[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)
Symphonic Suite “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind”Joe Hisaishi
This Nausicaä piece is full of impact, and I absolutely love the music right from the beginning.
I really think this track is perfect for classical arrangements.
Along with the film, the music deserves much more recognition.
Its unique atmosphere is what keeps you completely captivated.
Merry-Go-Round of LifeJoe Hisaishi
From Howl’s Moving Castle.
Joe Hisaishi, who composed this piece, has said he expressed the protagonist’s subtle emotional changes—her ups and downs as she goes from age 18 to 90—through a merry-go-round (in the form of a waltz).
Hisaishi is active in many fields as a composer, arranger, conductor, and pianist.
Focusing mainly on film music, he has scored every Studio Ghibli film from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.
The elegant waltz melody creates a mysterious world.
From the very moment the piano solo begins, an otherworldly atmosphere permeates the piece—quintessentially Ghibli.
[Ghibli] Timeless Ghibli Classics in Classical Arrangements: The Allure of Ghibli Music Performed on Live Instruments (31–40)
The Summer of Goodbye ~From Up on Poppy Hill~Koichi Sakata
From ‘From Up on Poppy Hill.
‘ This song was the theme for the 1976 drama ‘The Summer of Goodbye,’ and the film uses a cover version by Aoi Teshima.
Ryoko Moriyama is active as a singer and actress, and she won the Best Vocal Performance at the 44th Japan Record Awards for ‘Satōkibi Batake’ (Sugarcane Field).
It is a piece that highlights her beautifully soaring voice and overwhelming vocal prowess.
Also, the opening lyrics match the film perfectly.
Only Yesterday Main ThemeHoshikatsu
From Only Yesterday.
Used in the trailer music, it helped color the film alongside the main theme and ending theme.
It’s a piece whose gently, quietly played piano leaves a strong impression, soothing the heart like a calm sea.
The music was composed by Masaru Hoshi, who worked as a composer, arranger, guitarist, and producer.
Yosui Inoue’s album “Danzetsu” marked Hoshi’s debut as an arranger and producer.
As an arranger, he worked on numerous songs, including Anzen Chitai’s “Wine Red no Kokoro” and The Peanuts’ “Jounetsu no Sabaku.”
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.