Soundtrack Review: Spirited Away (2001)
Movie Soundtrack Review: This is a review of the motion picture score Spirited Away by Joe Hisaishi.
“The dense Eastern instrumentation creates, next to Ponyo, the finest Hisaishi work for a Miyazaki film”
If I had to describe the music of Joe Hisaishi based on one concept, I’d laud his never-ending supply of evocative, flowing melodies. Almost all of his films feature elegant progressions in one if not multiple themes. It thus registered as a major surprise when the score for Spirited Away (a film that hints at what an anime done by Guiermo Del Toro would look like) contained no major theme, no consistent idea of soaring beauty. A whimsical theme is developed in a few cues, but outside of its triumphant brass statement to close “The Stink God”, the theme seems a bit out of place, with its admittedly pleasant solo performance by a lala-ing female voice lala-ing in“Day of the River” coming off as too modern for the album. The remaining performances of secondary themes can be counted with one hand. On one hand, I am not one to object to composers branching out into new musical territory, and the stylistic-over-thematic emphasis is mostly a breath of fresh air. However, Hisaishi’s main melodies have always proved enrapturing, with his prior score for Princess Mononoke arguably containing his most sweeping compositions, and the absence of one in this score is a slight disappointment.
Never Fails To Engage
It is thus a testament to the strength of the writing that the score never fails to engage the listener. Even without obvious thematic references, the album is a beautiful fusion of Oriental structures and elegant melodies, and the score will be a must-buy for listeners who delight in the fusion of Eastern instrumentation and Western orchestra. “Dragon Boy” seamlessly weaves Westernized string statements with a diverse range of Japanese percussion, while “Procession of the Gods” is a celebratory highlight of the composer’s career due to his typically energetic orchestra being backed by numerous ethnic string instruments and an “aahing” female voice. Even when the score goes in solely one direction it’s a joy. I loved the amped up taiko drums and sprightly Japanese woodwinds of “It’s Hard Work” and “The Stink God” as much as the soaring melody introduced in “Reprise” (which is so uplifting it deserved a stronger presence in the film). The solitary piano moments of “Yubaba” will leave some listeners cold, yet the Japanese woodwinds played over the orchestra create a very warm, meditative lull. What amazes most about this score is how cohesive it feels. A lesser animation score would have gone all over the place in trying to suit every monster that popped on screen, yet Hisaishi resists this pratfall, as well as the weaknesses of some of his earlier cues (can anyone stand “Substitute Jiji?”). It is the composer’s most mature composition to date; the score is never light or dark, rather wandering a densely crafted musical tightrope that enchants throughout.
Conclusion
As if one needed more incentive to explore the score, Spirited Away contains the composer’s most powerful action fare for animation to date, albeit in very short passages. The closing 30 seconds of “Nighttime Coming”, as well as the rampaging opening to “The Bottomless Pit”, foreshadow the powerful brass statements that the composer would unleash in the 2007 Korean TV series “The Legend: The Story of the First King’s Four Gods”. “Faceless” is a more determined, structured approach, building up a general, rumbling unease with brass and thundering drums while having the lighter Oriental percussion give the track an oddly playful air. A sensational combination indeed, though I would not use the cue to sell the album. The score’s thematic weaknesses may leave listeners hoping for the next “The Destruction of Laputa” a little miffed, but more patient listeners will easily be rewarded by the score’s diverse and immaculate beauty, especially if they stick around for the delightfully innocent credits song. Next to Ponyo it is the composer’s finest work for a Miyizaki film.
1. One Summer’s Day… (3:09)
2. A Road to Somewhere (2:07)
3. The Empty Restaurant (3:15)
4. Nighttime Coming (2:00)
5. The Dragon Boy (2:12)
6. Sootballs (2:33)
7. Procession of the Gods (3:00)
8. Yubaba (3:30)
9. Bathhouse Morning (2:02)
10. Day of the River (3:13)
11. It’s Hard Work! (2:26)
12. The Stink God (4:01)
13. Sen’s Courage (2:45)
14. The Bottomless Pit (1:18)
15. Faceless (3:47)
16. The Sixth Station (3:38)
17. Yubaba’s Panic (1:38)
18. The House at Swamp Bottom (1:29)
19. Reprise (4:53)
20. The Return (3:20)
21. Always With Me (3:35)
Listen to Spirited Away by Joe Hisaishi below:
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(4 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10)
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Soundtrack Seek
Oh my, the cues ‘The Sixth Station’ and ‘Day of the River’ aren’t in bold – they’re both stunning tracks.
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