was a Japanese

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Def ...

and conductor. His father was Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.

Biography

Akutagawa was born and raised in Tabata,

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.46 ...

, the son of writer Ryūnosuke Akutagawa. Akutagawa studied composition with Kunihiko Hashimoto,

Kan'ichi Shimofusa Kanichi Shimofusa ( ja, 下総皖一; March 31, 1898 - July 8, 1962) was a Japanese composer. Kanichi Shimofusa was born in Sunahara, Haramichi-''mura'', Saitama (now Ōtone, Saitama). He studied composition with Kiyoshi Nobutoki at Tokyo Music ...

and

Akira Ifukube was a Japanese classical and film music composer, best known for his works on the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Biography Early years in Hokkaido Akira Ifukube was born on 31 May 1914 in Kushiro, Japan as the third son of a police officer Toshimi ...

at the Tokyo Music School. He was one of the members of '' Sannin no kai'' (The Three) along with

Ikuma Dan was a Japanese composer. Biography Dan was born in Tokyo, the descendant of a prominent family, his grandfather Baron Dan Takuma having been President of Mitsui before being assassinated in 1932. He graduated from Aoyama Gakuin and Tokyo M ...

and

Toshiro Mayuzumi Toshiro Mayuzumi (黛敏郎 ''Mayuzumi Toshirō'' ; 20 February 1929 – 10 April 1997) was a Japanese composer known for his implementation of avant-garde instrumentation alongside traditional Japanese musical techniques. His works drew i ...

. In 1954, when Japan did not have diplomatic relations with the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...

yet, he entered the Soviet Union illegally, and made friends with

Dmitri Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, , group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in 1926 and was regarded throughout his life as a major compo ...

Aram Khachaturian Aram Ilyich Khachaturian (; rus, Арам Ильич Хачатурян, , ɐˈram ɨˈlʲjitɕ xətɕɪtʊˈrʲan, Ru-Aram Ilyich Khachaturian.ogg; hy, Արամ Խաչատրյան, ''Aram Xačʿatryan''; 1 May 1978) was a Soviet and Armenia ...

and

Dmitri Kabalevsky Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky (russian: Дми́трий Бори́сович Кабале́вский ; 14 February 1987) was a Soviet composer, conductor, pianist and pedagogue of Russian gentry descent. He helped set up the Union of Soviet C ...

. 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. His compositions were influenced by

Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

, Shostakovich,

Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, p ...

and

. His film scores include works for directors like

Kon Ichikawa was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His work displays a vast range in genre and style, from the anti-war films '' The Burmese Harp'' (1956) and '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959), to the documentary '' Tokyo Olympiad'' (1965), which won ...

Heinosuke Gosho was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed Japan's first sound film, '' The Neighbor's Wife and Mine'', in 1931. His films are mostly associated with the shomin-geki (lit. "common people drama") genre. Among his most noted works ...

Tomu Uchida , born Tsunejirō Uchida on 26 April 1898, was a Japanese film director. The stage name "Tomu" translates to “spit out dreams”. Early career Uchida started out at the Taikatsu studio in the early 1920s, but came to prominence at Nikkatsu, ad ...

and

Tadashi Imai was a Japanese film director known for social realist filmmaking informed by a left-wing perspective. His most noted films include ''An Inlet of Muddy Water'' (1953) and ''Bushido, Samurai Saga'' (1963). Life Although leaning towards left-wing p ...

. He was popular as a master of ceremonies of TV shows as well. As an educator, he devoted himself to train an amateur orchestra, Shin Kokyo Gakudan ("The New Symphony Orchestra"). Almost one year after Akutagawa died, in 1990, the ''Akutagawa composition award (now called the Yasushi Akutagawa Suntory Award for Music Composition)'' was established in his memory. Akutagawa and The New Symphony Orchestra are the recipient of the 1976

Suntory Music Award The , previously known as the , designed to promote Western music in Japan, has been given by the Suntory Music Foundation since their establishment in 1969. The award is presented annually to individuals or groups for the greatest achievement in ...

