The Genesis Suite

This is a very interesting work but not without its faults.

Genesis fans will need to be very patient. This is no straight orchestral version of your fave Genesis tracks, not by a long way. Instead kashif has taken the DNA of the genesis music and injected it into the world of "Classical" music allowing it to evolve in unexpected ways.

When I say "Classical", I use this in the loosest terms possible.

This brings me to my first problem. The range of styles used stops this feeling like a single cohesive work, more a series of distinct pieces linked only by their source material.

Land Of Confusion / Tonight Tonight sounds like a cross between karl Jenkins (Adiemus) and Hans Zimmer. It comes across largely as film music. Good film music but there it is.

Ripples (for me the absolute best track) sounds a bit like Ravel cranked up a bit. It is a wonderful piece of rippling piano playing against a large scale orchestra.

Mad man Moon might give Genesis lovers the most trouble as it is a huglely extended Rhapsody for Violin and Orchetra in the style of brahms / Vaughan Williams etc...

Another highlight is Follow You Follow Me which is a love duet for Violin and Cello with orchestra. It brought Maria by Bernstein to mind.

I won't go into all the tracks as I'm sure you can make your own comparisons.

My other problem with this work is its performability. Tracks 1 % 7 employ solo singers and a large choir. Some tracks require a very talented Pianist and others a solo violinist. In effect it will be very expensive to perform. The changing orchestrations also take away from the cohesiveness.

A final gripe is the lamentable omission of a cheeky wee scherzo based on Firth of Fifth, I can hear it in my head already. Why ?

Please Mr Kashif, release another suite with older stuff and make it more cohesive in sound and purpose.

And while you are at it, do a Yes composition.

All in all though hugely enjoyable in parts, but the sum of the parts don't add up to a better whole.

All this is very beautiful performed, played and recorded music. It made a strange impression on me, Genesis' music without rhythmic drive and nearly everything deadly slow. Take for instance `Follow You, Follow Me' which is taken so slow, I'd difficulty to recognize the melody and the song. Then there's the chorus that sings along some songs. They don't sing the original text but it seems to be an quasi oratorio/requiem-like kind of music. Latin? Greek? And again: very slow. Nowhere Kashif expects the orchestra to play presto or agitato or con fuoco, no it's all adagio, adante and lento. Not that's not interesting; it sure is. The violin solo and the cello solo in some of the songs are great. The piano playing in `Ripples' is worth the money. But if this record was called `Tolga Sharif - Suite for Orchestra nr.1' I'd have believed it too and would never have thought `hey, isn't that some sort of Genesis melody, over there?'.

I was really looking forward to this work, being both a fan of Mr. Kashif's "Queen Symphony" and a long time Genesis fan. Where the "Queen Symphony" had non-specific titles, such as "Adadgio Mysterioso" and "Adante Sostenuto", here we have specific Genesis tracks.

The "Genesis Suite is very different to it's predecessor, instead of the wonderful wrapping of themes and motifs that make up the "Queen Symphony", here we have aimless meanderings and lost opportunities. A good example is "Mad Man Moon". The Genesis version clocks in at seven minutes, here it is over sixteen minutes long. Whilst I would never have bought an "LSO plays Genesis" type of album, there are many times here I wish Mr. Kashif would just "get on with it", as the original is just lost in his arrangement. If he wanted to extend the piece, he should have brought in some other Genesis themes.

At the end of the "Undertow / Blood on the Rooftops" medley, instead of meandering around for several minutes, why not bring in new strands of Genesis to end the piece - there is plenty of material to go at! It makes me wonder just how familiar Mr. Kashif is with Genesis' body of work.

This brings me to my final and most personal criticism, choice of material. All the music used here is chosen from Genesis later, post Peter Gabriel catalogue. What could have been done with the glorious themes and harmonies from "Supper's Ready" or "Firth of Fifth" I can only guess, as they are not here.

I have given the "Genesis Suite" 3 stars because of it's one redeeming track, the opening "Land of Confusion / Tonight, Tonight, Tonight" which is a glorious mix of choir and orchestra.