Composer of the Month – Joe Hisaishi
Jen’s Thoughts:
I first came into contact with Hisaishi through electone scores because the orchestral nature of his works just made them perfect for such an instrument. That said, as much as I love Hisaishi, I have yet to sit through a single Ghibli movie due to either lack of time or lack of a heart, so I can’t offer much commentary about their immersiveness.
However, I can say that Joe Hisaishi’s works have made their stamp upon the world of anime music; the themes that he’s come up with over the years have become so memorable that there are a vast number of arrangements that pay tribute to his compositions.
Just looking at a single track, “Princess Mononoke”, one can find countless covers and arrangements, ranging from Carl Orrje Piano Ensemble, where the clarity of the piano carries the distinct melancholic quality, to a cello variant that offers a pinch of nostalgia in Ghibli the Classics. You also can’t go wrong in soaking up the grandeur offered by the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Studio Ghibli Symphonic Collection. These arrangements are all a testament to Hisaishi’s timelessness as, over a decade later, listeners can still find solace, hope and exhilaration in the same works.
Princess Mononoke – Carl Orrje Piano Ensemble Vol 1
[audio:Princess Mononoke – Carl Orrje Piano Ensemble Vol 1.mp3]Princess Mononoke – Ghibli the Classics.mp3
[audio:Princess Mononoke – Ghibli the Classics.mp3]Princess Mononoke – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra
[audio:Princess Mononoke – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.mp3]From all this prattling, it’s not surprising that my main exposure to Hisaishi comes in the form of arrangement albums, which showcases the his great diversity without me having to go and listen to the purely ‘atmospheric’ tracks in the full soundtracks. Whether it is listening to the cute “Flying Boatmen” in Ghibli Brass Fantasia, or relaxing to the classic tunes like “Always With You” from the many piano albums like Piano de Ghibli. Those arrange albums always have something to suit my current mood.
(Porco Rosso) Flying Boatmen – Ghibli Brass Fantasia II
[audio:Flying Boatmen – Ghibli Brass Fantasia II.mp3](Spirited Away) Always with You – Piano de Ghibli
[audio:Always with You – Piano de Ghibli.mp3]What is not arguable, though, is his ability to compose tear-jerking melodies. While it’s not composed for anime, Okuribito’s music suits the theme of the movie so well that even I was moved to tears multiple times. The memorable melody pours forth a lamentation, while ushering forth a new beginning.
Okuribito ~ Memory
[audio:Okuribito ~ Memory.mp3]The bottom line? I think the fact that, over a career spanning more than 30 years (and still going strong), Hisaishi has yet to disappoint, says enough about his skill as a composer.
Zzeroparticle’s Thoughts:
The day that I first laid eyes and ears on Princess Mononoke was a special day where I discovered the richness of Miyazaki’s vision and Hisaishi’s musical brilliance. The impact that his main themes have in setting the tone of whatever work he happens to be scoring were in full display in Princess Mononoke, and, as I explored his works even further, I continued to be impressed by Hisaishi’s grasp of putting emotion to music. With that in mind, my favorite of Hisaishi’s works continues to be Spirited Away, which features the full gamut of emotions, from the somewhat sinister gala-like “Procession of the Spirits” to the melancholy “The Sixth Station.”
In writing and listening to all this Hisaishi, the most impressive aspect that I was able to distill out of his compositions is how good of a grasp he has over various genres. Though I’m no big fan of synth, the music he composed for Nausicaa is wonderful, and I really loved his use of smooth easy-listening-type jazz in Sasuraiger’s soundtrack, which kept me hooked the whole way through.
If there’s one weakness that I can point to in Hisaishi’s works, it’d be the overuse of the main theme within one soundtrack. This fault is particularly noticeable in Ponyo, and though the music is solid, it only made me wish for a little more diversity.
Spirited Away – The Sixth Station
[audio:Spirited Away – The Sixth Station.mp3]Yu’s Thoughts:
I can credit Hisaishi as the first anime composer who piqued my curiosity. That’s not undeserved recognition, either. A person who can create such a large volume of music without many works that fall flat is a rarity.
Of course, it can’t be forgotten that Hisaishi’s success is intimately tied with Studio Ghibli. Even with that in mind, Hisaishi’s scores mesh so well with their respective films that it’s hard to imagine one without the other. That’s a sign of some truly good music. Instead of relying on the films to gain fame, the soundtracks have come to identify the films just as much as the animation itself. Besides simply being skilled, another of his admirable qualities is his versatility while maintaining a unique style. From Nausicaa to Ponyo, every soundtrack is distinctly his, yet each and every one is different enough from the other in personality and mood that they are independent entities. In other words, I look forward to anything released by him since I know it’ll be a fresh albeit reliable experience every time.
As for favorites, his score for Mononoke Hime will always hold a special place in my heart for being the first of his music that I listened to. The brooding powerful feeling the main theme really captures the fathomless power of nature, while the ending track “Ashitaka and San” wraps up the epic tale on a stirring note of hope. And that’s not even going over why I like everything in between.
Princess Mononoke – Ashitaka and San
[audio:Princess Mononoke – Ashitaka and San.mp3]Here’s to hoping he continues his music career long into the future!
The Kiki’s Delivery Service track is broken.
