Recommend Me Some Japanese Orchestral Music!

[Jilal 569]

Title says it all. Any recommendations are welcome.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Co-signed!  I'd be interested in listening to any recommendations as well.  I know Umebayashi's and Hisaishi's scores and that's about it really that I've listened to with any kind of intention.

[karelm 2,913]

I think this CD is excellent and a very fine place to start. Each work is distinct, moody, atmospheric, and attractive.  I was "blown" away by the Organ Fantasy, adore the Ran suite, and was full of anxiety from Memory of the Sea. 

 

Here it is on youtube:

 

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

 

 

 

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

 

 

 

[Dixon Hill 4,234]

 

 

 

 

 

Only the last one is orchestral, hope this doesn't enrage you.

[Romão 2,274]

Two of my favorite scores ever

 

 

 

 

This is also incredible by Mayuzumi

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,520]

I've always wanted THE BIBLE; it's a fine score.

[Miz 139]

Yoko Kanno is an amazing composer with huge range and a command of melody and tone, often reminiscent of Williams' 80s sound. Escaflowne is my favourite of hers (with this track Wings being my favourite). For a taste of her versatility, listen to one of the two Arjuna albums!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Masato Nakamura's music for Sonic 1 & 2 will always be dear to me. Again, more mastery of melody; the thing that strikes me the most about this music is how the 16-bit manifestation of his compositions never did them justice. Just look up any of them on a Youtube synthesia video to see their complexity (for early 90s video game music, at least). I think all the remixes, piano and guitar covers you can find are testament to the quality of his 'miniature scores' for imagined worlds (and not just kid fans who grew up loving them, like me!). Here's an orchestra giving it a go:

 

 

[Lewya 360]

This may be difficult to sell. A fine piece of lounge/new-agey minimalism. 

 

[Loert 2,511]

I'll throw in my favourite Takemitsu piece into the mix:

 

 

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[shad79 11]

Great soundtrack from NieR: Automata.

Music Director: Keiichi Okabe

 

 

[Maglorfin 196]

Kunihiko Hashimoto has also written some lovely music, e.g. Symphony No. 1 in D and symphonic suite 'Heavenly Maiden and Fisherman'.

 

Otherwise, my all-time Japanese favourite is Hisaishi's monumental, almost 18 minutes long symphonic poem Nausicaä of the Valley of the Winds, majestically played by the London Philharmonic Orchestra (and recorded almost exactly 20 years ago, in August 1997).