Yamada, Kōsaku 1886 - 1965
Author: Yano, Haruka
Last updated：March 27, 2018
Author: Yano, Haruka
Born in Tokyo in 1886 (Meiji 19). After graduating from the vocal department of Tokyo Music School (now Tokyo University of the Arts) in 1908, he received support from Koyata Iwasaki, head of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, and studied abroad at the Royal Academy of Music in Berlin (now the Faculty of Music, Berlin University of the Arts) from 1910, learning composition from Max Bruch and others. During his studies abroad, he heard Richard Strauss's self-conducted opera Salome and became deeply devoted to the work. Although it ultimately did not materialize, he once sought to become Strauss's disciple.
He returned to Japan in January 1914. Subsequently, he was appointed principal conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, organized by Iwasaki, but Iwasaki, enraged by Yamada's infidelity, cut off financial support, and the orchestra disbanded the following year. In 1924, he co-founded the Japan Symphony Association (now the NHK Symphony Orchestra) with Hidemaro Konoe, but the project faltered as members left due to reasons such as unclear accounting. Although he was one of the figures who spearheaded the dawn of orchestral activities in Japan, it cannot be said that his endeavors were always successful.
What is particularly noteworthy regarding Yamada's relationship with piano works is his experience of encountering Scriabin's works for the first time in Moscow, where he stayed on his way back to Japan after departing Berlin in the winter of 1913. The encounter with Scriabin's style seems to have been a profound shock to Yamada, as he subsequently left behind numerous works strongly influenced by Scriabin, including A Piece Dedicated to Scriabin (1917), Poem of the Night, and Unforgettable Moscow Night, as well as pieces titled Poem, Petit Poème, and A Page from a Diary.
It is no exaggeration to say that the encounter with Scriabin's sonorities, after years of diligently pursuing academic composition studies in Berlin, transformed Yamada's consciousness of compositional activity from 'making' to 'giving birth' (or 'creating'). In 1916 and 1917, he himself performed his piano works, holding concerts that strongly aimed at the unification of composer and performer.
Generally, Yamada's achievements as a composer are widely known through the numerous national popular songs and school anthems he created with the poet Hakushu Kitahara. He is known for many Japanese art songs that utilize the intonation of the Japanese language, especially works like Karatachi no Hana (Orange Blossom), Kono Michi (This Road), and Akatombo (Red Dragonfly), which sought to fuse Japanese and Western music, and are still sung by many Japanese people today. In addition to composing songs, he created piano pieces, dance poems, and theatrical music that show strong influences from the music, painting, and dance he encountered during his studies in Europe. He co-founded the magazine Poetry and Music with Hakushu Kitahara and others, and formed and was active with the theater companies 'Doyo Gekijo' (Saturday Theater) and 'Shin Gekijo' (New Theater) with director Kaoru Osanai, exerting a significant influence on the entire Japanese art world in the first half of the 20th century.
Author : Sudoh, Eiko
Last Updated: July 1, 2006
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Author : Sudoh, Eiko
Born in Tokyo, he received his initial instruction in Western music from his brother-in-law, the missionary Edward Gauntlett. In 1908, he graduated from the vocal department of the Tokyo Academy of Music (now Tokyo University of the Arts). From 1910, he studied abroad for three years at the Royal Academy of Music in Berlin (now the Faculty of Music, Berlin University of the Arts), where he studied composition with Leopold Carl Wolf. In 1912, he composed the first symphony by a Japanese composer, "Kachidoki to Heiwa" (Triumphal March and Peace). After returning to Japan in 1914, he organized the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and in 1924, he co-founded the Japan Symphony Association (now the NHK Symphony Orchestra) with Hidemaro Konoye, laying the foundation for orchestral activities in Japan. Concurrently, he composed lieder (art songs), piano pieces, dance poems, and theatrical music. In 1917, he engaged in active public performances, including conducting his own orchestral works twice at Carnegie Hall in New York. He also co-founded the magazine "Shi to Ongaku" (Poetry and Music) with poet Hakushu Kitahara and others, and formed the theater troupes "Doyo Gekijo" (Saturday Theater) and "Shin Gekijo" (New Theater) with director Kaoru Osanai. He exerted a significant influence on the entire Japanese art scene in the first half of the 20th century. During the Pacific War, he participated in the establishment of the wartime music organization. After the war, he was unable to compose much due to the after-effects of a cerebral hemorrhage and passed away in 1965 from a myocardial infarction. In particular, many of his lieder, such as "Karatachi no Hana" (Orange Blossom), "Kono Michi" (This Road), and "Akatombo" (Red Dragonfly), which sought to fuse Japanese language with Western music, are still beloved by many Japanese people. During his lifetime, he received the Légion d'honneur, the Asahi Prize, the Hoso Bunka Award, and the Order of Culture.
Author : PTNA Piano Encyclopedia Editorial Department
Last Updated: January 1, 2010
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Author : PTNA Piano Encyclopedia Editorial Department
Works(61)
Piano Solo (15)
sonata (3)
sonatina (2)
suite (2)
prelude (3)
variation (5)
chaconne (2)
Various works (29)
Lied (2)
Various works (4)