Explain why do you love "This Kalafina Song/Performance" ?

[ritardando]

I don't mind about her voice being shouty in "dare ni mo, mienai nee" and "owaranai natsu deshita", it's just too borderline annoying for me. And of course Hikaru had to take the "fue no ne ga" stanza because when that stanza starts, Wakana and Keiko still sing the "kimi no kokoro ni kisu wo suru", but maybe for me, if that notes were that high for her, she could just use falsetto instead of shouting. Maybe it will make the song have less in power, but still on the relaxing mood. Oh, I take that back. Hikaru's falsetto is even more annoying than her shouty voice. Stupid me.

Maybe you're right on Kyrie, because the delay between the kajiuran and the "anata no kioku no naka no" was really short that Hikaru had to take Wakana's part, but for me, as an performer they should make their live as close to the recording version as possible, and Wakana maybe could make a little sacrifice by a bit pushing herself there. After all, if you look at the setlist, the song before Kyrie was Mata Kaze and after Kyrie was Ongaku. Wakana can have lots of relax time in Ongaku, and can gain her power in Mata Kaze, unless she doing lots of energy-burning movement, which she didn't do too much compared to Hikaru and Keiko.

 

[Cerise]

Re:

I don't mind about her voice being shouty in "dare ni mo, mienai nee" and "owaranai natsu deshita", it's just too borderline annoying for me. And of course Hikaru had to take the "fue no ne ga" stanza because when that stanza starts, Wakana and Keiko still sing the "kimi no kokoro ni kisu wo suru", but maybe for me, if that notes were that high for her, she could just use falsetto instead of shouting. Maybe it will make the song have less in power, but still on the relaxing mood. Oh, I take that back. Hikaru's falsetto is even more annoying than her shouty voice. Stupid me.

I’ve actually never heard Hikaru slip from her normal voice to falsetto during a song, I’ve only seen her use either her falsetto only (e.g. when doing chorus in oblivious and Hikari no Senritsu) or only her normal voice throughout a song (i.e. for basically all their other songs). So perhaps unlike Wakana who does that numerous times (like in sapphire, Lirica, even magnolia etc.) it’s hard for her to switch quickly or transition smoothly between her normal voice and her falsetto. (Actually, come to think of it, I swear I’ve never properly heard Keiko’s falsetto…O_o)

Hikaru’s falsetto is alright though, isn’t it? I reckon she does really well in Hikaru no Senritsu and oblivious lives…

Maybe you're right on Kyrie, because the delay between the kajiuran and the "anata no kioku no naka no" was really short that Hikaru had to take Wakana's part, but for me, as an performer they should make their live as close to the recording version as possible, and Wakana maybe could make a little sacrifice by a bit pushing herself there. After all, if you look at the setlist, the song before Kyrie was Mata Kaze and after Kyrie was Ongaku. Wakana can have lots of relax time in Ongaku, and can gain her power in Mata Kaze, unless she doing lots of energy-burning movement, which she didn't do too much compared to Hikaru and Keiko.

I guess so, but it’s hard because they really did look quite tired…when I checked the red moon setlist, I noticed that they literally performed 14 songs non-stop between MC1 and MC2 (though I’m not sure if this was actually the case – did the DVD cut out other MC bits in the middle, or were there really only two?). They were really good up to storia (kyaa ), and intermezzo was alright, but Wakana was first starting to sound a little tired to me there, and then after Lacrimosa they all just seemed to get really exhausted.

Whilst we’re on the topic of Lacrimosa, to me it was the turning point where they started getting really tired because it was the song before Mata Kaze, and I’ve always thought sounds (and looks) like a really taxing song for Wakana to sing live because she has to go low out of her comfort zone but also get a bit shouty to hit the higher notes with enough power.

So I noticed that after performing 10 songs, then Lacrimosa, then going into Mata Kaze, that whilst Keiko and Hikaru were still relatively energetic, Wakana seemed really tired (you can see her stoning when she comes into harmony somewhere around the bit that goes “nan no yaku ni mo tatanai kedo, sukoshi hikari ni niteru sore ga, watashi ga anata ni nokoshite yuku…”

And then after Mata Kaze, Hikaru and Keiko seemed tired too, and Wakana didn’t look too well recovered (she probably jammed to the music more than she should have), so all three of them looked pretty tired going on into Kyrie. And even in that kajiurago bit before the ‘anata no kioku…’, Wakana was definitely sounding strained there, so maybe Hikaru took the line to relieve her. It could have also been perhaps that Wakana couldn’t finish her previous line off quickly enough to hit the starting note of the new line, so they made Hikaru do it since I’ve also noticed that Wakana’s voice isn’t very agile.

