The magic of Miyazaki comes to life with the FILMharmonic Orchestra

Saturday night, the FILMharmonic Orchestra paid tribute to composer Joe Hisaishi, a loyal partner of director Hayao Miyazaki, the genius of Japanese animated film for the last 50 years. As a result, the entire magical and benevolent universe of Miyazaki’s characters came to life in the minds and hearts of the audience filling the Wilfrid-Pelletier Hall at Place des Arts in Montreal.

Impeccable Classicism

Hisaishi’s music is of impeccable romantic classicism. The silky melodies carried by the strings are accompanied by the pleasant chirping of colours from the woodwinds and percussion, as well as the sometimes heroic bursts from the brass. It is music filled with caressing tones, bathed in safe harmonies, but which, thanks to the composer’s talent, prevents the music as a whole from falling into the banality of uninspired writing. Hisaishi takes us with him into this world of simple sweetness and beauty, inhabited by an extra touch of youthful wonder.

That said, as conductor Francis Choinière mentioned during one of his interventions (short and effective, let us emphasise), Miyazaki’s world (and by extension Hisaishi’s music) carries within it, equally, the naivety of childhood through its fairy-tale worlds and a heartfelt dose of more advanced reflection on the environmental crisis, the transition to adulthood, and freedom.

From Kiki to Mononoke, and of course Totoro

Kiki’s Delivery Service kicked off the evening with its delicate theme. Then, the excerpt Requiem from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind reminded us of Hisaishi’s classical roots with this melody derived from Handel’s Passacaglia, cleverly adapted for the needs of this soundtrack. An excerpt from the music of Princess Mononoke, a masterful score curiously underlined in this concert, followed before diving into a substantial suite of themes from one of Miyazaki’s most iconic films: My Neighbour Totoro. Hisaishi’s pen for this film, with its exquisite sweetness and simplicity, blossoms with captivating melodies for the strings and fine, graceful touches for the woodwinds, with Gershwin-esque tones that stand out strongly in certain places. No big, evil villains in this film and its score, no tearful drama, no full-blown battle, just the friendly and fascinated tenderness of discovering a parallel world filled with gentle creatures. A music that feels so good, you cannot not love it deeply.

The second part of the concert gave us two long suites from two essential films of the Miyazaki canon: Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. If Chihiro is not lacking in effective passages, it is Howl’s Moving Castle that stands out. Especially with that incredibly memorable waltz. But not only that, because the story, although classic Miyazaki, still contains some of the most epic moments in all of the master’s films. The music reflects this with great acuity, while remaining true to the composer’s leitmotifs: simplicity and quality.

Two encores, including a reprise of the Totoro theme with the entire audience as an ad hoc choir. Everyone left the room humming To to-ro, To tooo Ro.

One drawback: the amplification used gives a filtered and less natural colouration to the strings. One begins to wish that the FILMharmonique Orchestra would perform at the Maison symphonique instead. But well, it’s a detail that ultimately has little consequence on the success of this enchanting evening that we would be ready to experience again at any time.

And that anytime could be March 21 in Quebec City, as the same program will be given at the Grand Théâtre. People of the capital, don’t miss it.

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