Bare Mountain," but all of the pieces bear the grandeur that Tomita typically brings to his arrangements.Taking too much for granted, I failed to seize the opportunity the last time I saw this CD for sale, and before I knew it, manufacturing of it had ceased and it was unavailable at a decent price. When I saw that this remastered import was available last week, I jumped on it without hesitation. The liner notes are in Japanese, except for the very last page. Not a big deal to me, but in case it is for you, there it is. That last page has an essay by John Pfeiffer, discussing the process of electronically rendering classical music. Below Tomita's picture is a list of the devices he used to create these ethereal realms. It looks like the inventory list from an electronics warehouse.It should be noted that the tracks are listed differently on this import than what you might be used to. The liner notes list only six tracks. There are instead nine tracks. These are not bonus tracks, but for the Japanese release, a couple of longer pieces were broken down into separate tracks. For the actual track listing, you have to consult the CD label itself, which bears the RCA Red Seal brand (the label in the description as PID, but I can't see it on it anywhere). The track listings are: "Introduction"; "The Firebird and Its Dance" (actually, "Its" is spelled as the contraction for "it is"); "Variation of the Firebird"; "The Round of the Princesses"; "Infernal Dance of King Kastchei"; "Lullaby"; "Finale"; "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun"; and "A Night on Bald Mountain" (note BALD instead of BARE; the track listing on the liner note says "bare"). Some of the CDs previously merged a couple of tracks together and named them slightly differently.All of that aside, this is some mind-expanding music. There's no doubt that if you're here, you already know who this man is, so you don't need an invitation. To any newcomers: Get ready to have your mind altered.______________________________________________________________________________________________

Tomita is a genius. If you like electronica this is must-have. My father received this on cassette as a birthday gift, the giver thought it was orchestral Stravinsky, the only ones that really enjoyed it were us kids. I'm very happy to have found this again on CD.

Great stuff by the master of synth. I read where he bought his first synth for 100K and had no idea how to use it. And then he turns out these masterpieces! What a super musician! Nobody today even comes close to his genius!

Tomita goes over the top with synthesis sometimes. that is, occasionally the pops and whizzes interfere with the musical content. The crazy textures can distract from the intellectual and emotional content. Still, when he's on, it's an incredible musical experience. The remastering is awesome.

A classic re-interpretation of the well know piece by Stravinsky, Tomita set the standard for the possibilities of electronic music in the early 70s. A must listen to.

The CD case was cracked but that would be the Post Office's fault I guess.

Love all of his art.

Great album

Prompt shipping and a great CD.

am very much enjoying...

I have been a fan of Isao Tomita since his early work was first available. His interpretations invariably bring something nw to the way you see and hear the original, and this is no exception. Some pieces lend themselves more to this treatment, and the firebird is one of the very best. I have this on vinyl, an it is pretty clapped out. I had meaning to get a CD version, but you know how it goes. This CD is simply superb although I cannot for the life of me see why it alone is so difficult to get, and as a consequence, is by a mile the most expensive disc I've ever bought.Pro's: Superb version, my collection is now complete.Con: Outrageously expensive because of rarity. Why is such a classic not readily available?i'll copy it for you for 35 quid, to try to recover some of the cost... (just kidding).

Another reminder from Isao Tomita for me. I went for some years to Lenningrad in Russia and made friends among the members of the USSR/ GREAT BRITAIN FRIENDSHIP GROUP and was taken to the Kirov Ballet to see a performance of The Firebird. All I need to do is close my eyes and though the music is not orchestral I can recall every scene from the Ballet.

perfect cheap just what i wanted.A good package, easy to open thank you, recommend seller.