[Ghibli] Timeless Ghibli Classics in Classical Arrangements: The charm of Ghibli music performed with live instruments
Classical music and Ghibli.
At first glance, this combination may seem worlds apart, yet it’s quietly sparking a boom among music fans.
Ghibli’s beloved melodies, performed on classical instruments like the piano and violin, bring us new allure and profound emotion.
While preserving the warmth and tenderness of the originals, the grandeur and delicacy unique to classical music are added, creating a fresh experience that feels like listening to an entirely different story.
Experience for yourself how those famous tunes you know so well are reborn through classical arrangements.
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[Ghibli] Classic arrangements of Ghibli’s famous songs: the charm of Ghibli music performed with live instruments (21–30)
Ashitaka and SanHisaishi Joe
Unlike the heavy atmosphere of “The Legend of Ashitaka” that plays at the beginning of the film, “Ashitaka and San,” which is heard toward the end, clearly feels bright and full of hope in its performance.
There’s a story that when Joe Hisaishi took on the music for Princess Mononoke, he was overwhelmed by Hayao Miyazaki’s passion and responded by writing fully developed, complex orchestral pieces to express the film’s weighty worldview.
From this work onward, he composed more orchestral pieces, and the in-film sound grew more classical.
This piece is also frequently performed at orchestral concerts, and hearing it played by a live orchestra truly gives you goosebumps!
Porco RossoHisaishi Joe
This is a song from Porco Rosso.
It has a slightly mature feel, and its soothing melody is achingly beautiful.
From the quiet parts to the climactic moments, it makes you want to listen again and again.
It has a certain mood, and the music fits the film’s atmosphere perfectly.
[Ghibli] Timeless Ghibli Classics in Classical Arrangements: The Allure of Ghibli Music Performed on Live Instruments (31–40)
Chapter 4: Princess MononokeHisaishi Joe
This is also a version I really love.
Hearing it performed not just in Japan but all around the world makes me realize how truly grand this piece is, and it fills me with pride for Japan.
I’m in awe of the authentic, full-fledged performance.
It’s turned out to be a very beautiful rendition.
Memories of the AlhambraFrancisco Tárrega
From When Marnie Was There.
It was used as an insert song.
This piece is by the Spanish composer and guitarist Francisco Tárrega and is famous as a character piece for solo guitar.
It is also known for employing the tremolo technique, which requires advanced skill, and is regarded as a showcase for a guitar virtuoso.
With a somewhat wistful yet elegant sound, it is a piece that makes you listen intently to the performer’s high level of technique.
My Humble CottageHenry Rowley Bishop
From “Grave of the Fireflies.” The original song was composed by the Englishman Henry Rowley Bishop and sung as “Home, Sweet Home!” in the opera The Maid of Milan.
The Japanese lyrics by Yoshishi Satomi are well known, and the song is cherished in Japan as an English folk tune.
Yumiko Sameshima is active as a soprano singer, vocalist, and court singer.
The lyrics convey that even a humble house with bare earthen (clay) walls is far more joyful and reassuring than any grand palace, because it is the home where one was born and raised.
Que Sera, Sera (Whatever will be, will be)Jay Lavingston & Ray Evans
From “My Neighbors the Yamadas.” Used as an insert song.
The original is by Doris Day, the lead actress of the 1956 film “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” It is also known as “Whatever Will Be, Will Be.” Peggy Hayama covered it in Japanese and performed it at the 7th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen.
In the same film, versions by the Yamada family members and by Mr.
Fujiwara with the classmates are used as insert songs.
Set to a cheerful triple-meter rhythm, it delivers an uplifting message that “whatever will be, will be,” making it a song that gives you energy.
Fine On The OutsidePriscilla Ahn
From When Marnie Was There.
Priscilla Ahn is an American singer-songwriter who debuted in 2008.
A devoted fan of Studio Ghibli’s films, she was invited to perform a Christmas concert at the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in 2013, and through that connection was chosen to sing the theme song for the film.
The lyrics, which mirror the feelings of a girl who doesn’t fit in—echoing the film’s protagonist—reflect the loneliness Ahn herself felt during her school years.
It’s a memorable piece, marked by a whispery vocal delivery and a tone tinged with melancholy.