Cat No ESD81542

Digital Moonscapes comprises two suites for digitally synthesized orchestra inspired by astronomical subjects. Cosmological Impressions is a mini-voyage through time and space. Moonscapes is a nine movement suite in the spirit of Holst's "The Planets," about the major moons of the solar system.

In 1982 Wendy Carlos built a library of voices replicating as closely as possible the features of acoustic instruments. Performing and recording several dozen of these replicas together in an ensemble produced the world's first digitally synthesized orchestra, the LSI Philharmonic (i.e., from "Large Scale Integrated" computer chips). All sounds on this 1984 recording were fine-tuned by ear, without digital sampling or microphones. Its careful balance between natural room-sound ambience and three dimensional stereo placement gives the recording an uncanny sense of "scrim free" orchestral transparency.