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Yoshiki Classical

{{Infobox album

| name = Yoshiki Classical

| type = studio

| artist = Yoshiki

| cover = Yoshiki_Classical.jpg

| alt =

| released = August 27, 2013

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Classical

| length = 40:36

| label = X Project, INgrooves, Warner

| producer = Yoshiki, George Martin

| prev_title = Eternal Melody II

| prev_year = 2005

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

{{Music ratings

|rev1 = AllMusic

|rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web

| url = {{AllMusic|class=album|id=mw0002577856|pure_url=yes}}

| title = Yoshiki Classical

| access-date = 2013-10-10

| last = Sanderson

| first = Blair

| format = Review

| work = allmusic.com

| publisher = All Media Network}}

}}

Yoshiki Classical is the third classical studio album by Japanese musician Yoshiki. It was released on August 27, 2013. The album peaked at 21st place on Billboard Top Classical Albums chart.{{cite magazine | url = https://www.billboard.com/charts/classical-albums/2013-09-14 | title = Classical Music: Top Classical Albums Chart | magazine = Billboard | date= 14 September 2013 | access-date = 25 July 2018}}

Background

In 1993, Yoshiki recorded his first classical studio album, Eternal Melody, in London at the studios owned by English record producer Sir George Martin, who produced and co-arranged the album, with the music performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. It mostly included orchestral arrangements of songs from his band X Japan.

The second studio album, Eternal Melody II, was recorded in the Los Angeles County, California; in his own Extasy Recording Studio, O'Henry Sound Studios, and Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage M facility. All songs were written and composed by Yoshiki, additionally performed by Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.

File:Yoshiki at Grammy Museum 2014-02-19 11.jpg in February 2014, when announced the classical world tour.]]

In 2012, Yoshiki composed the theme song for the 69th Golden Globe Awards, and on January 15, 2013, the theme was officially released through iTunes in 111 countries, with all proceeds being donated to charities chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.{{cite web| url=http://www.goldenglobes.org/2013/01/yoshikis-golden-globes-theme-to-be-released-internationally/| title=Yoshiki's Golde Globe theme to be released internationally| date=2013-01-07| author=AnaMaria| work=goldenglobes.org| access-date=October 10, 2013}} After the album release on August 27, 2013, in its celebration, a special live performance was held at the Grammy Museum.{{cite web| url=http://www.grammymuseum.org/events/detail/the-drop-yoshiki| title=The Drop: Yoshiki| work=billboard.com| access-date=October 10, 2013}}{{cite web| url=http://noisecreep.com/x-japan-yoshiki-classical-los-angeles-2013-performance/?trackback=fbshare_top| title=X Japan’s Yoshiki Goes Classical for Intimate Los Angeles Performance| date=2013-08-27| author=Corey Irwin| work=noisecreep.com| access-date=October 10, 2013}}{{cite news | url = http://videos.huffingtonpost.com/entertainment/yoshiki-releases-new-classical-album-517914389 | title = Yoshiki Releases New Classical Album | work = Huffington Post | access-date = 24 October 2013}}

On February 19, Yoshiki's first classical world tour was announced at the Grammy Museum.{{cite web |url=http://www.mtviggy.com/articles/metal-legend-yoshiki-of-x-japan-gets-his-ovation-at-the-grammys/| title=Metal Legend Yoshiki of X Japan Gets His Ovation at the Grammys| author=Laina Dawes| date=2014-03-13| publisher=MTV Iggy| access-date=September 5, 2014}} It began on April 25, 2014, in Costa Mesa, California, and continued in Mexico, Russia, Germany, France, United Kingdom, China, Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan, for a total of 13 shows in 10 countries.{{cite web |url=http://www.en.barks.jp/news/?id=1000004259| title=The Grammy Museum unveils global rock star Yoshiki exhibit - Classical World Tour Dates Announced| date=2014-02-21| publisher=Gobal Plus| work=en.barks.jp| access-date=1 May 2014}}{{cite web |url=http://www.en.barks.jp/news/?id=1000004557| title=Yoshiki’s Solo Concert Held in Tokyo and for the First Time in Osaka| date=2014-04-11| publisher=Global Plus| work=en.barks.jp| access-date=1 May 2014}} Due to scheduling issues, the concert at Toronto, Canada, on May 10 was postponed indefinitely. The tour setup featured Yoshiki on piano, several strings as cellos and viola, and vocalist Katie Fitzgerald from Violet UK. Performances included classical versions of songs composed by Yoshiki and other famous composers such as Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.{{cite news |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2014-04-23/music/yoshiki-x-japan-davies-symphony-hall-classical-composer/| author=Kirsty Evans| title=Classical Import: How Yoshiki Went From Stadiums to Concert Halls| date=2014-04-23| newspaper=SF Weekly| access-date=1 May 2014}}

