Laputa: Castle in the Sky

Review by Thomas Glorieux:

Today Joe Hisaishi is known by many fans, even the Western ones due to his wonderful music for acclaimed movies as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, but even way back then he was capable of writing wonderful music. Back then I mean 1986, literally several years before he composed his first musical score, and Laputa: Castle in the Sky is the one I'm referring at, a wonderful symphonic poem to be exact. There is still a difference with most other releases of this score, since Laputa received multiple soundtrack releases, with most promising more score and tracks, but this release is a wonderful symphonic suite covering only 8 tracks, but all perhaps the best orchestral performances of the entire composed music. And Hisaishi is not just a composer, he's a darn fine thematic mastermind, letting the music work around the images and not vice versa. Anyway, Laputa begins with a wonderful fetching return to the baroque period with classical fanfares in 'Prologue / A Meeting', but the moment the typical signature sound appears you know its Hisaishi at the center, meaning the brief piano moment which would almost never appear again! Still, the strings grow into a more orchestral form and in these moments the rather soft but beautiful main theme is heard, and when it ends by soft flutes there lies a meandering quality to the music, that makes it as relaxing the way it began. Still, while its orchestral all the way, its shifting moods constantly and in 'Gran'ma Dola' a more comical but especially fetching moment is heard, because it intermingles especially Spanish effect into it which makes it more then interesting, hearing the Eastern music mix itself with excellent flavor in the Western world of Spanish rhythms. 'Walking in the Air' begins with pizzicato strings, before a sinister mood is heard (the only time actually) and after it letting the happy march return again to end the cue.

One of the softest pieces is 'Gondoa: In Mother's Arms', and briefly the main theme is noted on strings, but its mainly flutes and soft violins that enhance the flow magically well. One of the best moments is heard in 'The Great Legend', with especially a link towards another Japanese score (but video game based) namely Panzer Dragoon, anyway its the same wondrous string tones of the theme here that makes a fluent and flowing magical moment happen, and its nice to hear how Hisaishi works around it. Again a bit of comedy or happier fluff is discovered in 'A Big Riot' and has a bit of The Goonies inside of it, which is cool by the way and lets the theme of track 2 reappear. But the best moment is saved for 'A Mining Town' and its because you get a theme that you could hear all day long, its fetching, fun, so playful, its simply not even necessary this theme grows out of its proportions which it doesn't do by the way, but I promise you, it will stick in your mind for a very long time. 'The Castle of Time' sadly and strangely doesn't let the main theme end the score, its piano and a grow of the string that do it, but it doesn't create a real effect sadly. But in the end Laputa: Castle in the Sky is still a darn good score, and a wondrous effort comparing it was already so early composed in his career. Mind you, I have no idea whatsoever what the other soundtracks deliver more of virtues, but I have no idea also if its as symphonic as this composition here. I feel this version is all I'll ever need and Laputa: Castle in the Sky "Symphonic Suite" is just perfect for that, covering fun themes, gorgeous orchestral moments and a Hisaishi at the helm promised again what I was expecting, a darn fine listen from start to bottom.

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Tracks

Single Disc

1. Prologue / A Meeting (5.35)

2. Gran'ma Dola (4.10)

3. Walking In The Air (4.54)

4. Gondoa: In Mother's Arms (4.15)

5. The Great Legend (6.30) Excellent Track

6. A Big Riot (4.15)

7. A Mining Town (4.08) Excellent Track

8. The Castle Of Time (3.27)

Total Length: 37.33

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=== Link to Composer Site: Joe Hisaishi ===