My introduction to Tomita was this version of Holst’s The Planets. I was familiar with Holst and The Planets due to my involvement with classical music and Star Wars. I had originally checked out The Planets because my cousin thought that might like it since I liked the Star Wars Soundtrack so much.
Again, like with Switched-On Bach we see my love for electronic music mixing with classical. I really do like this version of The Planets. I found it in the New Age section but I think that it might have been more by association. A lot of Tomita’s stuff winds up in New Age probably because they don’t know what else to do with it. It is synthesizer driven electronic stuff but I wouldn’t consider it New Age as I had come to understand it. I’m doing the same thing here. I tell myself that I’m filing this asNew Agebecause it was under this heading that it came to me. The reality is that I don’t know what else to do with it.
It really is good fun to listen to if you enjoy electronic music. It reminds me more of Queen’s Flash Gordon Soundtrack than Star Wars though even though there are several bits that sound like R2-D2 might have been contributing back up vocals.
Although this was the first time I heard of the name Tomita I had heard another piece of his for years as I was a fan of the Star Hustler turned Star Gazer program on PBS with Jack Horkheimer. Star Hustler’s theme was Tomita’s version of Arabesque No. 1. Something that I’d discover years later.
Mars – The Bringer Of War
Venus – The Bringer Of Peace
Mercury – The Winged Messenger
Jupiter – The Bringer Of Jollity
Saturn – The Bringer Of Old Age
Uranus – The Magician
Neptune – The Mystic
I kind of think that Neptune is my favorite piece here. The Mystic part translates pretty well.