Following
the recent culmination of the Back to Neon Genesis film
concert in Osaka, legendary composer Shiro Sagisu gave an
intimate interview with writer and musician Seiji Nakazawa. During the
conversation, the veteran artist — responsible for soundtracks for works such
as Bleach, Berserk and Shin Godzilla throughout
his nearly 50-year career — revealed unpublished details about the music-making
behind the iconic Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise.
A
baroque surprise for "Komm, Susser Tod"
One of the
highlights of the concert dedicated to the 1995 television series was the
performance of a baroque-style arrangement for "Komm,
Susser Tod". Sagisu confirmed that this was the first time in
history that he presented such a version in public. The composer explained that
insert songs rarely receive new arrangements, but due to the immense worldwide
popularity of this piece, he had the opportunity to add playful touches to it.
Being an
event focused exclusively on the original 1995 series, Sagisu admitted that
including a theme from the 1997 film was a deliberate tactic to catch attendees
off guard. "The most rewarding part of modifying the arrangement
of a song is when it gets people talking about it," the musician
confessed to the interviewer's surprise at the drastic change in rhythm.
Hideaki
Anno's classic vision
The talk
tackled one of the franchise's most memorable musical contrasts: Asuka's raw
and desperate fight against the mass-produced Evangelions in The End of
Evangelion, which is accompanied by the gentle melody of Johann
Sebastian Bach's Air. When questioned about this decision, Sagisu firmly
clarified that the choice was not his.
The use of
Bach's piece, as well as the inclusion of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in
the television series, were decisions made directly by creator and
conductor Hideaki Anno. Sagisu praised this perspective, agreeing
that these were extremely bold directing choices that intensified the sense of
despair in the narrative.
The
compositional process and a personal touch
Exploring
the working method behind such catchy tunes as "Thanatos" or "Asuka
Strikes," Sagisu explained that his process is not sequential.
When he composes music intended to accompany a visual work, the melody,
accompaniment, and rhythm spring up inside him at the same time, and he
transfers them to the scores in that combined form.
The
interview concluded with a warm exchange between colleagues. Sagisu, who
personally requested Nakazawa for the interview because he was a fan of his
articles, listened to a demo tape of the reporter's band. The composer praised
his skill with the guitar, comparing his sound to that of his friend Mike
Wyzgowski (the writer of the English lyrics of Evangelion),
demonstrating the validity and camaraderie that the music of this historic
franchise continues to inspire today.
