Blog #4: Soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi in "Princess Mononoke"

In 1997, <<Princess Mononoke>> was released. Joe Hisaishi’s soundtrack is one of the most important factors in the film. The following year, the <<Phantom Princess- Symphony suite was released. In this recording, he made a collaboration with the famous Czech philharmonic orchestra, led by Mario Klemens, and played the piano by himself. The soundtrack of <<Princess Mononoke>>, which is bases on a symphony orchestra, is the best way to capture the music talent. Throughout the entire suite of vigorous bondless, the theme of the profound connotation, and mysterious rain forests. One of the leading role in <<Princess Mononoke>>, is with the emergence of natural forest, and the score already reflects the nature of ubiquitous broad realm, now change for symphony of suite, is like a fish in pool.
The following is an introduction to each song:

Chapter 1  <<ア シ タ カ せ っ き>>

The song is "princess mononoke" prelude to opening, for the whole movie, to play the role of a teaser, introduces in cloud and mist in the mountains of mist, lens goes slowly, a full of mysterious forest appeared in front of the audience. At the beginning, the bass drum rings, the bass of the cello and the picture fuse, as if in the mountains, with the movement of the picture, the high notes gradually rise, then enter the story plot. The whole song is deep and heavy, setting the tone for the film.

Chapter 2 <<ta, ta, ri gami>>

This song is used in the first climax of the film. As the pig god was hated, he ran all the way, threatening the safety of the village. The hero rode the antelope hornbow to prevent his progress, but he was seriously wounded. The combat process is smooth, the music is in a tight fit, and the whole song is full of tension.

 Chapter 3 <<旅立ち～西へ～>>

In this CD, I think this piece is the best. The hero was forced to leave his village to find a rescue because he was invaded by demons. Journey, in the music accompaniment, the hero and LingJiao horses marching slowly in the vast grasslands, the wind blows, a wave of grass, as the climax of the music gradually, image is more open, when the style tendency of downy, images also switch to a jungle mountain stream, good cohesion the movie plot.

Chapter 4 <<もののけ姫>>

This song for the hero with princess mononoke met for the first time the score, in this CD, long stone to re-edit, joined the piano solo part, in the half, after the Czech philharmonic using his specialty, string orchestra the climax of perfect.

 Chapter 5 <<シシ神の森>>

This part is used by the hero into the mysterious forest, this part mainly use the wind, with the reed pipe build an eerie atmosphere in the forest, ensemble and the background are intertwined rendering, make the audience as if place oneself in the forest full of mystery.

 Chapter 6 <<レクイエム～呪われた力～>>

The music was so great that it sometimes played a solo, sometimes a string ensemble, and tried to show the tension in the battle.

 Chapter 8 <<アシタカとサン>>

End, everything is back to the calm, vegetation germination, die gradually green hill, the hero and princess mononoke will comes a time to break up, piano accompaniment become the main melody, is under the blue sky green water of castle peak, flat of symphony concerts with piano accompaniment, the present a beautiful world in front of you and me.

The whole CD sounds like a refreshing, unspeakable comfort. I have heard it no more than thirty times, but every time I am moved by the initial shock.



Wendi Xie