New Tomita

Isao Tomita Mailing List - http://listen.to/tomita/

Hi Paul,

Yes, as you can see, you posted right; just email to tomita at listbot.com,
and the members of that list will get an email. It will also appear on the
list archives. I think there is an faq somewhere on the Listbot site. I
think the Listbot UI is dead clunky, but there you go.

There will indeed be a new album, except no-one seems to know exactly when.
It's called 'The Tale Of Genji', and it's a new version of a record he
released a couple of years back. He wasn't totally happy with ther first
version (recorded with the Tokyo Philharmonic), so he recorded the new
version with the London Philharmonic, with whom he did a concert almost
exactly a year ago last week. Or else, he was so pleased with the LPO, that
he wanted to record them.

When I met him a few months ago, he was doing spot overdubs and a bit of
mixing at Whitfield Studios in London, before returning to Tokyo for the
final mix. As far as I know, the album was in the can at least 10 weeks ago.

I gather that he's looking for the right deal (with Sony, right Nick?) I
would have thought that the first, Japan only release of 'Genji' is long
out of print by now, as Pioneer released only 1000 copies.

Send me a list of what you have, and I could make you a personal copy of
the first cd for a trade. John Breslin will know that there's probably not
much I don't have of Tomita's, though!

I'd better add that Genji has virtually no synthesizer on it.

Ben

Oh, and check the web pages and the list archive; it's all there:

http://homepage.eircom.net/~cloud/tomita/welcome.html

Nick Kent does a particularly thorough listing of Tomita's works (along
with a heap of other Japanese contemporary) music:

http://welcome.to/synths


>
>I wouyld like to post this message on the Tomita List. I am a member but
>do not know how to post a message.
>
>Here it is:
>
>Hello there,
> My name is Paul and I am a collector of Tomita albums. I am also the
>music director at a radio station in Southwest Michigan. I was wondering
>if anyone had the inside scoop on the "rumored" new Tomita album. I am
>under the impression that it is only available in Japan at this time and
>would like to get my hands on a copy. Could you help out. I still am
>able to incorporate Tomita's interpretations of fine classical music
>into our playlists and would like to find out what the new album is all
>about. I have doubles and triples of most of his things so a trade might
>be in order or I can provide you with the funds to get me a copy.
>Someone let me know.
>
>email: pvetne at andrews.edu
>
>
>______________________________________________________________________
>To unsubscribe, write to tomita-unsubscribe at listbot.com
>
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Isao Tomita Mailing List - http://listen.to/tomita/

Paul Vetne wrote:
>
> Isao Tomita Mailing List - http://listen.to/tomita/
>
> I wouyld like to post this message on the Tomita List. I am a member but
> do not know how to post a message.
>
> Here it is:
>
> Hello there,
> My name is Paul and I am a collector of Tomita albums. I am also the
> music director at a radio station in Southwest Michigan. I was wondering
> if anyone had the inside scoop on the "rumored" new Tomita album. I am
> under the impression that it is only available in Japan at this time and
> would like to get my hands on a copy. Could you help out. I still am
> able to incorporate Tomita's interpretations of fine classical music
> into our playlists and would like to find out what the new album is all
> about. I have doubles and triples of most of his things so a trade might
> be in order or I can provide you with the funds to get me a copy.
> Someone let me know.


What rumored new album are we talking about??

If its already out then its not a rumor!

Maybe its not out yet. If its not out yet we don't know if it won't
eventually be available outside Japan unless someone said that flat out.

While "Bach Fantasy" (1996) never got an overseas release, Kodo's "Nasca
Fantasy" ('94) did get released.

Maybe you are talking about the "Tale of Genji" project? There is a
legitimate live recording out that wasn't supervised by Tomita-san.
There is going to be a studio release that is being crafted by him to
his standards. Its not out yet but the recordings have been made.

nick kent
http://welcome.to/synths


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Isao Tomita Mailing List - http://listen.to/tomita/


Oh, by the way, if anyone hasn't quite caught on or wonder where we get
this info from, I was lucky enough to sit down and talk to Mr. Tomita
last November, then Ben met with him (for the second time) this spring


> There will indeed be a new album, except no-one seems to know exactly when.

I had understood that that was in the label's hands. He himself
understood that he would be finishing it around now but it probably
wouldn't show up right away for reasons of promotion.

> It's called 'The Tale Of Genji', and it's a new version of a record he
> released a couple of years back.

I wouldn't really call it a new version though you aren't wrong to call
it that.

This is how I understand it. The piece is for orchestra, traditional
Japanese soloists and synths. It premiered in Japan in a concert hall.
Pioneer having in part sponsored it, released a live recording. While
live recordings are acceptable for radio broadcasts and stuff it is not
considered good form anywhere in the world to release live concert hall
classical performances on CD unless there is some real good reason.
(Like you only played a couple times in 30 years like Horowitz or you
have extreme clout in the music world like Leonard Bernstein and can do
what you like). The whole live issue is compounded by the synths. Unlike
a rock band where everything goes into a mixer where you can pull a
recording from, the synths being played live were going out the
orchestra halls sound system and were just being recorded with the rest
of the orchestra with a few microphones.

He wasn't totally happy with ther first
> version (recorded with the Tokyo Philharmonic),

He definitely was not happy. I got the impression he would be unhappy if
he even saw my CD copy, so I never took it out.

>so he recorded the new
> version with the London Philharmonic, with whom he did a concert almost
> exactly a year ago last week. Or else, he was so pleased with the LPO, that
> he wanted to record them.

I'm sure this was his plan all along to do a studio album. As for the
choice of the LPO, I don't know. It does fit in with setting a standard
of excellence. The Pioneer live album sort was a spinoff he didn't
quite plan. The point is his studio recording reflects the perfect
performance he wants to hear and all the synths and soloists are
properly separated, not blurred together.


> When I met him a few months ago, he was doing spot overdubs and a bit of
> mixing at Whitfield Studios in London, before returning to Tokyo for the
> final mix. As far as I know, the album was in the can at least 10 weeks ago.
>

so I assume he said he finished his own overdubs?


> I gather that he's looking for the right deal

I gather he is open to negotiate and might have to delay the release
because of it

I
> would have thought that the first, Japan only release of 'Genji' is long
> out of print by now, as Pioneer released only 1000 copies.

well they were still floating around 11/99, but they had to look it up
in their invantory, (the place that claims they have 300,000 or so
different CDs in store). Anyway while it is by no means a bootleg, you
are getting something neither definitive nor approved by the master himself.

Much has been said about the 1000 copies. I think a most domestic
classical specialized recordings exist in these numbers, though for
someone with the worldwide reputation or Tomita-san it is a small number.


> I'd better add that Genji has virtually no synthesizer on it.

it has a good amount but its not prominant and you may very well be
dissapointed by the live recording. It is kind or Rimsky-Korsakov-like
in style, but of course resembles his orchestral film scores too (not
that they are heard often outside Japan)


> Nick Kent does a particularly thorough listing of Tomita's works (along
> with a heap of other Japanese contemporary) music:

> http://welcome.to/synths

thanx! I actually don't deal with Japanese contemporary or popular music
per se. I'm into Japanese artists who use mostly or only synths. The
more innovative to me, the more I'm interested. Mainstream Japanese
music is of no interest to me.

nick


______________________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, write to tomita-unsubscribe at listbot.com

GET PAINLESS BUSINESS FINANCING!
Comparison shop for, apply for, and secure financing from the
nation's best-known financial institutions. One short application
gets you the financing your business needs. Get the financing you
need today at LiveCapital.com!

http://www.bcentral.com/fcsponsor/livecapital