Selected list of works

Opera

*''Orpheus in Hiroshima'' (formerly ''Dark Mirror''), text by Kenzaburō Ōe (1960, revised 1967)

Orchestral works

*''Prelude for Symphony Orchestra'' (1947) *''Trinita Sinfonica'' (1948) *''Toccata'' (1949) *''Musica per Orchestra Sinfonica'' (''Music for Symphony Orchestra'') (1950) *''Triptyque'' for string orchestra (1953) *''Prima Sinfonia'' (Symphony No. 1) (1954, revised 1955) *''Divertimento'' (1955) *''Symphony for Children "Twin Stars"'' for children's choir and orchestra, text by

Kenji Miyazawa was a Japanese novelist and poet of children's literature from Hanamaki, Iwate, in the late Taishō and early Shōwa periods. He was also known as an agricultural science teacher, a vegetarian, cellist, devout Buddhist, and utopian social act ...

(1957) *''

Ellora Symphony Yasushi Akutagawa's ''Ellora Symphony'' was composed in 1958 after a visit to the Ellora Caves in Aurangabad, India. One of several Japanese primitivistic symphonies composed in the 1950s, including Akira Ifukube's Sinfonia Tapkaara and Kan Ishi ...

'' (1958) *''Marcia in Do'', for wind orchestra (1959) *''Negative Picture'' for string orchestra (1966) *''Ostinata Sinfonica'' (1967, revised 1970) *''Concerto Ostinato'', for violoncello and orchestra (1969) *''Rapsodia per Orchestra'' (1971) *''Concerto Ostinato'', for GX1 and orchestra (1974) *''Lullaby of Akita'' for violin and orchestra (1977) *''Poipa no Kawa to Poipa no Ki'', for narrator and orchestra, text by

Eriko Kishida is a feminine/neutral Japanese given name. Possible writings Eriko can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: *恵梨子, "blessing, pear, child" *恵理子, "blessing, reason, child" *絵里子, "picture, hometown, child" *絵 ...

(1979) *''Allegro Ostinato'' (1986) *''Sounds'' for organ and orchestra (1986) *''Ballade on a Theme of

Godzilla is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films produ ...

'' (1988) - Dedicated to

*''Inochi'', for choir and orchestra (1988)

Ballet

*''Paradise Lost'' (1950) *''A Dream Under the Lake'' (1950); lost *''

Kappa Kappa (uppercase Κ, lowercase κ or cursive ; el, κάππα, ''káppa'') is the 10th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiceless velar plosive sound in Ancient and Modern Greek. In the system of Greek numerals, has a value ...

'' (1951) *''Flame...star'' (炎も星も) (1953); lost *''

The Spider's Thread is a 1918 short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, first published in the children's magazine ''Akai Tori''. Plot summary Shakyamuni is meandering around Paradise one morning, when he stops at a lotus-filled pond. Between the lilies, he can see, t ...

'' (1968) *''The Moon'' (1981)

Ensemble/instrumental works

* Piano Trio (1946) * String Quartet (1948) *''La Danse'' for piano (1948) *''Shajin-Shu'' for soprano and piano, text by Haruo Sato (1949) *''Ballade'' for violin and piano (1951) *''Fantasia for Microphone'', tape music (1953) *''Nyambe'', for harp, celesta, bass clarinet, 4 violas, 2 cellos, and double bass (1959) *''Music for Strings No. 1'', for 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, and double bass (1962) *''24 Preludes: The Piano Pieces for Children'' (1979)

Film scores

* '' Nangoku no hada'' (1952) * ''

Where Chimneys Are Seen , also titled ''Four Chimneys'', is a 1953 Japanese comedy-drama film directed by Heinosuke Gosho. It was entered into the 3rd Berlin International Film Festival. Based on a novel by Rinzō Shiina, ''Where Chimneys Are Seen'' is regarded as one ...

'' (1953) * '' Gate of Hell'' (1953) * ''

An Inn at Osaka An, AN, aN, or an may refer to: Businesses and organizations * Airlinair (IATA airline code AN) * Alleanza Nazionale, a former political party in Italy * AnimeNEXT, an annual anime convention located in New Jersey * Anime North, a Canadian an ...