And then even after Kyrie in Ongaku, Wakana in her chanting part (which was still epic and amazing, but I could tell she was tired and quite shaky on that high falsetto note) and Hikaru sounded more tired than Keiko, who I guess was conserving energy and managed to pull through until the 2nd MC.

I guess it’s good for singers to push themselves to perform the best they possibly can, but they need to take care not to overtire themselves and strain their voices too much or it might be worse for them in the long run (I hear that straining the voice too much can result in permanent damage ) For a better performance, it would probably help for the Kala girls to have more breaks in between songs, or have the breaks more evenly distributed (like, for 2 MCs in 20 songs, a break every ten songs even would be better than fourteen)

Also, (sorry for off-topicness and this WALL OF TEXT ) is it just me or does Wakana seem to have the least stamina out of the three of them? I mean, it feels like Hikaru can last for quite a bit and Keiko seems to be able to go on forever but Wakana seems to get tired/start sounding strained the fastest. (Same with her breathing…she seems to take the biggest/loudest breaths out of the three of them…perhaps she has a smaller lung capacity than the others?)

 

[ritardando]

Now that you mentioned that and I rewatched the DVD, I think you're quite right. Although basically, the DVD setlist was good, because the DVD setlist give the 3 girls almost equal portion and the setlist arrangement was good, because after song with Wakana as lead, it switch to Keiko and after that Hikaru (red moon-tetote-fantasia-sapphire-yami no uta-hoshi no utai), or Hikaru-Wakana-Keiko (Mata kaze-Kyrie-Ongaku) and after that Hikari no Senritsu, which is relaxing and they don't have to do lots of body movement there, and the setlist is balanced between ballad and upbeat song in order, Unlike the DVD we're getting for After Eden, I hate how they put all ballad in one row and then all upbeat songs in one row.

Maybe Wakana has the least stamina between the 3 girls because her soprano part. She had to take more breath in one take, reach higher notes, doing higher harmony and so on. Hikaru for the second, maybe because she mostly sing with usual voice and don't have to really struggle to reach higher notes, doesn't always have to do higher harmony and she is the youngest between them (maybe age affects their stamina as well? dunno) and of course Keiko has the most stamina because between all of them, Keiko seems the only one who loves to work-out, and with all her work-out session, surely she has the most stamina between all of them.

another (last extra) for favourite Kalafina song - adore. Lots of my friend hate it. But I have a soft spot for Wakana and techno songs. Wakana + Techno = awesome. Just like Hikaru with rockish-song, and Keiko for out-of-the-box songs (Ongaku --because it's borderline between techno and rockish for me,and really different compared to all songs in seventh heaven,Tetote --for its Egyptish/Arabic music,Mune no Yukue --for the river of life, LOL) That's why I don't really like techno song with Hikaru as lead (fantasia), because the chorus seems really weak compared to how Keiko starts the song, and how awesome Wakana is during the middle part of the song.

 

[garnetjester]

I think that even though Keiko is the oldest she has the most stamina because she is always jumping around but doesn't go breathless. Hikaru is good too, but when she's tired it's very noticeable because she loses control of her voice and tends to shout a bit. Wakana, on the other hand has more trouble with breathing and stamina but I don't really know why is that I don't think being a soprano has to do with it though, because Yuriko Kaida doesn't seem to have such a problem in FJ lives from what I've seen.

Maybe she just needs to work out more to build her physical condition.

Anyway, agreed about adore, it's a favorite of mine. Wakana is fantastic at conveying emotions with her voice, her "anata dake ga the one that I adore" line is so beautiful

 

[ninetales]

Re:

Oh, I take that back. Hikaru's falsetto is even more annoying than her shouty voice. Stupid me.

