Player 1
Decca, 2024
9/10
The violin extraordinaire Ray Chen meshes classical sounds with the world of gaming here, and it makes for 8 very distinct and creative pieces.
“Romantic Flight (from How to Train Your Dragon)” opens with Chen’s meticulous and bright violin amid the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s dynamic and soaring musicianship, and “Sadness & Sorrow (from Naruto)” follows with Chen’s intimate string gestures that flow alongside the stirring climate.
Moving into the middle, “Violin Concerto in D major, Op.35” unfolds across 3 chapters of grace and melody via the meticulous progressions from the violin, while “I Remember My Name (from Squid Game)” comes with a distinct dreaminess that’s cautious and pretty.
“Pallet Town (from Pokémon Red)” and “Isabella’s Lullaby (from The Promised Neverland)” exit the listen. The former offers a friskiness that builds into a triumphant and soaring album highlight, and the latter is an emotive and gripping finish to a very well thought out and flawlessly executed record.
A highly innovative outing, Chen’s performance is full of symphonic and fantastical gestures that bridge 2 seemingly different worlds into captivating storytelling.
Travels well with: Isata Kanneh-Mason- Mendelssohn; Yunchan Lim- Chopin Études