Hisaishi: Symphonic Suite The Boy and the Heron for Piano and Orchestra

Grief, melancholy and the nature of ageing run through The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki’s first feature-length animation after a decade in retirement. Studio Ghibli’s co-founder and director, as so often before, turned to Joe Hisaishi for his film’s soundtrack and was rewarded with a score that speaks with the clarity of a Mondrian painting. The Japanese composer’s instantly recognisable musical language, simple on the surface yet rich in its emotional depth, comes to life in the standalone orchestral suite he built from material he retrieved from the film in 2025. The resulting concert work amounts to a convincing re-composition, its individual episodes unified by recurring melodic themes and plangent piano solos. Played by the composer on this world-premiere recording, those piano solos are surrounded by atmospheric orchestrations, almost imperceptible in the opening track, the first iteration of “Ask me why”. They rise to full-throated in “The Great Collapse”, and lie somewhere in between in the jazz stylings of “Reincarnation”. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra responds to Hisaishi’s music with evident affection, unlocking its many colours and shaping its melodic lines with consummate artistry. Their fine work is matched by engaging recorded sound, warm and rich yet crystal clear. Listen to the delicate conversation between piano, strings and winds on “Memories”, a miniature masterwork that encompasses nostalgia without slipping into sentimentality. And then try the jaunty rhythmic riffs and spiky car horn fanfares of “Warawara” for a sense of the suite’s expressive breadth and the care given to it by performers and recording team alike. Our Favourite Track: With its haunting solo melody, like a solemn mantra, gentle dissonances and rising intensity, “A Song of Prayer” packs a tale of sadness and defiance into its short span.