Label Store

Stream/Download


Over a 60 year career director Akira Kurosawa’s films have passed into cinematic legend and he retains his status as one of the most influential and preeminent film-makers of the 20th Century. Films such as Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Kagemusha and his last great epic, Ran are all regarded as milestones in the history of celluloid. The latter, the most expensive film made in Japan up to its release in 1985 is loosely based on Japanese legend and Shakespeare’s King Lear.

Composer Toru Takemitsu ranks as highly in the echelons of Japanese music as Kurosawa in film with a prolific output of soundtracks alongside major music works and books. Commissioned on Kurosawa’s instructions to deliver a score inspired by Mahler with up to 40 disparate takes of music, the spectral and eerie sounds capture perfectly the imagery on screen. Originally released as two separate suites of music this version includes those and adds a further 14 tracks of Takemitsu’s score.

★★★★★

Record Collector

“…with some influence from Mahler, this really is an astounding piece of work; moving from effective, simple Japanese percussion to the sounds of weather to large, impressive set pieces and emotive moods. The two opening suites are quite magical, and a further 14 cues pull and push in all sorts of directions. It’s the sort of soundtrack that you only start to realise how amazing it is after about the sixth listen and then you wonder how on earth someone could be really be that good at composing.” – Record Collector

“…stunning soundtrack” – Little White Lies

“I believe this score to be the finest of Takemitsu’s canon, a remarkable achievement, and I highly recommend it for your collection.” – Movie Music UK

“This is an incredibly beautiful and memorable score. There are so many interesting themes here that it’s one album you’ll appreciate more the more times you listen to it.” – Sci-Fi Online 10/10

Tracklist

1. Ran – Suite Part 1
2. Ran – Suite Part 2
3. Opening Credits – Main Title
4. Kyouami / The First Castle / The Brave General’s Bow
5. The Flute Orchestra
6. The Buddhist Praying Temple / The Last 110,000 and Hidetora / The Fury of Ootemon / The Second Castle
7. Hell’s Picture Scroll
8. The Crimson Citadel / Surrendering the Castle – Desert of Madness
9. Tsurumaru’s Flute / Azusa Castle In Ruins
10. Saburou’s Army Arrives / Departing for the Front
11. Endless Hell / Escape
12. Tension In Yahatabara / Assault
13. The Battle of Yawatano
14. Lamentation / Chaos In the First Castle – Ujigabana / Illusions In the Sky
15. Attendance At the Funeral / Flute of Darkness
16. Ran – Ending Credits