Royal Philharmonic land Japanese film star

Royal Philharmonic land Japanese film star

Orchestras

norman lebrecht

March 30, 2023

Deutsche Grammophon is all excited today about signing Joe Hisaishi, the successful Japanese composer associated with the magical Studio Ghibli animations of director Hayao Miyazaki.

London’s RPO got in first on the recording deal, with the composer conducting.

Comments

  • Herbie G says:

    Farewell DG. It was nice knowing you for at least 60 years. I now await the new Hyperion releases from the same stable. What about a symphonic medley of fifties ITV advertising jingles?

    • Peter San Diego says:

      Well, they still put out a few worthy releases on occasion… but they lost my regular attention with the cocktail-bar-piano arrangements of Disney tunes by Lang Lang.

      • Thornhill says:

        That Disney album likely paid for Matthias Goerne to record Schubert and Schreker songs, Fabio Luisi to record Nielsen symphonies, and more Beethoven Sonatas from Pollini.

        If DG only recorded what met your artistic standards, it likely would have gone bankrupt by the 1990s.

    • Camcam says:

      I am sure you would say the same when they’ve released John Williams or Bernard Herrmann score recordings on DG then?

    • William says:

      Dramatic much? Hisaishi writes good music.

  • The View from America says:

    Oh, joy.

  • Nikos Salingaros says:

    A word of support for Joe Hisaishi’s conducting skills, independent of his own music. He recently recorded one of the best Beethoven symphony cycles ever, plus a phenomenal Brahms 1st, all for the Japanese Exton label.

    • Barry Guerrero says:

      . . . an expensive boutique label that has all but disappeared in the west. I don’t know of any streaming services that carry Exton’s recordings either.

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