By Joe Hisaishi, 1999

This score to Japan's anime megahit stresses Western musical influences over Eastern, despite the movie's themes being more attuned to Japanese heritage and mythology. Hisaishi (who has contributed music to more than 30 Japanese films) employs a traditional Hollywood-style orchestral movement that is generally lush and pleasing--a soundtrack that could easily fill the boundless skyscapes of classic horse operas. There are occasional exotic moments involving woodwinds or solo violin or both that digress into more indigenous folksongs, but these, too, have soothing melodies akin to what one might demand from sushi dinner music.

The operatically trained Sasha Lazard offers the sweet and ethereal "Theme Song" (with lyrics by director Hayao Miyazaki). These tracks may not always be distinctive but they manage to evoke moods of mysticism and, of course, ritual violence. --Joseph Lanza

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