Joe Hisaishi - A Symphonic Celebration: Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki

Information

Composer: Joe Hisaishi

1. Merry-Go-Round of Life (from 'Howl’s Moving Castle')
2. One Summer's Day (The Name of Life) (English Version / from 'Spirited Away')
3. The Legend of the Wind (from 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind')
4. Nausicaä Requiem (from 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind')
5. The Battle between Mehve and Corvette (from 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind')
6. The Distant Days (from 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind')
7. The Bird Man (from 'Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind')
8. A Town with an Ocean View (from 'Kiki's Delivery Service')
9. Heartbroken Kiki (from 'Kiki's Delivery Service')
10. Mother’s Broom (from 'Kiki's Delivery Service')
11. The Legend of Ashitaka (from 'Princess Mononoke')
12. The Demon God (from 'Princess Mononoke')
13. Princess Mononoke (from 'Princess Mononoke')
14. A Journey (A Dream of Flight) (from 'The Wind Rises')
15. Nahoko (The Encounter) (from 'The Wind Rises')
16. A Journey (A Kingdom of Dreams) (from 'The Wind Rises')
17. Deep Sea Pastures (from 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea')
18. Mother Sea (from 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea')
19. Ponyo's Sisters Lend a Hand - A Song for Mothers and the Sea (from 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea')
20. Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (from 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea')
21. Doves and the Boy (from 'Castle in the Sky')
22. Carrying You (from 'Castle in the Sky')
23. Bygone Days (from 'Porco Rosso')
24. Symphonic Variation "Merry-Go-Round + Cave of Mind" (from 'Howl’s Moving Castle')
25. One Summer's Day (The Name of Life) (Japanese Version / from 'Spirited Away')
26. Reprise (from 'Spirited Away')
27. The Path of the Wind (from 'My Neighbor Totoro')
28. Hey Let's Go (from 'My Neighbor Totoro')
29. My Neighbor Totoro (from 'My Neighbor Totoro')

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Joe Hisaishi, piano & conductor

Date: 2023

Label: Universal Music

https://www.deutschegrammophon.com/en/catalogue/products/a-symphonic-celebration-joe-hisaishi-12971

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Review

On this delightful collection of beloved hits from the Ghibli universe, Joe Hisaishi and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra bring these songs to life with equal parts whimsical wonder, choral heft, and lush orchestral layering. A Symphonic Celebration indeed, the spirits are unmistakably high on triumphant moments such as "Merry-Go-Round of Life" from Howl's Moving Castle and the bombastic introduction to Nausicaä's "The Legend of the Wind" and the percussion-heavy stomper "The Battle between Mehve and Corvette." The latter films receive the most representation here, while Kiki's Delivery Service, The Wind Rises, Ponyo, Castle in the Sky, Porco Rosso, and, of course, My Neighbor Totoro all make their mark with familiar themes and deeper score cuts. While fan favorite Totoro has the honor of closing the show -- "Hey Let's Go" provides an ineffable amount of joy -- the grandeur and spiritual impact of the Princess Mononoke section is a definite standout (especially the shiver-inducing title track). Live vocals contribute to many of the highlights here, from the tender contemplation of Spirited Away's "One Summer's Day," whose English-language version benefits from the angelic voice of Grace Davidson to the uplifting force of "Nausicaa Requiem" and the childlike "The Distant Days," which both feature a full choir. That blend of sweeping triumph and innocence permeates this collection, as one would expect, and the master delivers all the hits and then some. Even though there are plenty of variations of these songs, each successive collection warrants a listen. A Symphonic Celebration is no different, with Hisaishi and the Royal Philharmonic delivering a performance for the ages.

-- Neil Z. Yeung

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Joe Hisaishi (Mamoru Fujisawa, born 6 December 1950 in Nagano) is a Japanese composer, musical director, conductor and pianist. He has written the music for over 100 films and has won 7 Japanese Academy Awards for Best Music. His credits include 12 enchanting animated Studio Ghibli films, including Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winners Spirited Away and The Boy and the Heron. Hisaishi has won numerous awards, including seven Japanese Academy Awards for Best Music. In recent years, he works as a classical music conductor and also composed new works (Symphonies and Concertos) in a contemporary music style.

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