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Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki with the NSO at Wolf Trap. Photo by Dan Aulsebrook.
“Music from the Studio Ghibli Films” featured animations from the works of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki and his Studio Ghibli, with their accompanying soundtracks conducted by the composer Joe Hisaishi and played by the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) at Wolf Trap. Scenes from Miyazaki’s visual masterpieces were shown with the live performance of the original soundtracks, including those from “Kiki’s Delivery Service,” “Princess Mononoke,” “Castle in the Sky,” and “Totoro.” Throughout their work, Studio Ghibli movies place a spotlight on the less-seen beauty of life. This was a special and rare opportunity to see this composer conduct his own work from some of the films he scored for Miyazaki for over 30 years.
Witnessing the live performance of this work…was invigorating. The living, breathing body of the NSO was electric, and the opportunity to hear Hisaishi’s work as he imagined it was extraordinary.
The music was not just performed live, it was alive. Studio Ghibli’s films have a shared emphasis on themes of exploration and discovery, which when conducted live reverberated throughout the audience. Hisaishi’s passion for his work was evident from the beginning when he sat at the piano and tapped out the first keys to “The Legend of the Wind” from “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.” Joined by the orchestra as if building the music by hand, the projector overhead began to play Miyazaki’s animations, bringing each story to life. Regardless of whether one knew each particular movie or not, the performance swept each viewer into a unique and fantastic world. Collaboration between The Washington Chorus and the Japanese Choral Society of Washington allowed for spectacular and chilling vocals. Beginning their performance of “Princess Mononoke,” the two choirs operated as if one instrument, stringing the audience into the first song, “The Legend of Ashitaka” and culminating with the entrance of Janet Todd who amazed with her vocals. “Princess Mononoke” was written and performed in Japanese with English subtitles on the screen. Todd’s effortless work was hauntingly perfect, especially for such a monumental performance.
The film, “The Wind Rises” opened gently with “A Journey” and Kyle Pudenz playing the mandolin, adding to the nautical atmosphere into which that the studio leans. The stylistic choices of the performance were perfectly in line with the animation. The vocal soloists, Janet Todd and Mai Fujisawa, wore blue and red respectively, correlating with the visual motifs in “Ponyo” and “Porco Rosso,” and masterfully blending with the animation. “Porco Rosso” was wonderful for many to see live, including the continued air motif. The performance of “Bygone Days” contained a lovely blend of traditional Japanese and classical influences, with brassy snaps of jazz.
Witnessing the live performance of this work traditionally viewed comfortably on the couch was invigorating. The living, breathing body of the NSO was electric, and the opportunity to hear Hisaishi’s work as he imagined it was extraordinary. Studio Ghibli continues to be a part of many people’s lives and continues to inspire and light a way forward to this day. The films are remembered most for their emotion, which was just as present and potent now as when the films were first released.
Running Time: One hour and 45 minutes with an intermission.
“Joe Hisaishi Symphonic Concert – Music from the Studio Ghibli Films of Hayao Miyazaki” was performed on July 14 and 15, 2023 at Wolf Trap, Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road Vienna, VA 22182. For more information on upcoming events at Wolf Trap, go online.
Review by Guest Author, Mary Kate Ganley, former Cappies Best Team and Best New Critic winner.