Piano Stories (NEC Avenue / IXIA, 1988)
“Piano Stories” is the first piano solo album in the great career of Joe Hisaishi.
The first track, “Prologue – A Summer’s Day” and the last track, “Epilogue – A Summer’s Day” are original short song for an overture and an ending of this album, are constructed of piano with sythesizer pad accompaniment.
Half of songs are piano solo cover versions of songs he composed for cinema and animation soundtracks.
The songs become more serious and grandiose also sentimental and melancholic by his passionate but unaffected piano plays.
“The Wind Forest” is the song for “My Neighbour Totoro” is an oriental taste sentimental song with impressive theme riffs. That is more impressive and beautiful by piano solo arrangement and play.
The track seven to nine, “Dreamy Child”, “Green Requiem” and “The Twilight Shore” are very significant and grandiose also elegant songs.
Compare to Ryuichi Sakamoto, composition and plays of Hisaishi are more Classical, Romantic, melancholic and technical (in piano plays).
And in compositions of Hisaishi, there are Spanish, Italian or Latin Music melancholic and pathetic taste.
A excellent piano solo album.
Piano Stories II – The Wind of Life (Polydor Records, 1996)
“Piano Stories II – The Wind of Life” is an album of piano with string orchestra and some instruments in each song, New Age and Classical style cover songs album. The songs he composed for Cinemas of Takeshi Kitano, commercial films, television programmes and so on.
“Kids Return” is a unique, dynamic also sentimental song with a Pop taste theme. It’s very good elaborate, dynamic and responsive arrangement of piano and strings orchestra.
“Les Aventuriers” is 5-beat Spanish or Latin taste dynamic, melancholic and serious song has the element of Minimal Music.
The last track, “The Wind of Life” is a bright, apathetic and refusing piano solo piece.
Nostalgia, Piano Stories III (Polydor Records, 1998)
Following to “Piano Stories II”, this album is piano and strings orchestra cover album of songs he composed for soundtracks of movies of Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano, and commercial films or events. Also some songs are original composition for this album or piano solo. And this album features Italian melancholic mood.
“Cinema Nostalgia” is a Classical and Italian taste sentimental and significant song has dynamic strings arrangement.
“Il Porco Rosso” is the theme of a movie of Hayao Miyazaki “Porco Rosso”. Italian taste and melancholic song. The latter part, trumpet and drums like Jazz follow.
“Full of Sunshine” is an original song and hommage to Nino Rota’s theme of “Purple Noon”. A dynamic Pop style also Hisaishi’s iconic melancholic, passionate and Spanish or Italian taste song with drums, plucked double bass and accordion.
“La Pioggia” is an reflective, gentle and beautiful song. Strings accompaniment set off piano solos by Hisaishi.
ENCORE (Polydor Records, 2002)
“ENCORE” is the second full piano solo album since the release of “Piano Stories (I)” (1988). Almost songs are cover songs of soundtracks for movies by Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano.
“Summer” is the theme of “Kikujiro” directed by Takeshi Kitano. A charming and refreshing composition piano piece.
“Ballade” is a song for “Brother” drifted by Kitano. Hisaishi’s iconic taste melancholic, sorrowful and grandiose song. And the arrangement is skilful and powerful, his piano play is technical and passionate. This song isn’t ballade, but I felt passionate love as a ballade song.
“Silencio de Parc Guell” is an original song in the album “I Am”, a gentille and melancholic Italian taste song.
“HANA-BI” is the theme of “HANA-BI” directed by Kitano. It’s also Hisaishi’s iconic taste melancholic ballade with his dynamic piano play.
“Friends” is a song from “Piano Stories II” a refreshing and bright song with sorrowful mood.
FREEDOM: Piano Stories 4 (Universal Music Japan, 2005)
Following to “Piano Stories II – The Wind of Life” and “Nostalgia, Piano Stories III”, “FREEDOM: Piano Stories 4” is a piano and string ensemble and some instruments style cover album.
“Merry-go-round” is an Italian taste melancholic and serious song is arranged by a fine piano concerto style of good combinations and responses of piano and strings.
“Ikaros” is a cute and refreshing song with a good arrangement.
“Fragile Dream” is a beautiful song progresses from apathetic to passionate.
“Oriental Wind” is a grandiose and dynamic, Oriental taste song.
“Lost Sheep on the Bed” is a bit melancholic arpeggio based piano solo piece.
“Construction” is a contemporary also melancholic, Spanish or Latin taste song with exciting strings arrangement.
The arrangement of this album become more sophisticated, complex, grandiose and dynamic like Romantic and Modernism Music piano concertos.
Another Piano Stories – The End of the World (Universal Music / A&M, 2008)
“Another Piano Stories – The End of the World” is also a piano and orchestra cover album of his works.
“Woman” is an iconic Italian melancholic mood composition of Hisaishi, which is played by a dynamic orchestra arrangement. This song has the elements of Romantic Music and Easy Listening.
“Love Theme of Taewangsashingi” is also his iconic taste song more and grandiose with the sentimental theme.
“Les Aventuriers” is a song in “Piano Story II”, he recorded it again. This version is higher tempo, more refined, dynamic and passionate.
“Theme of Departure” is a refreshing bright and dynamic song with a highly complex orchestra arrangement.
“The End of the World I – IV” is Romantic or Contemporary style orchestra suit has elements of Minimal Music, Jazz and Avantgarde Music.
“I’d rather be a Shellfish” is an Italian melancholic also apathetic mood piano solo piece with Hisaishi’s iconic melodies.
Despite the title, this album features orchestra. And the arrangement and playings are more sophisticated, refined and dynamic like orchestra music of Romantic, Modernism and Contemporary Music or Easy Listening.
Resources and Links
Universal Music Japan – Joe Hisaishi
Music Review
Joe Hisaishi Solo Albums
