Joe Hisaishi is one of those composers whom listeners have probably heard, even if they don't know they've heard him. He is one of Japan's leading film composers, having written the scores to all but one of
Hayao Miyazaki's films (to date).
Joe Hisaishi is a stage name taken as a tribute to
Quincy Jones, and indeed, part of the charm of his soundtrack music is its artful blend of Japanese and Western influences. Unlike
John Williams, he has written little abstract concert music, but that changed during the COVID-19 pandemic when concerts and commissions dried up.
Hisaishi welcomed the chance to focus on larger projects, and the result was the pair of works recorded here, with
Hisaishi himself conducting the
Wiener Symphoniker. The
Symphony No. 2 is particularly interesting in its mix of influences, ranging from
Mahler to minimalism, with a Japanese flavor that ranges from obvious (in the children's song quoted in the final movement, "Nursery Rhyme") to subtle. The
Viola Saga is a more straightforward viola concerto. Both works are highly listenable, and the
Wiener Symphoniker plays with an enthusiasm that bespeaks having discovered something new. The album made classical best-seller charts in the summer of 2024. ~ James Manheim
