ピアノ曲MadeInJapan

Chapter 3 : "Japanese-Style Music"

2007/08/31

盆踊 Following Taki's Menuetto (Chapter 1) and Yamada's Yoru no shikyoku (Chapter 2), in this chapter I would like to introduce one of Akira Ifukube's piano works. His music delivers a totally different atmosphere from previous works.

♪ Akira Ifukube "Bon-odori [Noctual dance of the Bon-Festival]"from Nihon Kumikyoku [Japanese Suite] mp3
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Absolutely Japanese Tone!

Akira Ifukube is a well-known composer who wrote music for the film Godzilla. He composed a lot of works - mainly works for films- until he died in February 2006. Nippon Kumikyoku [Japanese Suite] ( 1. Bon-dori, 2. Tanabata [Fete of Vega], 3. Nagashi [Profane minstrel], 4. Nebuta [Festal ballad]) is his only work written for piano solo. He composed it in 1933 at his age of 19. At that time, this work made a fresh departure from other Japanese composers' works which were under the influence of European music and realized the distinctive Japanese flavour. Some of you may feel like dancing when you hear Bon-odori due to its atmosphere of traditional Japanese festival.


Birth of Anti-Yamada Schools

Japanese music scene had been led by Kosaku Yamada since he returned from Germany in 1914. However, by the time of Ifukube's Bon-odori, young composers began to form the anti-Yamada schools. At that time, more composers began to study not only in Germany but also in other countries including France. Musical information inside of Japan also increased thanks to the development of the media such as radio broadcasting, records and musical journals. As a result, people's view of music was diversified and various musical groups were born.


Way to "Japanese-style Music."

Saburo Moroi who was a member of Suruya, one of the anti-Yamada schools, said, "Recently, most of Japanese people just enjoy imitation of Western music, except for children's songs and folk songs. We need to synthesize Western and Japanese style." Many other groups had been formed until then. For instance, Shin Ongaku Renmei [New Music Federation] was led by Ifukube and Fumio Hayasaka. Shinko Sakkyokuka Renmei [New Composer's Federation], current Japan Society for Contemporary Music was set up by composers such as Syukichi Mitsukuri, Yasuji Kiyose and Yorinori Matsudaira. Despite a variety of those groups, all of them committed to get out of imitation of Western style and create "Japanese-style music."


Trend of Times

By that time, it had been fifty years since Japan started to import Western music. And now Japanese composers embarked on creating their own music turning from Western style. Ifukube's Bon-odori was one of the results of it. However, with the start of World War II, composers were demanded to produce martial songs and nationalistic music due to the political reasons. After the Japan's defeat in the war, "Japanese-style music" began to fall into disfavour because of its nationalistic tone. In that context, it was in the early 1930s that the works such as Bon-odori could be born. Therefore, they are precious and exotic works all the more. It is a quite interesting fact that "Japanese-style music" in that era still fascinates people especially from different countries.



須藤 英子(すどうえいこ)

東京芸術大学楽理科、大学院応用音楽科修了。在学中よりピアニストとして同年代作曲家の作品初演を行う一方で、美学や民族学、マネージメント等について広く学ぶ。04年、第9回JILA音楽コンクール現代音楽特別賞受賞、第6回現代音楽演奏コンクール「競楽VI」優勝、第14回朝日現代音楽賞受賞。08年、第8回オルレアン国際ピアノコンクール(フランス)にて、深見麻悠子氏への委嘱・初演作品が、日本人として初めてAndreChevillion-YvonneBonnaud作曲賞を受賞。同年、野村国際文化財団、AsianCulturalCouncilの助成を受け、ボストン・ニューヨークへ留学。09年、YouTubeSymphonyOrchestraカーネギーホール公演にゲスト出演。現在、現代音楽を中心に、幅広い活動を展開。和洋女子大学・洗足学園高校音楽科非常勤講師。
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