SYMPHONIE VIRTUELLE N°9

It goes without saying that Sébastien Gramond is one of the fastest working artists out there in prog rock today. With over a hundred albums, the man is virtually a recording machine, and it is not uncommon for him to write and record an album within the space of a month. Within all of these albums and their creation, he has also had a running series of classical compositions going on. Also about as diverse as any musician you'll find, Sébastien Gramond is most frequently associated with jazz, but as 'Symphonie Virtuelle #9' might suggest, he is not confined to any one style. While the composition here is successful and shows potential, as many classical Gramond works have proven before, it is nearly impossible to get the grandiose feeling of orchestral music across using a computer program.

Due to the fact it would be impractical for Gramond to hire a full orchestra for each classical album he writes, he instead reverts and depends upon a computer program which attempts to emulate the sounds of orchestral instruments. This is done to a very inconsistent effect; some of the sounds here are fairly believable, whereas others sound as if they were plucked from one of the earliest video game soundtracks. With that in mind, someone looking for a legitimate experience with classical music will come up sorely empty handed here. It is the composition itself which is the strength here, however.

There are parts of the music here which feel like a legitimate commissioned symphony, especially during some of the more dramatic moments of the third movement. Gramond is an expert at counterpoint between melodies, moving back and forth between sounds to create strong harmonies, even taking into consideration the emulated nature of the performance. One thing that does detract here though is the use of more modern sounds here and there, such as a looped beat about halfway through. Although it is good to see some experimentation with the generally erudite sound of classical music, it very rarely works, and tends to further rob the piece of its majesty.

Certainly overshadowed in every respect by a better known ninth symphony, Sébastien Gramond shows his talent for writing music here very well. If only his compositions could be given a more authentic performance...