The music composed by Ryuichi Sakamoto significantly enhances the film's appeal. Little Buddha is a film released in 1993, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. Sakamoto and Bertolucci had previously collaborated on The Last Emperor (1987) and The Sheltering Sky (1990).

For Little Buddha, Sakamoto composed 46 pieces, totaling 76 including Indian music with strong improvisational elements. Whether it is music centered on sensuously sweet strings or pieces incorporating Indian folk instruments, all maintain a certain equilibrium and avoid excessive sentimentality. The music is structured to align with the film's scenes in various aspects, from mood and instrumentation to pitch.

The end theme, played at the conclusion of the film, exceeds 9 minutes including the credits. Director Bertolucci made a literary and abstract request for “music that is sad but offers salvation,” and it was completed after four revisions. The film's narrative, which depicts reincarnation, is undoubtedly reflected to some extent in the musical motifs and structural composition. In the film, the overwhelming orchestral sonorities and the poignant vocalizations of the soloist emerging from them leave a profound impression. When performing as a piano solo, one should endeavor to convey the work's grand worldview through nuanced dynamic variations and extended phrasing.

The main theme in the film is approximately just under 3 minutes in performance time. Looking at the piano solo score, the majority consists of whole notes or half notes, with only sparse use of eighth notes, triplets, or ornaments. What is required in performance is not technical virtuosity, but rather a profound tonal quality and expressive depth. How one interprets the richly colorful harmonic textures unique to the piano and the poignant high-register passages is crucial. Particularly for the delicate sonorities created by superimposed semitones, it is imperative to perform with meticulous attention to the volume and touch of each individual note.

※Note: Quoted from Little Buddha (Published by Toho, 1994).