Yasushi Akutagawa
Yasushi Akutagawa was a Japanese composer and conductor. His father was Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.
Biography
Akutagawa was born and raised in Tabata, Tokyo, the son of writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, who died when he was two years old.Akutagawa studied composition with Kunihiko Hashimoto, Kan'ichi Shimofusa and Akira Ifukube at the Tokyo Music School. He was one of the members of Sannin no kai along with Ikuma Dan and Toshiro Mayuzumi.
In 1954, when Japan did not have diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union yet, Akutagawa entered the Soviet Union illegally, and made friends with Dmitri Shostakovich, Aram Khachaturian and Dmitri Kabalevsky. Akutagawa was the only Japanese composer whose works were officially published in the Soviet Union at that time. His 1950 Music for Symphony Orchestra reflects his love of the music of Shostakovich and Prokofiev.
Akutagawa's compositions were influenced by Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Akira Ifukube. His film scores include works for directors like Kon Ichikawa, Heinosuke Gosho, Tomu Uchida and Tadashi Imai.
He was popular as a master of ceremonies of TV shows. As an educator, he devoted himself to training an amateur orchestra, Shin Kokyo Gakudan. Akutagawa and The New Symphony Orchestra received the 1976 Suntory Music Award.
In 1990, the year after Akutagawa died, the Akutagawa Composition Award was established in his memory.
Selected list of works
Opera
- Orpheus in Hiroshima, text by Kenzaburō Ōe
Orchestral works
- Prelude for Symphony Orchestra
- Trinita Sinfonica
- Toccata
- Musica per Orchestra Sinfonica
- Triptyque for string orchestra
- Prima Sinfonia
- Divertimento
- Symphony for Children "Twin Stars" for children's choir and orchestra, text by Kenji Miyazawa
- Ellora Symphony
- Marcia in Do, for wind orchestra
- Negative Picture for string orchestra
- Ostinata Sinfonica
- Concerto Ostinato, for violoncello and orchestra
- Rapsodia per Orchestra
- Concerto Ostinato, for GX1 and orchestra
- Lullaby of Akita for violin and orchestra
- Poipa no Kawa to Poipa no Ki, for narrator and orchestra, text by Eriko Kishida
- Allegro Ostinato
- Sounds for organ and orchestra
- Ballade on a Theme of Godzilla - Dedicated to Akira Ifukube
- Inochi, for choir and orchestra
Ballet
- Paradise Lost
- A Dream Under the Lake ; lost
- Kappa
- Flame...star ; lost
- The Spider's Thread
- ''The Moon''
Ensemble/instrumental works
- Piano Trio
- String Quartet
- La Danse for piano
- Shajin-Shu for soprano and piano, text by Haruo Sato
- Ballade for violin and piano
- Fantasia for Microphone, tape music
- Nyambe, for harp, celesta, bass clarinet, 4 violas, 2 cellos, and double bass
- Music for Strings No. 1, for 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, and double bass
- ''24 Preludes: The Piano Pieces for Children''
Film scores
Nangoku no hada Where Chimneys Are Seen Gate of Hell An Inn at Osaka- Takekurabe A Hole of My Own Making Twilight Saloon A Cat, Shozo, and Two Women The Hole Yellow Crow The Rice People Stepbrothers Fires on the Plain Odd Obsession Her Brother Zero Focus Ten Dark Women Being Two Isn't Easy The Outcast Alone Across the Pacific, with Toru TakemitsuPortrait of Hell Mt. Hakkoda Village of Eight Gravestones The Demon The Incident Nichiren Suspicion, with Kurōdo Mōri
- ''Lake Of Illusions''