Review Summary: all the twinkle in its eyes, all the sparkle of its light
Three soundtracks exist for this film: English, French, and Japan's original. The French just dubs over, however the American is fairly different instrumentally. Disney had contemplated releasing
Castle in the Sky in theaters, but felt its soundtrack left too many silences, so they asked Hisaishi to form another that kept the original character, melodies, and arrangements, but created additional orchestral arrangements to fill prolonged silences. The American soundtrack is better in my opinion, particularly when listened to by itself; smoother transitions and rounded out (i.e. less minimal) orchestral touches brings it up another notch, though it has been said that Hisaishi's original better complements
Castle in the Sky, as a film.
Nonetheless, this review talks about the American, as it has so many additional compositions and, as already said, works better by itself. Fading in and out of many pieces,
Castle in the Sky's iconic melody propels this soundtrack, always reminding us of Laputa (ancient flying civilization integral to plot). It manifests various forms, but always is fluid and enchanting, and most importantly, hard to forget. In “Confessions in the Moonlight," it is melancholic, slow, and weighted, but faster-tempoed, dynamic, and free-flowing in “The Girl Who Fell from the Sky”, and then mixes abrupt muting with elongated chords, creating this syncopated effect in “Floating with the Crystal.” Sometimes, it barely develops, only briefly emerging with staccato-y expression at “The Levitation Crystal”'s end. Although this melody is great in all places, truly and uninhibitedly it shines when accompanied by choir. “The Destruction of Laputa," begins a capella, showing off gorgeous harmonies, until harp, strings, bells and later percussion and woodwinds join in. This song climaxes mid-way, subsequently softening but regaining momentum afterward, ending fairly dejected. As shown, various versions of this recurring melody speak to
Castle in the Sky's evolution and also reflect character development, making them
very compelling in context but still lovely regardless.
As is common in many film soundtracks, there's a lot of variation both emotionally and instrumentally in
Castle in the Sky. Dimension-heavy individual pieces start out upbeat but finish in sorrow, or
switch that pattern 'round. In “The Legend of Laputa,” what begins as fun and playful, rather video-gamey in sound, transitions into a mournful but touching piano melody that persists on and off throughout. Other pieces tell stories in literal fashion. “A Street Brawl” assigns almost all persons involved individual sounds to distinguish what is happening. Similarly, “Chase” sonically represents different images as they occur. It has fast-paced strings, which push you on, particularly in parts where it feels as though a current is pulling you under, as you gasp for air and flail your arms about. Then, other songs remain focused, never alluding to
Castle in the Sky's overall sound. “Pazu's Fanfare” has solo trumpet that positions, rather awkwardly, in Baroque times, especially when harp starts plucking as well. Another distinct composition is “Stones in the Glowing Darkness.” Mystical and almost exotic, it is melodic but light, scattered drums steal attention from overarching melodies. Subtly laying beneath, they seem bigger, carrying this song and transforming it from a bud into bloom.
I could talk about the remaining songs, but that would get redundant. Just know that many emotions and sounds can be found; pretty tunes, dark tunes, fast tunes, spirited tunes, melancholic tunes, and often, Hisaishi smooshes many, if not all, qualities together. Parts of singular pieces sound Celtic or Persian, and other parts sound similar to other soundtracks; vocals on “The Dragon's Nest” seem similar to darker compositions from
The Fellowship of the Ring. In addition, Hisaishi knew restraint; the soundtrack never feels overwhelming
or underwhelming. Touching solos from various instruments (trumpet, piccolo and clarinet) add calmness during parts without full orchestra.
Opener “Prologue/Flaptors Attack,” keeps it mysterious in the beginning, leaving listeners expectant, waiting to unleash full blasts of fleshed out sound. Similarly, closer, “The Eternal Tree of Life,” ties up all loose ends with softness. Starting with tinkling bells, it allows us to reflect on what's happened prior to rewarding us a grand finish for a great film.
