The Vision of Escaflowne Original Soundtrack 3

THE VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK 3
Victor Entertainment
VICL-733
28 Sep 1996
¥3000

Copyright © 1996 Sunrise · TV Tokyo

-- by C. Scott Rider

1. Short Notice 0:43

("Next Episode" BGM)

2. Arcadia 5:14

3. Epistle 3:24

4. Farewell 2:50

5. Aoi Hitomi 3:14

Vocals:Sakamoto Maaya

6. Perfect World 4:40

Vocals:Furukawa Masayoshi

7. I Recommend Instincts 4:44

Vocals:Julia Wilson

8. Scrappy 1:42

9. Shrilly 2:11

10. Revenge 4:08

11. Illusion 1:37

12. Blaze 4:42

13. Fatal 1:11

14. Hikari No Naka E(Into the Light) 4:38

Vocals: Sakamoto Maaya

15. Again 3:41

With the third CD release in the VISION OF ESCAFLOWNE original soundtrack series, the focus returns to composer Kanno Yoko's impressive orchestral work, performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic and Chorus. Of the fifteen total tracks on the disc, nine are classical pieces. The CD features two strong operatic tracks early on, with the kind of sophistication one normally expects from a performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

The piece entitled "Arcadia" is especially worthy of notice. In this, Gabriella Robin (of Sharon Apple notoriety) writes the lyrics of a gorgeous soprano solo. Immediately following is the rousing "Epistle," a powerful orchestration evoking shades of composer Carl Orff ("Carmina Burana.") Another of the symphonic tracks, "Revenge," seems to suggest a finale, perhaps underpinning the climax to the story.

Another item to take note of is the apparent seriousness of the musical score. The story is drawing to a close, and not all of the characters are going to survive. As parts of the musical score ("Blaze," for example) suggest darker themes, it becomes hard at times to remember that this music is for an animated TV show and not, say, Wagner's Ring Cycle.

As with the other two albums, the third Escaflowne soundtrack also features several modern ballads and pop tunes. Opening theme vocalist Sakamoto Maaya sings on the ballads entitled "Aoi Hitomi" (Blue Eyes) and "Hikari no Naka e" (The Inner Light). The latter is particularly nice. An almost Whitney Houston-like pop tune is presented in "I Recommend Instincts," with vocals by Julia Wilson. The remaining vocal song, "Perfect World," seems almost like a Giorgio Moroder ("Cat People") composition.

Included in the CD liner note booklet is a short feature on Maaya Sakamoto. This author was surprised to learn she is 16 years old! This girl is going to have a very successful career. Not yet out of high school, and she sings like Olivia Newton-John.

For those who enjoy classical symphony in their anime background music, this disc is almost mandatory. The Sakamoto Maaya songs make for a nice counterpoint. Even if the TV series itself is not your cup of tea, the music stands on its own.

Which is nothing less than what to expect from Kanno Yoko.