Akira Ifukube (1914 - 2006) is one of my favorite composers.
Born in 1914 on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, Ifukube was exposed from an early age to traditional Japanese folk music as well as the music of the Ainu, a northern Asian population most of whom live on Hokkaido.
Ifukube was self-taught as a musician; he taught himself composition as a youth as well as how to play the violin.
His first published work is the Piano Suite (1933). It was written for the American pianist George Copeland. His maiden orchestral work, Japanese Rhapsody (1935), won the (Alexander) Tcherepnin prize in Paris in 1936.
During the Second World War, Ifukube worked for the Japanese military as a scientist (he was an expert on the acoustics of wood)well as a composer; he wrote several "nationalist" works during this period, as well as martial pieces for military usuage.
After the war, Ifukube moved to Tokyo to write film music. His most famous score is from the 1954 film Gojira (Godzilla). Unlike other monster/sci fi scores of the time, Ifukube took a darkly serious approach to the music which has made it an endearing favorite.
Ifukube would later go on to be the president of the Tokyo College of Music. He also remained active as a composer and arranger up until his death in 2006 at the age of 91.
Though Takemitsu has to be labeled as the best known Japanese composer, Ifukube probably would come in second, though he is still a terra incognita for even the most knowledgeable classical music fans. His music is widely recorded and performed in his native Japan, and it is gaining increased recognition throughout the world.
Naxos has released two discs in their Japanese Classics series that feature Ifukube's work. His Japanese Rhapsody is on the inaugural disc of the series called Japanese Orchestral Favourites. He later got an entire disc devoted to three of his works; this disc featured Sinfonia Tapkaara, Ritmica Ostinata for Piano and Orchestra and Symphonic Fantasia no. 1.
I am hoping there are other fans of this composer in this forum. Of course, as this composer is so special to me, I would love the opportunity to introduce his worksto anyone out there who may be interested.
Please feel free to share your thoughts on this composer if you are familiar with his output.