@kadian1364
Man, this has got to be the most headache inducing post I’ve had to put together in awhile. Thanks for catching that!
This was a great read (and listen) – wonderful retrospective on the career of, simply put, one of the most prolific and consistent film composers to date. Thanks for putting this together.
First let me say that Hisaishi is by far my most favourite composer, I can’t count the joy I had so far listening to his music; sounds cheesy, but is true. 🙂
@Jens
I too listen to arrangement albums a lot, but only a few that Hisaishi didn’t arrange himself are near in quality to his. ‘Ghibli the Classics’ is such an album IMO, and the ‘Works I-III’ albums showcase how good Hisaishi himself rearranges ‘older’ melodies. I absolutely adore the ‘Symphonic Poem Nausicaa’.
@Zzeroparticle
Good point on the Nausicaa OST, while maybe not suited for every-day listening it has aged very well for an Eighties OST. 😉 ‘Fukai Nite’ e.g. may sound weird, but is still worth a listening from time to time.
It is also true that he may overuse a main theme from time to time, it really stood out for me in the Howl OST. But surely he is able to diversify in other ways, how he uses all the instruments of the symphonic orchestra in always new and different combinations to variate on a theme is just amazing. After quite a few 🙂 listenings the Howl Original Soundtrack is one of my favourites, I wouldn’t have thought that possible at my first encounter with it.
Last but not least I hope all of you have already seen the Ghibli-Budokan anniversary concert from 2008. Absolutely essential for Hisaishi fans. 🙂
P.S. Seeing Arion mentioned in the article I immediately thought the first tune mentioned would be ‘Resphoina’, since it seems to be well known even by those who haven’t seen the Arion animation.
@signorRossi
I also thought Ghibli the Classics was among the best arrangement albums, but thought it was because of my love for anything cello. Anyway, a review on the Budokan concert is coming up soon. =)
Hisaishi! *-*
My absolute favorite composition of his is Summer from Kikujirou no Natsu.
@Christopher
Thanks! As I mentioned, while going through his Ghibli material was enjoyable, I think the most rewarding part was listening to the relatively obscure non-Ghibli stuff since it shows what he can do outside his usual line of collaboration. Glad you enjoyed it!
@signorRossi
Figured you’d be all over this one! At the core, my complaint about sticking to the main theme, ultimately, is a very minor complaint. I wouldn’t have rated him as my favorite anime composer if it bothered me to that extent!
As for Arion… I wasn’t aware of any of the tracks, so I have no idea that Resphoina was that popular. And now I know! Also, can’t wait to read Jen’s review of the Budokan concert.
@Kiseki
We tended not to cover his live-action stuff, but that still doesn’t change the fact that his works are enjoyable regardless of the medium. The example you cited is just one of them as is his soundtrack to Hana-bi. I’ll be sure to give Kikujirou no Natsu a closer listen once I get the chance.
I loved his work in Laputa. He’s one of the reasons Ghibli movies are consistently among my favorites.
Just last week, a compilation/collaboration album was released which metalises Ghibli. Produced by Coroner Records in Italy, made with bands from Italy and Japan with the blessing of Studio Ghibli. Hisaishi’s work is amazing, now listen to it adapted into heavy metal! Check it out. Why not review it as well? 🙂
Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfA9VA5u9kI
Nausicaa Requiem Theme
Ashitaka and San is my absolute favorite piece cmposed by Joe Hisaishi.
I used to play this song on my piano everyday for nearly a year.
Another non-Ghibli song I love is the song ‘friends’. I am not sure which album it was from but it was piano solo arrangement.
Oh yessss. Joe Hisaishi produced some of the most memorable soundtracks in anime and is an absolute favourite of mine. I gotta say by far my favourite ost from him is *Spirited Away* which is also my favourite Ghibli film. Such a great combination of music and story telling. But the first main theme that got me to really notice Hisaishi is *Nausicaa’s Kaze no Tani no Nausicaa*. I was mesmerized by that piece, immersing me in Nausicaa’s mysterious world, made me want to discover more …which I eventually did. xD. I love his works outside of anime as well. A commenter above mentioned *Summer* which is a delightful piece. Hana bi’s and Okuribito’s main themes are also favourites of mine. Thank you for a most enlightening write up. I really enjoy reliving all different moments of Hisaishi’s musical career thru his music.
@Yi
It shouldn’t diminish from say.. Yuuji Nomi’s compositions since the ones he did for The Cat Returns and Whisper of the Heart were very solid, but nothing can quite topple the excellent work that Hisaishi has conjured up year after year after year.
@Sakana
Oddly enough, I’ve actually seen talk about that album floating around. I’m a bit curious about what it has to offer and I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for it when the opportunity presents itself. Thanks!
@Canne
Still tilting towards the Spirited Away soundtrack, but yes, Ashitaka and San are also among my favorites just for the sense of rebirth that sounds out from it.
@Ayumikat
It’s been an interesting ride especially seeing him delve into the jazz, rock, and electronica, none of which are staples we’d associate with the modern Hisaishi. Does make me wonder if he’ll ever go back to that old style or stick to the orchestral stuff he’s done now. Regardless of which route he takes, the consistency does win him over for me and I can’t wait for the next Miyazaki/Hisaishi collaboration!
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great read thanks for taking the time to put this together
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One of the greatest composers.
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