For the past 25 years, I’ve been enamored with the worlds that Hayao Miyazaki has created in film. From the richly designed backstories and beautifully rendered worlds to the pure emotion that is evident in each one. Each film has a special place in my heart, and that’s true of all the Studio Ghibli works. A vital part of that love is the soundtrack for each film, as the music ties everything together, and holds so much raw power both in the films and outside of them. Joe Hisaishi has composed many movies, including several with Beat Takeshi, but he’s arguably best known for his work with Studio Ghibli. Of course, he hasn’t scored every one of their movies, and to my surprise this album covers more than just his renowned work.
Growing up as a child, I didn’t have much say in what I was able to listen to or watch. The drives to and from my grandparents were filled with the likes of country music, while my older brother would bring his Walkman or CD player and headphones. If I was watching a cartoon and the news was on at the same time, the news is what was suddenly being watched. Occasionally we’d go to the local video rental store (honestly don’t remember what it was called – Blockbuster was much further away at that point), and I’d get to peruse the many movies that were in the children’s section. One in particular stood out, featuring a couple of girls and a giant, fluffy monster of sorts. My mom had to make sure that’s what I wanted, and it certainly was, as every time we visited the store I rented it again and again. My Neighbor Totoro was the first Ghibli movie I ever saw, and I was smitten.
Sadly, that store went under, and being so young I didn’t realize that the company had made other movies. Sure, I saw commercials for Kiki’s Delivery Service and Spirited Away, but I had no idea there was a connection. Cut to me in high school, browsing a Blockbuster and coming across the familiar face of Totoro. My memories flooded back, and I immediately looked up everything to do with the director and studio, and proceeded to buy everything I could. Everything at the time wasn’t much, as I didn’t have access to online shopping, and the movies weren’t nearly as popular as they are now. To get most of the stuff at the time, I had to traverse to Japan Town in San Francisco. This is where I was able to pick up imported versions of movies like Tales From Earthsea, Only Yesterday, and other films that wouldn’t actually come stateside until many years later – some only recently now that GKIDS attained the rights.
Back when Pandora had just launched, a version of Totoro’s theme came on my Nobuo Uematsu channel, and I realized what I was missing: the soundtracks. I made it my mission to collect the music from the movies that meant so much to me, as I could then become engrossed in the worlds without having to watch the movies every time. I could be driving through a forest and imagine the kodamas hiding in the trees, or the forest spirit in the distance as he prepares to become the Nightwalker. I can see all the fish and Ponyo running along the top of them as I drive by the ocean, and I hear the whistling of the wind with every camphor tree.
I love hearing all the different takes on these songs, whether they’re solely piano compositions, or fully orchestrated sets. So when I saw Vitamin String Quartet was going to take the songs on in The World of Studio Ghibli, I was more than a little excited. Not only would it be a string based album which the songs would likely thrive on, but I’ve loved VSQ’s work for the past decade. For those unaware, VSQ has been doing string versions of popular music since 1999. The amount of work they’ve covered is beyond extensive, so I won’t bother listing everything here. But they’ve done enough that I had the utmost confidence this album would be great.
The World of Studio Ghibli contains twelve songs, spanning from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind to When Marnie Was There. The album clocks in at 45 minutes, so it’s certainly a brief look into the many properties they are exploring. As you can probably guess from the runtime, this is not an album of medleys from each movie, as great as that would be. These are basically the biggest songs you’ll remember from each film.
Instead of starting with a bang, this begins on a very somber note with Kiki’s Delivery Service‘s On a Clear Day. The strings hang heavy as the notes slide along through the song, giving a sense of sadness and longing to fit in with the rest of the world. But it also holds hope, as it picks up about halfway through. It’s a veritable tribute to the ups and downs of life, and a beautiful start for the album. The second song picks up with string plucks as we enter the land of My Neighbor Totoro with The Path of the Wind. The opening of this proves just how versatile strings can be, having a completely different sound from the previous song, and once they hit the main theme of the film, the strength of the vibrato truly brings this to life. Once the parts start to contrast one another with different, it’s a magical sensation.
Speaking of magic, the world of Spirited Away has been a huge influence for animation since it launched. One Summer’s Day encapsulates what it’s like to be living another boring day of your life as a child, not really caring about what your parents want to do – you just want to have fun with your friends. And then something happens. Something magical takes you away from the norm, and you have to decide what’s going on. You’re scared, and the tension rises. Is what you’re seeing real, or are you simply dreaming? VSQ builds so much emotion during this song that it’s hard to not be transported to the other side of the tunnel into the bath house, wondering how you’ll escape this predicament.
For those that have ever dreamed of living underwater, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea‘s Night of Shooting Stars has this special sound that the strings do a wonderful job of transposing from the original orchestration. There’s a certain audio cue that makes you think of being underwater or with the stars, and this absolutely nails it. From the plucks to the rich high notes, and the back and forth of the fish in the sea as you swim amongst the colors, this paints a picture perfectly in your head.