Composition

Yoshiki Classical contains mostly previously released songs. "Amethyst" was the first orchestral song Yoshiki composed, "Red Christmas" is a song by his musical project Violet UK, while "Seize the Light" is from a group Globe, with whom Yoshiki collaborated in the early 2000s. There are three orchestral arrangements of X Japan's songs "Tears", "Forever Love", and differing on the edition, "Say Anything", or previously unreleased "The Last Song".

It includes "Anniversary", composed and performed at the request of the Japanese government at a celebration in honor of the tenth anniversary of Emperor Akihito's enthronement in 1999. Two theme songs, "I'll Be Your Love", from the World Fair Expo 2005 held in Japan, and of "Golden Globe" awards. Besides that, was included previously unreleased song "Miracle", used since 2010 as the opening intro theme song for the X Japan's concert tours.

Release

The album was first released digitally in North America on August 27, 2013, via iTunes. On September 24, it was released worldwide digitally and in CD format in North America, and was also released on September 25 as a special short digital edition titled "Yoshiki Melodies Classics" in Japan.

On the Oricon charts, it reached number four. On Billboard's Classical Albums chart list reached number eleven,{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/album/6073764/yoshiki-classical| title=Yoshiki Classical on Billboard| magazine=Billboard| access-date=May 1, 2014}} while on Billboard Japan it reached number three at the Top Albums list, and number one (for three consecutive weeks) at the Classical Albums list. On the iTunes Store, it reached number one on the classical charts in ten different countries (Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Macau, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Finland and Canada).{{cite web| url=http://www.en.barks.jp/news/?id=1000003256| title='Yoshiki Classical' Reaches Number One on World's Classical Charts| date=2013-10-05| work=en.barks.jp| publisher=Global Plus| access-date=October 11, 2013}} In the United States and Norway it reached number two, number six in Australia, and number ten in France.

Track listing

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Yoshiki

| headline = North America

| title1 = Miracle

| length1 = 4:52

| title2 = Red Christmas (Classical Version)

| length2 = 7:20

| title3 = Seize the Light (Live) [Classical Version]

| length3 = 6:32

| title4 = Golden Globe Theme

| length4 = 3:49

| title5 = Tears (Classical Version)

| length5 = 5:04

| title6 = Anniversary (Theme for the Emperor of Japan 10 Year Anniversary)

| length6 = 7:18

| title7 = Forever Love (Classical Version)

| length7 = 8:19

| title8 = I'll Be Your Love (Theme for the World Expo Japan) [Classical Version]

| length8 = 9:03

| title9 = Amethyst

| length9 = 6:20

| title10 = Say Anything (Classical Version)

| length10 = 10:09

| title11 = Golden Globe Theme (Quartet Version)

| length11 = 3:48

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Worldwide

| title1 = Miracle

| length1 = 4:52

| title2 = Seize the Light (Classical Version)

| length2 = 6:32

| title3 = Golden Globe Theme

| length3 = 3:49

| title4 = Tears (Classical Version)

| length4 = 5:04

| title5 = Red Christmas (Classical Version)

| length5 = 7:20

| title6 = Anniversary

| length6 = 7:18

| title7 = Forever Love (Classical Version)

| length7 = 8:19

| title8 = I'll Be Your Love (Classical Version)

| length8 = 9:03

| title9 = Amethyst

| length9 = 6:20

| title10 = The Last Song (Classical Version) [Live]

| length10 = 8:07

| title11 = Golden Globe Theme (Quartet Version)

| length11 = 3:48

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Yoshiki Melodies Classics (Japanese Edition)

| title1 = Miracle

| length1 = 4:52

| title2 = Golden Globe Theme

| length2 = 3:49

| title3 = Tears (Classical Version)

| length3 = 5:04

| title4 = Amethyst

| length4 = 6:20

| title5 = Say Anything (Classical Version)

| length5 = 10:09

| title6 = Golden Globe Theme (Quartet Version)

| length6 = 3:48

| title7 = Forever Love (Piano Solo Version)

| length7 = 4:36

}}

Recording personnel

References

{{reflist}}

{{Yoshiki (musician)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2013 albums

Category:2013 classical albums

Category:Yoshiki (musician) albums

Category:London Philharmonic Orchestra albums