BlahBlahCafe - Jean-Michel Jarre forum

I listen to it when I'm in the mood, but the original pieces are impossible to surpass.

ILIAS wrote:it is a great CD, but as said not as good as it could be. It must have been done much more better.

Maybe if JMJ himself contributed?

Eventhough I think this is absolutely not a bad album at all, I rarely listen to it.
It's like "something" is missing and I aswell choose the original tracks insted.

I still have it though as a "christmas album".

Hmm, listened to the album a lot when I bought it but not since then.

I don't even have this album as MP3 on my PC.

will send them to you, .

Because I had a break with JMJ's music for a while, I only heard about this "symphonic" album a few month ago, and it was a pretty good surprise.
I'm fond of the three Chronologie tracks, as well as MF1 and the Last Rumba.

I deliberately ignored The Symohonic Jean Michel Jarre upon it's release, thinking to myself, "I like synthesisers - why would I want to hear any other version?" How wrong I was.

Quite recently, I was in the kitchen, and heard some familiar notes drifting in from the TV in the lounge. The "Revolutions" suite was being used on a documentary - yet I soon realised that this epic score was NOT Jarre's clanky original, but a fully orchestrated version, that sent a shiver down the spine. That brief excerpt sold it to me without hesitation.

The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra take the lead on thus double album of orchestral interpretations of a wide range of Jarre tracks, from the classic "Oxygene 4" to "Acropolis", a track not even yet released by Jarre himself! And while Jean Michel doesn't appear on the album, the project was given his full support and endorsement, making it at least feel valid and official.

Jarre's love of classical music and his father's cinematic influence clearly come together here, with several songs perhaps sounding as Jarre one day hoped they would, reaching their epic potential. Although the futuristic and bombastic synthesiser sounds gave been replaced by warmer, more emotive strings and woodwind, the impact if the music is equal to the originals, if not greater in places. Only "Oxygene 4" doesn't really work, and "Rendez-vous 2" doesn't quite have the expected impact, sadly. However the opening "Chronologie" suite sounds fantastic, and pieces such as "Souvenir de Chine" and the "Magnetic Fields" tracks are taken into a new dimension, but it really is the "Industrial Revolutions" tracks that stand out for me - they're absolutely magnificent.

Whilst it obviously misses the electronic "Jarreness" of the originals, The Symohonic Jean Michel Jarre is a wonderful listen, sounding like a long lost classical masterpiece or the best movie soundtrack you've never heard.

I was very surprised that they made a classical version of MF1

Just now am I listening to this via YouTube. Can't say I'll be buying this album. Who arranged this? It would be a great album to force children to listen to at a young age if you wanted them to hate symphonic music. Ugh!!! So far Chron I was promising but it all went wrong after that. This could have been a triumph, instead it should be classified as a mistake.

AlexS wrote: Whilst it obviously misses the electronic "Jarreness" of the originals, The Symohonic Jean Michel Jarre is a wonderful listen, sounding like a long lost classical masterpiece or the best movie soundtrack you've never heard.

I actually would have loved it to be even less electronic as it actually is - still to many sequencers around in that recording. But nevertheless: I love this album for its ambition to bring Jarres electronic symphonies into the world of classcial music.

Dr. Who wrote:Just now am I listening to this via YouTube. Can't say I'll be buying this album. Who arranged this? It would be a great album to force children to listen to at a young age if you wanted them to hate symphonic music. Ugh!!! So far Chron I was promising but it all went wrong after that. This could have been a triumph, instead it should be classified as a mistake.

Agreed.

Whatever the merits one has on the album (I like it for the most part) there's no doubt it promotes JMJ very well outside the fanbase. Right this minute I'm looking at the Man City v Sunderland match, and the Industrial Revolution piece is being played at the ground during the build up. This piece was also used during the Rugby World Cup. Classical pieces are rarely used in match build ups, so it's no harm if a few find out about the maestro this way.

Listening to this through YT, and it sounds quite nice..

but I don't think that I would buy it.

I bought it and glad that I did. Very good music for dinner parties etc.

Special Edition in Poland by Gazeta Wyborcza

In be release: 29 and 30 August/2012 - Poland by Gazeta Wyborcza



http://media2.pl/media/95385-Jean-Michel-Jarre-Symfonicznie-z-Gazeta-Wyborcza.html