Classical music by Japanese composers. Recommended classical music.
When we hear the term “classical music,” many of us immediately think of works by well-known foreign composers.
These pieces are often used in various everyday contexts with different arrangements, and there are many works that people have naturally heard at least once and can name right away.
However, if you’re asked to name classical works by Japanese composers, fewer people may be able to answer quickly.
Here, we focus on classical music composed by Japanese composers and highlight representative works.
This is recommended even for those who regularly enjoy classical music but haven’t listened much to works by Japanese composers.
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Classical music by Japanese composers. Recommended classical music (21–30)
Piano Concerto No. 3 “Kamikaze”Ōsawa Toshihito
The Piano Concerto No.
3 in A-flat major, composed in 1938 by the distinguished composer Hisato Ohzawa—active mainly from the 1930s to the 1950s—is subtitled “Kamikaze Concerto.” The title is said to derive from the Asahi Shimbun’s aircraft Kamikaze-go, which in 1937 achieved a record-setting flight from Tokyo to London in under 100 hours.
Although the work is now recognized as an original contribution by a Japanese composer, reception at the time was not favorable—perhaps due to its avant-garde style—and it was not performed again until 2003, a full 65 years after its premiere.
Even considering the 1930s, its style is remarkably modern, with attempts to incorporate elements such as jazz influences and Japanese scales that could be considered its roots.
The fact that a composer like this was buried in history evokes complicated feelings not only among classical music fans.
Ohzawa was also the first Japanese conductor to lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and one can’t help but feel regret wondering what might have been if he had been properly recognized and lived a longer life.
Horn Concerto “Time of Blossoming”Hosokawa Toshio
When people hear the term “classical music,” many may only picture works composed in much earlier times.
The Horn Concerto introduced here is a classical music piece born in the 2010s, composed in 2010 by the Japanese contemporary composer Toshio Hosokawa.
It was a joint commission by the Berliner Philharmoniker, the Barbican Centre, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, and its premiere in February 2011 was performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker.
As an aside, Hosokawa won the composition competition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Berliner Philharmoniker in 1982, and there is an anecdote that, due to various circumstances, the commission for an entirely new work that should have been awarded to the winner fell through.
Considering that background, one can imagine Hosokawa’s deep personal attachment to this work.
Ballet Music: Rhythm of LifeSugada Isotarō
Composer Isotaro Sugata created unique works that combine Western modern orchestration with Japanese traditional music and gagaku.
His musical range spans widely, from wind band pieces to art songs.
For those who haven’t listened much to Japanese classical music, a highly recommended work is the Ballet Music “The Rhythms of Life.” Its orchestral sound is striking, allowing you to experience the allure of Eastern and Western music simultaneously.
It’s a grand piece that evokes images of structures with an oriental atmosphere, such as castles and shrines.
Mount FujiTada Takehiko
Known affectionately as “TadaTake,” Takehiko Tada is renowned for his many choral works, especially for male chorus.
A top-tier elite who graduated from Kyoto University’s Faculty of Law and went on to distinguish himself at Fuji Bank, a predecessor of Mizuho Bank, Tada had already been conducting a male chorus while still a university student.
The piece featured here, ‘Fujisan’ (Mount Fuji), was composed in 1956 and is Tada’s second choral work.
Structurally, it consists of five movements and is performed entirely a cappella.
The text is by Shimpei Kusano, a poet from Fukushima Prefecture well known for his many frog-themed poems.
Incidentally, ‘Fujisan’ is by no means easy to sing.
If your choir takes on this work, be sure not only to cultivate the technical skill to keep pace with its dynamic musical developments, but also to express—with clear imagination—the richly emotional, traditional Japanese landscapes depicted in the poetry.
Dances of the Left and Dances of the RightHayasaka Fumio
It is considered one of Fumio Hayasaka’s representative works.
Based on gagaku, Japan’s ancient court music, it draws on the styles known as Left and Right.
The elegant opening melody for piccolo is evocative of the ryūteki and leaves a strong impression.
The Left-theme and Right-theme appear in alternation and develop, and in the end the music fades away into silence.
Parodic fourth movementFukai Shirō
How many people, upon hearing this piece for the first time, would realize it was composed in prewar Japan? Melodies with such a chic resonance existed in Japan before the war.
Fukai is even called the Japanese Ravel.
It seems that when he actively imitated the techniques of Western composers in his writing, the piece came together quite smoothly; this reveals Fukai’s flexibility in readily embracing a different culture, as well as his keen sense for expressing originality within it.
New Ceremonial MarchDan Ikuma
Some of you might recognize it as the march performed during the parade at the wedding ceremony of Crown Prince Naruhito (now the Emperor) and Masako Owada (now the Empress) on June 9, 1993.
This march, “New Ceremonial March,” was composed by Ikuma Dan—renowned not only in the field of classical music but also for children’s songs and film scores—specifically for wind band for the parade at the aforementioned wedding ceremony.
Combining both grandeur and lightness, the piece perfectly embodies what the composer himself described as a contrast between “masculine brilliance and feminine elegance.” Dan had previously composed the “Ceremonial March” in 1959 for the wedding of then-Crown Prince Akihito and Michiko Shoda.
It’s fascinating to listen to and compare the two works, noting their differences within the context of their respective eras.