[GerateWohl]

Now that I recognized the release of Joe Hisaishi’s third symphony I thought it might make sense to open a thread about him.

My first encounter of him was his beautiful soundtrack for Takeshi Kitano’s HANA-BI followed by BROTHER. I think next was already PRINCESS MONONOKE and with that the dive into his film world of Hayo Miyasaki. I collected some of his soundtracks.

But hardly before the release of his two anthology double albums “Dream Songs” and “Songs of Hope” was I aware of is concert work (apart from his film suites). And now that, his chamber and his orchestral works are opening up for a sophisticated world of minimalism. The new album is no exception.

What is the other’s take on Hisaishi? And what do you think of the ne album?

[Malte Müller]

Haven’t heard that album. arte had a live concert of the 2nd symphony plus some score suites some years ago. That was nice although the minimalism was a bit to repeating at time for me.

I encountered him probably via MONOKE and Miyazaki film scores first although I think I watched it years later. He did a nice very european sounding new score to Buster Keaton’s THE GENERAL silent movie including a nice (although a bit odd) chanson over the end credits.

[Nicolai P. Zwar]

I have sampled some of Hisaishi’s work, as he seems to be a very popular composer in some circles, though I haven’t found anything that grabbed me. Perhaps I started wrong, but the first Hisaishi’s pieces I tried (forgot what they were) sounded like “nice” but unremarkable soft, classical elevator music. Nothing I’d go out of my way to listen to.
But two albums ended up in my collection so far: “A Symphonic Celebration” and a few days ago the Symphony No. 3 you mention up there.
I have not yet listened to either of these.

[Thor Joachim Haga]

I’ve never been a huge Hisaishi fan — like Nick says, he has a very devoted fanbase, and I’m nowhere near that — but there’s no denying the Miyazaki masterpieces. I have five of them — NAUSICAA OF THE VALLEY OF WIND, MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO, KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE, PRINCESS MONONOKE and SPIRITED AWAY. Then I have an oddball outlier – his lovely drama score for MIRACLE APPLES (2013). I’ve sampled many other bits and pieces over the years, also the Kitano works (which range from rather uninteresting to totally engrossing, like HANA-BI mentioned above). But he’s one of those composers I need to set aside time for, to explore more systematically at some point.

[Thor Joachim Haga]

In fact, this thread made me go back and listen to NAUSICAA again — largely an electronic or pop-infused score, with 80s production values clear and present, but Hisaishi shows his chops there as well. He’s not all about the orchestra.

[GerateWohl]

He’s not all about the orchestra.

That’s right. But I never managed to warm up with his pure electronic works.

From the new album mentioned above especially the harp concerto is wonderful. The third movement sounds like a driving jazzy dialogue between harp and orchestra which reminds me in parts of Danny Elfman’s concert works stylistically.
I really love that one.

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