Sunday Synth Jam: This video captures reader Olivier Lebra‘s live performance of Abraham’s Theme, from Vangelis‘ score to Chariots of Fire.
The instrument is Clavia Nord Stage 2 using a sampled Rhodes Mark I electric piano set to low and a pulse wave virtual-analog waveform oscillator.
Here’s a higher quality audio embed of the track:
Goose bumps inducing…
Its not even nostalgia for me to still like Vangelis’s work. Its more like still enjoying Bach. With the exception of just a few rare moments, no one else plays synths with such original romanticism. He gets almost Debussy-like at times and when he roars, its wonderfully orchestral. If you’re going to play synths for people, being able to offer a Vangelis piece is similar to offering one from Bach. Each has his own realm of mastery that breaks the usual boundaries, but there’s a common spot, too. Very good job, Olivier; you nailed it.