Tracklist

[[Visit blog to check out this spoiler]]

Review: Clannad/Tomoyo After’s “Piano no Mori” revels in simplicity. The ornamentation that accompanies these piano arrangements are fairly orthodox; there’s nothing in this album that’s too surprising. Everything about this album is predictable; the tracks that were chosen, the manner in which they’re arranged, the list goes on. But for fans of the Clannad franchise, this album is exactly what they’re looking for. Nothing more, but definitely nothing less.

Even though the track selection and the creativity that goes into the arrangements leave a bit to be desired, the piano music does convey the sentiments of Clannad well. “To the Same Heights” starts this album off on a splendid note. Its soft introduction is tentative, but it exudes a growing optimism through a crescendo that radiates hope through its trickling, engaging melody. The glowing outlook and determination it conveys is wonderful and this piece does well in setting the tone for the tracks that follow.

To the Same Heights

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
“Isle of Joy,” an arrangement of the OP, “Mag Mell,” is even better than its source material, granted, I wasn’t too keen on the original because its melody has the feel of a generic, upbeat opener rather than a song that encompasses the scope of the anime and game (despite what the lyrics say). This version’s tones are warmer as the piano transitions smoothly from the energetic lead-in into the gentle verses complete with the brief moment where the piano takes to the higher registers to highlight the piece’s most heartfelt section. After that, “White Clovers” takes over with a slow, calming sound that moves along serenely at first. But the piece really shines once it hits the buildup where the happiness that’s been simmering emerges with confidence, and with it, delivers optimism, painted through an incredibly bright future.

White Clovers

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
But nothing nails the optimistic sentiments quite like the iconic “Tiny Palm” which exudes joy and happiness from every pore. The piece starts off softly, but little by little, it gathers strength, imbued by a wondrous sense of gladness that drifts in and slowly uplifts. Its initial calming ardor gels all of the scattered loving emotions into a greater whole, reflecting the strengthening of those familial bonds. These emotions really come to fruition once the piano enters the high registers. From there, the piece flows with comfort and hope, stirring my heart and soul as it affirms the unbreakable bonds formed before ending sweetly as the familiar motive from “Nagisa” sets in with its gentle, loving tones.

Tiny Palm

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
The Clannad chapter closes with “Two Shadows;” “Dear Old Home” opens the Tomoyo After story. The music used for this story arc is more somber and packs a tragic aura. “Dear Old Home” doesn’t quite go that far, but it does have a dab of the melancholy in the introduction before it gradually shifts to a tone of quiet determination. “Rivulet” follows suit in retaining some of that determination, but on the whole, the warm tones beckon and love remains the dominant theme, conveyed through the melody’s warm, reassuring fabric.

Rivulet

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
Beyond this point, the music is seeped in sadness and this is where the tragedy really makes itself apparent. The lonely sound coming from “Worth Living” is distressing as the introspective thoughts that flow forth do so forlornly. It is as if the subject of this track has lost their way and is struggling to find some direction to proceed and patch together a shattered life. The feelings it depicts are bleak, bordering on despair, as the problems grow ever more burdensome with each passing note. “Harmony with Sorrow” is even more despondent though listening to this becomes almost annoying because the piece repeats the same motives a bit too often for its own good without doing anything to adorn the melody in a way that will further plumb the piece’s emotional depths.

Worth Living

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]
But the album wraps up nicely through “Love Song,” which slowly sheds the despair in favor of a blossoming happiness that remains quiet and subtle. Its tones are uplifting; not quite at the level of “Tiny Palm” perhaps, but its brightness is heartening, especially when it comes after two very gloomy tracks. To close, though this album is far from being the be-all-end-all of anime piano music, the tracks are competently arranged and highlight some of the more memorable moments in Clannad and Tomoyo After. It’s definitely recommended listening if you seek to enjoy the Clannad soundtrack through a different instrumental lens.

Rating: Good

Information provided by Bigblah of VGMdb.net/Gamingforce.

Review: By this time, I can’t blame you if you’re sick of reading about Clannad ~After Story’s~ OP/ED “A Song Engraved in Time” and “TORCH” on this blog and hopefully, this review of the piano arrangement album will be the last. So to begin, I was mildly surprised that this album got released at all because in my review of the OP/ED Single, I noted that “A Song Engraved in Time” is an arrangement of “To the Same Heights” on the Clannad Original Soundtrack and that piece already has a piano arrangement on the Clannad/Tomoyo After Piano Arrange Album. As such, having yet another arrangement feels unnecessary and the only two reasons that came to mind as to why this album came into being was that someone wanted to make an arrangement that includes the introduction section in “A Song Engraved in Time” and arrange “TORCH’s” melody.

The piano arrangement of “A Song Engraved in Time” stays faithful to the original, which might not be a bad thing at first glance except that the similarities are just far too close, which leads to an underwhelming listening experience for those who were expecting something new. As such, this track’s biggest fault lies in the creative (or lack thereof) aspect of its execution. By being too faithful without adding in any meaningful changes to spice it up and make it interesting, the arrangement becomes stale simply because it brings nothing new to the table. Furthermore, it doesn’t help that the source itself is more enjoyable than the arrangement because the pianist simply can’t convey the range of emotions that Lia’s voice is capable of rendering. An excellent example is during the motive that plays between 1:55-2:14 (see sample below), which doesn’t feel quite as poignant and dramatic as it does in the original version. Admittedly, the faults are pretty small, but together, they make listening to this track feel less satisfying overall which, when combined with the lack of creativity in its arrangement, means that this track falls short of its potential.

Yes, maybe I am being a bit too harsh by chiding this arrangement since most people who are going to get this album simply want to hear a piano version of “A Song Engraved in Time.” And to be fair, they get a good track that is nowhere remotely as disastrous as TAMUSIC’s Haruhi arrangements. Still, my prior experience with piano arrangements of Key’s works had primed me for something a bit different and fresh, which is why I was disappointed with the way this track turned out. They’ve certainly done better in the past.

However, listening to “TORCH’s ” piano arrangement dispelled the disappointment since this track definitely improves upon the original, making it a worthy piece in its own right. The celebratory introduction is discarded in favor of going right into the part during which Lia’s voice enters the piece in the original version except this time, the harmony doesn’t jump around so much as to create the jarring transition from “A Song Engraved in Time.” The piece starts off with a slower, more melancholy feel that doesn’t quite possess the festive mood of the original, but it builds up slowly and wonderfully until it reaches the joyful chorus section which is still as upbeat and optimistic as ever. Maybe even more so. One thing to pay attention to as you listen to this track is the way the harmony adds a layer to the piece to make if feel just slightly more vibrant than before and the little flourishes here and there keep it fresh and interesting without feeling as though they were afterthoughts. The changes are fairly subtle, but by doing so, the overall mood and atmosphere of the original is enhanced and this arrangement makes for a very enjoyable listen.

Musically, this album is solid because both arrangements are fairly strong and their take on the original melodies are worth checking out. Although “A Song Engraved in Time” is too close to a carbon copy of the original, “TORCH” makes up for that creative deficiency with an arrangement that is more reserved, but stands out on its own as an improvement on the original melody through its more poignant rendition of the theme. So while I can complain all day long about the dubious amount of creativity in the first track, Clannad fans should not be dissuaded by the issue since it’s a competent arrangement overall. For everyone else, I’d still say that there’s enough mileage that can be had such that this album should be given a chance at the bare minimum.

Rating: Good

A Song Engraved in Time
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

TORCH
[Audio clip: view full post to listen]