WASO presented ‘The Music of Joe Hisaishi’ on Friday night at Riverside Theatre, and it was an absolute treat. It honestly felt like getting invited to the world’s best listening party, and I was joined by a packed, buzzing full house at the Theatre.
This concert was hosted by the talented trio behind the podcast Art of the Score – comprising of conductor Nicholas Buc, and hosts Dan Golding and Andrew Pogson. These three share a geeked-out friendship and combine genuine passion with a “have you HEARD this bit” kind of child-like excitement, except instead of on a podcast, they did it live with 80 of WA’s best musicians behind them. It absolutely worked. The chat between pieces never became too serious and mostly felt like hanging out with mates who can’t help but gush about the music they love. Solo pianist Aura Go was clearly part of the gang too, jumping into the banter rather than just sitting quietly waiting for her cue. She performed her solos with gusto and heart, clearly also a big fan of Hisaishi’s work and an extremely gifted pianist to boot.
One of my favourite parts of the night, looking around: the crowd was wonderfully, chaotically mixed. Little kids who definitely knew the Totoro tune by heart, die-hard Ghibli adults (including me), and proper classical concert-goers all in the one room, all equally into it. Doesn’t happen often and it honestly made the whole night feel extra special.
The Music of Joe Hisaishi. Photo credit: Aaron Claringbold
I’ll admit, I went in thinking I had my Joe Hisaishi knowledge sorted… Miyazaki, Studio Ghibli, done. Turns out, there’s a whole world I didn’t know about. Learning about his work with directors like Takeshi Kitano and Nobuhiko Obayashi opened my mind up to a whole new world of film music in a different genre, and I’m definitely going to hunt down those films now just to hear the music in context.
Musically, it was gorgeous start to finish and tracks such as those from My Neighbour Totoro were as warm & fuzzy as you’d hope. But the moment of the night, hands down, was Howl’s Moving Castle: Symphonic Variation, when Dan Golding casually got up, sat at the piano and conducted the orchestra WHILE playing a brilliant piano solo?! Impressive stuff, and he did it all with a smile on his face, without missing a beat. The crowd went wild and I certainly counted that as one of the highlights of the show. That theme is already gorgeous but hearing it live with everyone in the room, I was swept up in Dan’s brilliance and the musicality of WASO.
The Music of Joe Hisaishi. Photo credit: Aaron Claringbold
By the time the Spirited Away suite closed things out, the whole room burst into applause. I cherish a night that’s this nerdy AND this joyful at the same time, and WASO alongside the Art of the Score hosting trio absolutely nailed it. If you love Joe Hisaishi, Studio Ghibli, or just awesome film music, it’s a must go. If you think you already know his stuff, go anyway and I guarantee you’ll leave with a watchlist and a beaming smile on your face, mind filled with beautiful piano motifs and soaring melodies.