'' (1954) * ''Takekurabe'' (1955) * '' A Hole of My Own Making'' (1955) * ''Twilight Saloon'' (1955) * ''

A Cat, Shozo, and Two Women , also titled ''Shozo, a Cat, and Two Women'', is a 1956 Japanese comedy film directed by Shirō Toyoda. It is based on Jun'ichirō Tanizaki's 1936 novella ''A Cat, a Man, and Two Women''. Plot Kitchenware salesman Shōzō shows more affection ...

'' (1956) * '' The Hole'' (1957) * ''

Yellow Crow is a 1957 Japanese drama film directed by Heinosuke Gosho. Plot Kiyoshi Yoshida is a 9 years old boy. The boy loves to draw and he has some talent, but his teacher is worried because he draws only in black and yellow (that's where the title is f ...

'' (1957) * ''

The Rice People is a 1957 Japanese drama film directed by Tadashi Imai. It was entered into the 10th Cannes Film Festival. Plot Two young men, Tsuguo and Senkichi, return to their small home town during the rice planting festival, and try to make a living a ...

'' (1957) * ''Stepbrothers'' (1957) * '' Fires on the Plain'' (1959) * ''

Odd Obsession is a 1959 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It was entered into the 1960 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Jury Prize. It was based on the novel '' The Key'', by Japanese novelist Junichirō Tanizaki. Plot A man who suspects ...

'' (1959) * ''

Her Brother is a 1960 Japanese drama film directed by Kon Ichikawa. The film is based on the novel ''Otōto'' by Aya Koda. It was entered into the 1961 Cannes Film Festival, where it won a prize for Special Distinction. Plot 17-year-old Gen takes care ...

'' (1960) * ''

Zero Focus is a 1961 Japanese mystery film directed by Yoshitaro Nomura and is based on a novel by Seicho Matsumoto. Plot One week into newlywed Teiko Uhara's marriage, her husband, ad agency manager Kenichi, leaves on a short business trip to Kanazawa a ...

'' (1961) * ''

Ten Dark Women ''Ten Dark Women'' (, literally "ten black women") is a 1961 Japanese film directed by Kon Ichikawa. Plot A married television executive has many mistresses. Nine of the mistresses and his wife band together and plan to kill him. His wife tells h ...

'' (1961) * ''

Being Two Isn't Easy is a 1962 color Japanese comedy film directed by Kon Ichikawa. It was Japan's submission to the 35th Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Mo ...

'' (1962) * ''The Outcast'' (1962) * '' Alone Across the Pacific'' (1963), with

Toru Takemitsu TORU or Toru may refer to: * TORU, spacecraft system * Toru (given name), Japanese male given name * Toru, Pakistan, village in Mardan District of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan *Tõru Tõru is a village in Saaremaa Parish, Saare County in western ...

* '' Portrait of Hell'' (1969) * '' Mt. Hakkoda'' (1977) * ''Village of Eight Gravestones'' (1977) * '' The Demon'' (1978) * '' The Incident'' (1978) * '' Nichiren'' (1979) * '' Suspicion'' (1982), with Kurōdo Mōri

Radio/Television scores

* ''Eriko to Tomoni'', radio drama,

NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ...

(1949) * ''Akō Rōshi (Forty-seven Ronin)'', TV drama,

(1964) * ''

Ai no Gakko Cuore Monogatari ''Ai no Gakko Cuore Monogatari'' ( ja, 愛の学校クオレ物語, Ai no Gakkō Kuore Monogatari, lit=The Story of Cuore, School of Love) is an anime television series, based on the 1886 novel ''Cuore, Libro per i Ragazzi'' ('' Heart: An Itali ...

'', TV anime (1981) - Opening and Ending Theme * ''Benkei'', TV drama, NHK (1986) - Opening Theme

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Akutagawa, Yasushi 1925 births 1989 deaths 20th-century classical composers 20th-century Japanese composers 20th-century Japanese male musicians Japanese classical composers Japanese expatriates in the Soviet Union Japanese film score composers Japanese male classical composers Japanese male film score composers Japanese television composers Japanese television personalities Male television composers Musicians from Tokyo Ryūnosuke Akutagawa Tokyo Music School alumni