Um, I am a bit curious...what have you heard from Hikaru to convince you that her falsetto's annoying? The only time her falsetto has been prominently featured is in Oblivious (when they were wearing their black and white dresses), and I personally thought that her version of the opening vocals was much closer to Hanae Tomaru's than Wakana's is. Other than that, we just have Hikari no Senritsu, but I think Hikaru's falsetto "part" there is just lip-synching to Yuriko's playback...

Is there a performance I've missed where Hikaru's falsetto sounds really bad, though? Or is it something that varies from person to person?

I think that even though Keiko is the oldest she has the most stamina because she is always jumping around but doesn't go breathless. Hikaru is good too, but when she's tired it's very noticeable because she loses control of her voice and tends to shout a bit. Wakana, on the other hand has more trouble with breathing and stamina but I don't really know why is that I don't think being a soprano has to do with it though, because Yuriko Kaida doesn't seem to have such a problem in FJ lives from what I've seen.

Something tells me that Keiko singing lower parts might have something to do with her stamina, but then again she does run around a lot, which is bound to tire her out. But we don't know what her exercise routine is - she might practice her breathing at home so that she has less trouble.

As for Yuriko, I've noticed that she almost never walks around or does any movement except for fist-pumping. (I've nicknamed it "The Yuriko Fist-Pump", actually.) Maybe, since she stays very still, she can keep her stamina more easily?

Anyway, back on topic, I love Adore myself. It's got a lovely desperate feel to it, especially with Wakana and her tragic sound. The ending Kajiurago+string quartet combo adds a lot, too.

 

[ZoaKaizer]

u should remember that their running and jumping around in their Live is also a factor of their performance


anyway...


I love the Ongaku Red Moon Live

ongaku is one of my favorite song, its an upbeat and more high spirited song. In the love version i can hear their real blending voices together in singing Ongaku. The live version gives more

feeling

but yeah, too bad they running around in the performance, they should stand still and focus on vocal, just like most performance in YK Live

 

[george1234]

Re: Re:

I guess so, but it’s hard because they really did look quite tired…when I checked the red moon setlist, I noticed that they literally performed 14 songs non-stop between MC1 and MC2 (though I’m not sure if this was actually the case – did the DVD cut out other MC bits in the middle, or were there really only two?)

There were 3 MCs in the actual live http://canta-per-me.net/live-events/2010-red-moon-4/ :) That makes the in-between gap 10 songs and not 14.

 

[Cyber Harpie Lady]

Re: Re:

I guess so, but it’s hard because they really did look quite tired…when I checked the red moon setlist, I noticed that they literally performed 14 songs non-stop between MC1 and MC2 (though I’m not sure if this was actually the case – did the DVD cut out other MC bits in the middle, or were there really only two?)

There were 3 MCs in the actual live http://canta-per-me.net/live-events/2010-red-moon-4/ :) That makes the in-between gap 10 songs and not 14.

I recall that between "intermezzo" and "storia" there was a costume change.. so essentially, they sang 5 songs in a row, changed, and then did another 5. 10 songs in a row is a bit too much in my opinion :x

Well since we brought this live up again... let me just say that I'm angry about the Yuki Kajiura appearance being cut out!! ARGH

 

[garnetjester]

@Cerise: You can hear Keiko's falsetto in Houseki.

@Ninetales: Yuriko stands still, but Wakana doesn't move much either. I don't know, Kaori can sing pretty high at times and she has great stamina so I think it has more to do with individual conditions than with the range they sing in, but I might be wrong.

 

[ninetales]

^ Oh, I was actually talking about how Wakana performs in Kala, as opposed to FJ. In songs like Ongaku and Mata Kaze, she does tend to get into it and run around a bit with Hikaru and Keiko, whereas in FJ she tends to stay in the same place more. (I'm not counting her recent performances, because her ability seems to be off right now for some reason.)

You're probably right, though. It depends on their individual capabilities, and the amount of running around they do...

 

[Lorde-Kowz]

I think that even though Keiko is the oldest she has the most stamina because she is always jumping around but doesn't go breathless

Isn't Wakana the oldest of the three?

Is there a performance I've missed where Hikaru's falsetto sounds really bad, though? Or is it something that varies from person to person?

There's a Lacrimosa performance where her falsetto is shaky. I forgot which one though.

 

[ninetales]

^ Oh yes, I remember that now...I didn't think it was particularly bad, so I guess it's a subjective thing.

