Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – A Symphonic Celebration – Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki (2023) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – A Symphonic Celebration – Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:27:31 minutes | 1,59 GB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC

Joe Hisaishi, Japans einflussreichster Komponist für Film und klassische Musik, veröffentlicht A Symphonic Celebration, sein Debüt bei Deutsche Grammophon. Hisaishis Klangschöpfungen wurden zum Synonym für die erfolgreichen Animefilme des oscargekrönten Regisseurs, Animators und Studio-Ghibli-Gründers Hayao Miyazaki. Schon in den 1980er-Jahren begann ihre kreative Partnerschaft, heute wird sie in einem Atemzug genannt mit legendären Duos wie Hitchcock und Herrmann oder Spielberg und Williams. Nun sind die Studio-Ghibli-Hits in symphonischen Arrangements zu hören, darunter Soundtracks von Chihiros Reise ins Zauberland, Prinzessin Mononoke oder Mein Nachbar Totoro. Hisaishi hat sie in London mit dem Royal Philharmonic Orchestra unter eigener Leitung eingespielt. Zu Gast sind Grace Davidson, Avi Avital, The Bach Choir und Stephen Morris.

My Neighbour Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away – people wonder at the magic of Studio Ghibli films far beyond their native Japan, within which the director Hayao Miyazaki recounts his stories in anime guise. But what would these films be without their soundtracks? Just like with Steven Spielberg and John Williams, Miyazaki has forged a unique artistic bond with the Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi that has lasted almost 40 years, with the latter’s compositions being instrumental in the films’ successes. Now we can discover his greatest Studio Ghibli hits re-recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – a first-class Deutsche Grammophon debut.

In 1983, the two artists made their first collaboration for the anime film Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, for which Hisaishi would create “image music” (i.e. music that reflects the character and characters of the film or series). Miyazaki was so convinced by the music that, since the founding of Studio Ghibli in 1985, he was to underscore each of his films with Hisaishi’s compositions – to our eternal good fortune, because the pieces such as the waltz “Merry-Go-Round of Life” (from Howl’s Moving Castle), “A Town with an Ocean View” (from Kiki’s Delivery Service) or the touching “One Summer’s Day (The Name of Life)” (from Spirited Away) enchant the images as they appear on the big screen with very special magic. With a total of 29 tracks from 10 films, Hisaishi presents A Symphonic Celebration, with the crème de la crème of his Studio Ghibli works in all their diversity – as composer, conductor and pianist – newly arranged for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In fact, this is the first time that the film music of Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso has been recorded with a professional world orchestra. During an interview, Hisashi tells us himself:

“We recorded the project last year in a church with a huge choir and orchestra, and that was really great. The orchestras in Europe somehow have a longer, fuller sound. Of course, the musicians in Japan are also highly professional, but in Vienna or London the feeling for the music is a bit different again.”

Whether it’s in Japan, Europe or America – with A Symphonic Celebration we can now enjoy Hisaishi’s wonderful and unique film music all over the world, and immerse ourselves fully in the fabulous stories of Miyazaki’s anime characters. – Lena Germann

Tracklist:
1-1. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Merry-Go-Round of Life (from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’) (02:49)
1-2. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – One Summer’s Day (The Name of Life) (English Version / from ‘Spirited Away’) (04:04)
1-3. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Legend of the Wind (from ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’) (02:08)
1-4. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Nausicaä Requiem (from ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’) (01:11)
1-5. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Battle between Mehve and Corvette (from ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’) (01:19)
1-6. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Distant Days (from ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’) (01:47)
1-7. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Bird Man (from ‘Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind’) (03:45)
1-8. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – A Town with an Ocean View (from ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’) (03:58)
1-9. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Heartbroken Kiki (from ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’) (01:17)
1-10. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Mother’s Broom (from ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’) (03:49)
1-11. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Legend of Ashitaka (from ‘Princess Mononoke’) (01:57)
1-12. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Demon God (from ‘Princess Mononoke’) (02:16)
1-13. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Princess Mononoke (from ‘Princess Mononoke’) (03:13)
1-14. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – A Journey (A Dream of Flight) (from ‘The Wind Rises’) (02:17)
1-15. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Nahoko (The Encounter) (from ‘The Wind Rises’) (00:40)
1-16. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – A Journey (A Kingdom of Dreams) (from ‘The Wind Rises’) (03:18)
1-17. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Deep Sea Pastures (from ‘Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea’) (01:24)
1-18. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Mother Sea (from ‘Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea’) (03:26)
1-19. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Ponyo’s Sisters Lend a Hand – A Song for Mothers and the Sea (from ‘Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea’) (01:27)
1-20. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (from ‘Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea’) (03:16)
1-21. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Doves and the Boy (from ‘Castle in the Sky’) (00:58)
1-22. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Carrying You (from ‘Castle in the Sky’) (04:32)
1-23. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Bygone Days (from ‘Porco Rosso’) (04:26)
1-24. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Symphonic Variation “Merry-Go-Round + Cave of Mind” (from ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’) (12:06)
1-25. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – One Summer’s Day (The Name of Life) (Japanese Version / from ‘Spirited Away’) (03:52)
1-26. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Reprise (from ‘Spirited Away’) (03:32)
1-27. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – The Path of the Wind (from ‘My Neighbor Totoro’) (00:58)
1-28. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – Hey Let’s Go (from ‘My Neighbor Totoro’) (03:33)
1-29. Joe Hisaishi & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra – My Neighbor Totoro (from ‘My Neighbor Totoro’) (03:57)

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