Letters to the Editor

Hisaishi Controversial?
I enjoyed Andrew Osmond’s "Will The Real Joe Hisaishi Please Stand Up?" (Osmond, 5.01), but I noted, in it, that Mr. Osmond comments that the beginning of the Nausicaa Requiem has caused some degree of controversy. The dispute on this point mystifies me. There can be no doubt that Hisaishi quotes six notes (or perhaps seven) from the "Finale" of West Side Story. I doubt, however, that the fragment is long enough to even require payment of royalties -- as it is less than two measures and under three seconds. (The first two notes at issue involve a jump of a diminished seventh, an unusual start -- if Hisaishi had only used three notes, the connection would have been almost as clear).

The people that consider this "stealing" that somehow besmirches Hisaishi's creative integrity don't seem to be very familiar with either West Side Story or the history of film music. Hisaishi's reference is, in fact, brilliant (rather like an extremely serious musical pun). The music he "borrows" from West Side Story, which occurs when the dead Nausicaa is first being lifted up by the Ohmu, is virtually the same music used by Bernstein when the members of the two (formerly warring) gangs join together to lift the slain hero's body and carry it away in a funeral procession. I suspect that Hisaishi's musical reference simply tracks Miyazaki's own visual reference to this same scene in West Side Story.

Another dual visual-musical reference is that of Kiki's Delivery Service to Nausicaa. The music used when Kiki first sees Ursula's picture of the girl on a flying horse reflects closely (but does not quote) the music used while showing the tapestry at the beginning of Nausicaa. Then, Hisaishi slips in an actual five (or so) note direct quote. Of course, the painting in Kiki likewise makes clear reference to the flying girl in the Nausicaa tapestry. Yet another double reference occurs in Laputa, when fox squirrels (looking just like Nausicaa's pet) crawl up a gardening robot in the Garden of Laputa, and Hisaishi uses a four or five note quote from Nausicaa.

I am not certain as to the methodology of early American film scores, but the first pre-recorded synchronized Soviet film score (pre-talkie) was Shostakovich's score to New Babylon from 1928/29 -- and this score made numerous musical references (particularly, the "Marseillaise" and Offenbach's "Can-Can"). Hisaishi's scores, by the way, seem to show more than a passing familiarity with the work of Shostakovich (and no, I don't mean literal borrowing).

People who find Hisaishi's action "controversial" don't seem able to distinguish between borrowing that shows imaginative genius and borrowing that simply reflects using other people's work as a crutch when at a loss for a good tune. Until our own litigious era, it was simply accepted that professionals (in music, as well as other fields) could (and would) creatively re-use ideas of their predecessors.

Michael Kerpan
Roslindale, MA

You Missed Us!
Hello! Just read "It's Raining Pegbars! A Profile Of Animation In Vancouver" (Bishko, 5.01) and noticed that Atomic Cartoons was not mentioned.

So, I just wanted to let you know that we exist and are currently one of the busiest animation studios in Vancouver. Atomic specializes in design and pre-production on animated properties, most notably television cartoons. We have, however, recently ventured into the world of Internet Webisodes and are in negotiations with a number of Internet companies to produce content. One of these is a randy little number called Dog In A Box With 2 Wheels, a co-production with www heavyweights, Honkworm International.

Please visit our wacky Web site for more information on our little sausage factory at: http://www.atomiccartoons.com

Best regards,
Rob Davies,
Director, Atomic Cartoons

Hooray for Harry
Once again, I write to say, "Merci" for the articles on voice acting in last month’s April issue. I'm still plugging away, tryin' to get it right with my own voice. I'll get there soon enough. "Faith," I keep telling myself.

The other day, I was going through one of my Simpsons’ books, which includes a voice credit section, marveling at the talents of, among others, Harry Shearer. All of a sudden, he's a featured artist in last month’s "10 Questions with Harry Shearer, Springfield’s Finest" (Singer/Kenyon, 5.01).

Talented guy, busy guy, funny guy...but what's he got against Canadians?

Mark Matulis
Master Control Supervisor
Headline Sports - The Score