Joe Hisaishi made a name for himself over the course of decades, with atmospheric scoring for a huge number of films (the acclaim has come mostly for
Hayao Miyazaki's films, but his career has been huge). Despite the nearly endless success, he has always been regarded as a composer rather than a performer. On the 2002 album
Encore,
Hisaishi played solo piano as he made his way through a number of his own compositions -- classics reworked as solo modern classical pieces. Fine piano playing cements the album throughout as an excellent showcase of
Hisaishi's classic pieces in a new light.