 

[garnetjester]

@Kowz: You're right, Wakana is the oldest, my bad. I don't think a year makes that much difference though.

 

[Spirica Rose]

@Kowz: Yes, I recall that one. I'm not sure which one, though. The only performances I can think of where I hear her falsetto clearly are Shibuya O-EAST, KITAKYUSHU 2011, Yokohama, and that collab live with Hironobu Kageyama (I think).

I think it might have been the last one, but I'm not positive.

Red Moon, Yami no Uta, Magia, and destination unknown
I love the dark tones and intensity in these songs, and they're good songs to move to. My favorite part of each:
-the ending of Red Moon
-Keiko's part in Yami no Uta + the instruments
-the bridge in Magia + the bells
-the ending of destination unknown

I'll have to think of what to say for my other favorites at a later time. There are just so many songs I could describe!

 

[ritardando]

@ninetales : I said her falsetto is annoying because her falsetto is even more sharp-sounded than her shouting like in "in your eyes". That's why I think Kajiura doesn't use Hikaru for doing higher harmony nowadays. If you remove the vocal from Hikari no Senritsu, for example, you will find how sharp her falsetto is. And for the Lacrimosa thing, it should be the one in their performance with that guy (Hironobu something who really ruin the song) where she sings the "arta via" before the final chorus. And on early performance of Lacrimosa, she used to sing the kajiuran part in falsetto (and they don't use Hanae Tomaru's voice in recording) and it sounds really bad. That's why in nowadays Lacrimosa kajiuran part, they use Tomaru's voice in recording and Hikaru singing in normal voice but in lower octave.

 

[Cerise]

I actually really like the two interludes on the Re/Oblivious mini-album; I think both Wakana and Keiko sounded really good (very smooth and lovely) in both of them and they paired together extremely well

interlude 1:
- my fav part is when Keiko and Wakana go into harmony at "...onaji you na mono wo, minna sagashiterukedo, sukoshizutsu zenbu, chigau yo ne, kimi wa doko he yuku no?"
- and also when they alternate parts at : "ashita ni narebaaaa, kirei na sora ni, gin no niji gaaaaa....."


interlude 2:
- my favourite line is Wakana's "haru wa amaku hana wo chirashite..."

 

[ZoaKaizer]

i just listened to To The Beginning full PV version

I like it, this is really Yuki Kajiura Classic song


its giving the similar " " feeling just like parallel hearts, stone cold, and eternal blue

 

[Cerise]

to the beginning:
- the bridge, especially Keiko's line "kanashimi dake kese wa shinai..." for some reason I just really like it~
- Wakana's solo, I know she sounds strained to some people but to me it seems as if she's trying to sound more gentle because it's the quiet part of the song and I love it cos I think she does sound tender and emotional
- love how after the solo, Hikaru comes in then Keiko with the epic strings before it dives back into the faster-paced chorus
- the violin~

Just love this song

 

[Ophelia Arcana]

Re: Explain why do you love "This Kalafina song" ?

No.1 - Progressive
This songs totally rocks. And the emotion is greatly enhanced by the violinist.

No.2 - To The Beginning
- Wakana's voice
- Almost similar to Parallel Hearts

No.3 - Kyrie
- Wakana!!!
- Powerful

No.4 - Serenato
- Wakana!!!
- Powerful, emotional, soprano.

No.5 - Symphonia
- Peaceful
- I feel like floating when I watched the PV. It's just so blissful.

No.6 - Magia
-The earth trembles when I heard this song.

No.7 - Ongaku & Destination Unknown
- Keiko
- Keiko's voice could vibrate the walls when I turn up the volume.

 

[Nyannika]

Re: Explain why do you love "This Kalafina song" ?

Uh, it's difficult to decide 3 personal faves are;

Lacrimosa
The first Kalafina song I've ever heard. Really loved the melancholy and the style, the voices of the girls, which I haven't often heard in Japanese music. I really wanted to know more about Kalafina.

Red Moon
Such a beautiful song, so powerful and deep, but also has that nostalgic and dramatic aura.

Sandpiper
A very sad song, so sad that I had to cry when I first heard it. Although I didn't understand the text, but the way it's interpreted almost loosens the language barrier. So much love, so much soul and so much sadness.