Joe Hisaishi (久石 譲) - Princess Mononoke (for piano)

Notes on the piano arrangements

I first discovered Joe Hisaishi’s iconic score for Studio Ghibli’s Princess Mononoke through the late-1990s Hong Kong television drama Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, produced by TVBI. At the turn of the century, it was common practice for Hong Kong dramas to weave Japanese soundtracks into their background music. In fact, that very same series also featured the magnificent score Kitaro wrote for the 1997 historical film The Soong Sisters. Because these television broadcasts provided no explicit credits for their background music, I remained unaware of the composer's identity for a decade. It wasn't until a friend passionate about Japanese anime introduced me to the world of Studio Ghibli that I experienced a profound moment of rediscovery.

Learning the true origin of the melodies I had loved for so long was an exhilarating revelation. I immediately ordered a copy of the complete soundtrack and also discovered the beautiful theme song sung by a countertenor—a highly unusual selection, but one that was perfectly suited to the film. I transcribed this piece for the piano, though the arrangement lived only in my mind for the next fifteen years. It was finally put to paper as a farewell gift for a departing Japanese friend when the company we both worked for closed down.

A short time later, I passed this arrangement to one of my students to learn. Upon playing it, the student curiously asked if I also had an arrangement for "The Legend of Ashitaka" - a specific theme that had been extensively featured in that nostalgic TVBI series. The question flooded me with memories from more than twenty-five years prior. Inspired by this wave of nostalgia, I immediately set to work transcribing the epic theme. Through this quarter-century journey of cross-cultural television, shared friendships, and a student's curiosity, these two piano arrangements of Princess Mononoke were finally brought to life.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Mr. Joe Hisaishi and Wonder City Inc. for granting permission to publish this arrangement through Mondschein Studio, allowing me to share this music with other Joe Hisaishi fans worldwide.

- Ke Lin