His Dominant, Her Submissive

24.

♞

The curtains opened again, but because the band was previously tuned, there was no need for them to do it again. "My Neighbour TOTORO" was the first song in the second half of the performance. The strings led the beginning of the song, Kiara leading her section before the double basses continued with the melody. 

The crash of a symbol introduced everyone to the song before the violas picked up the melody and led the song. The smooth transition from viola to violin was easy, but the buildup of the first half of the song with a giddy melody left Kiara unable to control her happiness.

As the trumpets led into the slower second half of the song, the piano, and strings held the audience's attention. Only when the french horns brought back that same giddy melody did the violins have runs that resonated in the audience. 

As the song came to a triumphant close, the applause rang in Kiara's ears, helping to clear away any anxiety about the end of the show. The next song to play was "Ashitaka and San" which began with a heavenly sound before the music passed into the piano. Some of the strings followed the piano's melody, then passed to the flutes. 

The balance within the song and making sure one musical line never overcame another gave the song a heavenly feeling. When the orchestra grew quiet to let the winds play, the strings followed behind, leaving the sweet tone to never falter. Just as the melody passed between instruments, there was never a climax to the song. 

As the piano began the music, the piano ended the song. "A Journey (A Dream of Flight)/Nahoko (The Encounter)" was the first song to play in The Wind Rises soundtrack. The music began with a quiet instrument, one played only enough for the acoustics to carry the sound. Once the orchestra moved to the climax, a bouncier tone could be heard, yet the song was short. 

"Caproni (An Aeronautical Designer's Dream)" had a marching feel to it, almost as though it was a march in the sky. Never a dull moment as the sound kept the fullness of the orchestra, not even when the song ended. The only indication the song transitioned into "The Falcon Project" was the next song starting with violin. 

The counter-rhythm between violins played a daunting tone, but by the third repeat, more of the strings joined in with the sound. A free-floating spirit is shown flying within the fields on the projector while Kiara was one of the few violins bringing in the other instruments. Unlike the previous march of a song, a sense of freedom could be heard within the music. 

With a grand finish, the song came to a close, but within the midst of that silence, "A Journey (The Wedding)" began with the mandolin, courtesy of Kiara's playing. The second violinist played the counter-melody, and the soft song gave way to an emotion nearly indescribable. Despite the title, the song felt more like a life sentence as there wasn't anything celebratory in the notes.

A sense of urgency rose as "The Refuge" was the next song to play. The sight of a train derailing because of an earthquake is shown on the screen while the orchestra's fluctuations ripple through the Opera House. While the cellos and double-basses kept a low-sounding worry while the rest followed with tragedy. 

At the final peak of the story, a last resounding worry plays through before the song's end. "Nahoko (I Miss You)" began with the piano, a call and response between the piano and the orchestra. While there wasn't a sense of urgency like in the last song, there was still a sense of negative emotion. While the uneven rhythms went in tandem with the woman waiting anxiously for her train to stop.

Kiara's violin reflected the same anxiousness as the woman who rushed to get back to the man she waited for. The expression on her face could be read by anyone; maybe she had someone she wanted to rush back into his arms, but she still wasn't sure if she could let herself do that again.