The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (OST) (2013)
37 tracks, 52 minutes
Stream and download from khinsider (shhh) ∙ iTunes
Although I love Studio Ghibli’s films, I only saw Isao Takahata’s The Tale of the Princess Kaguya for the first time a couple of years ago, but it’s probably my favourite film ever. It is absolutely stunning, a complete masterclass of animation, storytelling and simplicity. It is unrelentingly beautiful, the whole thing looks like an almost-finished watercolour come to life, except for when things get a little frantic and it seamlessly transitions to a chaotic charcoal sketch style. The story is rather simple, but passionately and sensitively told, based on traditional Japanese folklore, and all of that is reflected in the art style. It is a quiet, contemplative and slow film that really takes its time to ponder on the humble beauties and tragedies of nature and life. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya is a nigh-on perfect film, and I encourage you all to go and watch it as soon as you can, and get blown away just like I was.
But we’re here, ostensibly, to talk about music, and specifically an album – today, the Original Soundtrack of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. It was composed by Joe Hisaishi, who is well-known for his Studio Ghibli soundtracks, but this was his first for a Takahata film. Although his other scores have tended to focus more on standard Western classical and contemporary techniques (often including some interesting synthesisers), this one is a little different. A great score reflects the film, and that is the case here: the art style looks as if it could have been made by one artist and one brush, and so the music is entirely acoustic and usually focuses on quite intimate tones. The music is pleasantly understated and has a habit of sounding incredibly simple while being anything but. Almost the entire score is pentatonic, and there are many nods to classical Japanese musical forms such as gagaku and traditional instruments such as the koto zither and ritual bells; it even at points takes influence from Indian and Burmese music – which may sound a bit odd, but its use is completely natural in situ.
The film actually incorporates music into its plot in a couple of interesting ways. When she is young, the Princess sings folk songs with her friends in the countryside, but once she is moved to the city, she is obliged to learn the classical music of the koto. There is a real binary constructed between the two, which is especially evident in the way that the Princess performs the same piece of music in both ways: the earthy, simple but friendly tone of the folk style, and the intricate and elegant, yet resented, manner of the classical style. That can even be heard in the tonalities of each variation, with the folk version being in the major-sounding yo scale and the classical in the more complex, semitonal miyako-bushi scale. This album has the nice touch of putting them side-by-side as the closing track, entitled ‘Song of the Heavenly Maiden’.
One element of Joe Hisaishi’s genius that you will not be able to appreciate through this OST album is his masterful use of silence. He knows that not every scene needs incessant musical accompaniment, and these moments of quiet are always spot-on. When the first strains of strings come in after a long, reflective silence, it makes their impact so much more emotional and intense. I know this is a piece of writing about the album, but, you know, you wouldn’t have to listen to the album if you watched the film. Then you get to appreciate it in its full glory, sounded or otherwise. Plus, you also get to experience one of the most breathtakingly beautiful pieces of art out there. Just sayin.
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