Is Departures a good place to start with Joe Hisaishi?

Yes, Departures is recommended as a starting point for new Joe Hisaishi listeners. Ethereal melodies intertwine with delicate orchestration, creating a poignant soundscape that reflects themes of loss and remembrance. In 2008, Joe Hisaishi was already renowned for his work composing scores for Studio Ghibli films. 'Departures' marked his first major score after winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for 'Departures,' solidifying his influence in both the film and music worlds. This album showcases his transition from primarily film-related compositions to standalone concert works, reflecting his artistic evolution.

Who is Departures for?

Departures works well if you're into wave-like emotional peaks, serene moments of reflection and short tracks for focused listening.

How many songs are on Departures?

Departures has 19 tracks, running approximately 44 minutes.

Departures

Joe Hisaishi · 2008

44 min · 19 tracks · classical music

Ethereal melodies intertwine with delicate orchestration, creating a poignant soundscape that reflects themes of loss and remembrance.

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Top tracks — play these first

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Shine Of Snow I Start here — establishes the sonic palette early
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Ave Maria ~おくりびと — This track beautifully combines sacred harmonies with Hisaishi’s signature minimalism, creating an emotional climax that encapsulates the film's themes of life and death.
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Good-Bye Cello — This piece features a haunting cello solo that evokes deep nostalgia and longing, representing a pivotal emotional moment in the film's narrative.
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Beautiful Dead I — The layering of strings here creates a serene yet melancholic atmosphere, perfectly mirroring the themes of beauty found in mortality throughout the score.
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Kizuna I — With its gentle piano motifs, this track captures the essence of connection and human relationships that are central to the film's story.

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental

74 /100

Alpine

Higher than 98% of albums we've rated

The album showcases intricate orchestration and thematic development, reflecting Hisaishi's signature style in film scoring.

What we noticed

The album features a consistent use of orchestral strings and woodwinds, creating a lush soundscape that evolves throughout its tracks.
Several tracks are structured around recurring motifs, allowing themes to develop and transform over the course of the album.
The pacing varies, with some tracks maintaining a slow, contemplative tempo while others introduce brief moments of urgency.

Composition 25% of the score: 8/10
Craft 20% of the score: 9/10
Durability 25% of the score: 7/10
Distinctiveness 18% of the score: 7/10
Sequencing 12% of the score: 8/10

Influence 6/10

Significant within its genre. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Is this for you?

Good fit if you like

wave-like emotional peaks
serene moments of reflection
short tracks for focused listening
deeply evocative orchestral landscapes
gentle transitions between themes

Maybe skip if you

seeking high-energy experiences
prefer longer standalone tracks

Where this album fits

In the catalog: Breakthrough — This score elevated Hisaishi's profile internationally after an Oscar win.
Themes: life and death· Japanese funeral rites· memory and loss
Career context: In 2008, Joe Hisaishi was already renowned for his work composing scores for Studio Ghibli films. 'Departures' marked his first major score after winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for 'Departures,' solidifying his influence in both the film and music worlds. This album showcases his transition from primarily film-related compositions to standalone concert works, reflecting his artistic evolution.
Stylistic neighbors: Yann Tiersen· Ryuichi Sakamoto· Philip Glass