The longest song you’ll hear is The Legend of Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke. The story of a boy faced with an evil that may cost him his life, he sets off in search of a cure, as he cannot stay with his village for fear of hurting them. This is perhaps the richest song in terms of story, as it tells a lot. It speaks of the fears he’ll face, the bravery he’ll have to muster, and the love he’ll find and protect from those around him. While the longest, it’s also one of the strongest, and a great example of why I wish the album had decided to do more. Hearing so many variations in one song while the underlying theme ties it all together really shows the strengths of the quartet
For those that like to cry, Grave of the Fireflies has a lot of sad, beautiful music, but Home Sweet Home really drives the pain… well, home. This is also the first non-Hisaishi song on this album. This takes the somber vibrato from the opening track and amplifies it by ten. You can practically hear the instruments themselves crying as they play. There isn’t too much variation in the song itself, but regardless of if you’ve seen the movie or not, you’ll get what it’s about. And on the flip side of sad is happy, and that’s very much what Merry-Go-Round of Life from Howl’s Moving Castle brings to the table. Walking on air above a bustling city, being swept off your feet (literally) by someone you had never met, and the absolute magic of falling in love at first sight. This captures it all, and is a very much needed reprieve from the sadness we heard in the previous song. It’s a grand world being opened up before your eyes, and the strings suit it perfectly.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind isn’t technically from Studio Ghibli, as the studio hadn’t been formed yet, but it is the movie that lead to its creation. The Opening is similar to The Legend of Ashitaka, as there is a lot going on here. There are huge amounts of variation in tempo, crescendos, and overall sound. This version of The Opening may very well be the definitive one for me at this time, as VSQ nails every single part of this song. This is a powerful song that you could easily put in a playlist with classical musicians such as Mozart or Bach, and an audience unfamiliar with it probably wouldn’t know the difference. This is an absolutely stunning arrangement, and a fantastic one to end on for Hisaishi pieces.
The Neglected Garden comes from The Secret World of Arietty. To be honest, I don’t have as strong of a connection with the rest of these songs as I haven’t listened or watched the films nearly as much as the others, although they certainly do sound great arranged for strings. The notes in The Neglected Garden are pure and the scales you hear are great. There is a distinct change of sound from sad or depressed to a hopeful adventure by the middle of it. The song has a great build up from slow and soft to fast and upbeat, and the more I hear it, the more I like it. The composition is surprisingly strong, and a great change from start to finish, which I love in a song. It’s obvious why this piece was chosen for the album.
When Marnie Was There tells a sad story and Fine on the Outside does a great job of telling us this. It’s cheery for those that ask and see the person on the outside, but the feelings under that fake smile are sad and longing. I can’t think of a better style of instrument for this type of song, and VSQ executes it beautifully. The back and forth of feelings from fake to true are expressed here with the long bows sliding across slowly as the others move quickly, giving a sense of internal conflict. Only Yesterday is a story that everyone has no doubt suffered through at some point. The Rose is a song of love and life decisions. Did you choose the right path, or should you have gone the way you didn’t? It’s about bringing up past memories and choosing whether to act on them or not. Songs like this are meant to be played in this manner. Amusingly, my wife just asked why I put on sad music after she died in The Sims – she’s never seen the movie and could feel the emotion behind this.
The final song comes from Whisper of the Heart, and is originally a John Denver song. Take Me Home, Country Roads is a very country sounding song, and distinctly different from everything else on the album. Whereas this started with a sad song of hope, this one is sort of accepting of life as it comes and the willingness to continue, regardless of what happens. It’s about following your heart, and going wherever it leads. As strange as it is to have a cover of a cover in here, it’s more than fitting, and I can’t think of a better way to end it.
To say I enjoyed the album would be an understatement, although it’s a bit unfair since I have a deep connection already with many of the songs. If you love the Ghibli movies, you’ll no doubt find something you connect with deeply here. If you enjoy Vitamin String Quartet, you’ll find the usual quality of music here, as the arrangements are beautifully composed and executed. If you’re unfamiliar with both, I’d still recommend you check it out, unless you have an issue with music played on string instruments and strong compositions that speak on the level of emotions. My only issue with The World of Studio Ghibli was that there wasn’t more.
10 out of 10
Pros
- Beautiful String Arrangements
- Fantastic Song Choices
- Emotions Beautifully Conveyed
Cons
- No Medleys
The World of Studio Ghibli was created by Vitamin String Quartet under the CMH Label Group. It is currently available to preorder, and will be available on December 1st, 2017. If you prefer to have it on vinyl, that will be made available November 24th, 2017. A link to a preview of the album was provided to us for review purposes. If you’d like to see more of Vitamin String Quartet, check out the official site.
Here at GBG we use a rating method that you are more than likely familiar with – a scale of 1 to 10. For clarification, we intend on using the entire scale: 1-4 is something you should probably avoid paying for; 5-7 is something that is worth your time, but probably not at full price; 8-10 is a great album that you can feel confident about buying. If you have any questions or comments about how we rate music, please let us know.
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