Why does the Self-Defense Forces Band play “Kimigayo” during Sumo’s Senshu Raku? The unknown history of the birth of Japanese orchestras | Smart FLASH[光文社週刊誌]

Self-Defense Forces Music Festival (Photo: ZUMA Press/Afro)

Nobu Koda, the proud older sister of Rohan Koda’s younger sisters, was discovered by Luther Whiting Mason when she was in elementary school (Tokyo Women’s Normal School Affiliated Elementary School), and received music elite education at the Music Investigation Department and then the Tokyo Music School. He is a person who

In 1889 (Meiji 22), he was selected as the “First Ministry of Education Music Student” and studied at the Vienna Conservatory of Music after studying at the New England Conservatory in Boston. She is an all-around superwoman who has studied piano, violin, harmony, and composition.

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Izawa not only helped the Tokyo School of Music get back on track and grow, but for example, when Torakusu Yamaha (born 1851, Wakayama) came from Hamamatsu with a prototype organ, Izawa consulted with him and invited him to become a foreign teacher at the Tokyo School of Music. I arranged to introduce him to him and get his advice, and when Masakichi Suzuki (born 1859 in Nagoya) came from Nagoya with a prototype violin, I consulted him, and I introduced him to a foreign teacher at the Tokyo Music School and got his advice. I planned it.

Then, both Yamaha and Suzuki connected with appropriate people (for example, Kenichi Shirai, president of Kyoei Shosha), and Yamaha met with Nippon Gakki Manufacturing (currently Yamaha Corporation), and Suzuki with Suzuki Violin Manufacturing (Suzuki Corporation). Method (founded by his son, Shinichi Suzuki), developed into a conglomerate.

Thanks to Izawa, Nobu Koda was accepted as a professor at the Tokyo School of Music at the age of 25, where a new school building including a concert hall was built in Ueno Park.
There, there were Sachi Koda, who had studied under Rudolf Dittrich and had perfected his violin skills, and Rentaro Taki, who later became a composer.

August Juncker (born 1868, Germany), who was enrolled in the school, had the same foreign teachers as cellist Heinrich Werckmeister (born 1883, Germany) and pianist Raphael von Koebel (born 1848). Whenever she saw the Koda Sisters (born in Russia), she would ignore her own lessons and enjoy chamber music with them.

Unsatisfied with chamber music, Juncker gradually gathered musicians and formed a full orchestra (Tokyo Music School Orchestra). They also performed pieces such as Schubert’s Symphony No. 7 “Unfinished”, Cherubini’s Requiem, and Brahms’s “German Requiem”.

However, although Tokyo Music School had piano, violin, and vocal students, there was a shortage of wind instrument players. So Dr. Juncker took a more forceful approach.

“According to Kiyoshi Nobutoki, a composer known for his cantata “Kaido Tosei,” while attending music school, most students were “grabbed by Mr. Juncker and made to play some kind of orchestral instrument.” In particular, there were few orchestral players at the time, so I was forced to study the trumpet and oboe.

Juncker was strict, and if he made a slight mistake in pitch, he would make each student repeat, “You alone!” as many times as he wanted, and he would often yell at them.” (Tokyo University of the Arts website ~ Tokyo School of Music 1912) (2009 “Junker, Father of Japan’s Orchestra”)

A hint can be found in the program of Nobu Koda’s “Commemoration Concert” when he returned from Vienna.

Nobu Koda played the first violin in Haydn’s String Quartet (title unknown) and sang two lieto pieces: Schubert’s Death and the Maiden and Brahms’ May Night. He also performed the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, but with piano accompaniment. Nobu provided the piano accompaniment for the second movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, which featured clarinetist Kozo Yoshimoto (b. 1863, Tokyo) as a guest performer.

Guest performer?

Yes, Kozo Yoshimoto was not affiliated with Tokyo Music School. He was an excellent military band member who studied under Franz Eckert (born in Germany in 1852) in the Navy Military Band, and was the young ace clarinet player in Japan at the time.

By the way, Franz Eckert played the oboe in the military band of the German Navy. He came to Japan as a teacher for the Japanese military band and also taught at the music investigation section. He also arranged the song “Kimigayo” (for wind orchestra) and composed the Korean national anthem.

That’s right. Even before orchestras were established at music schools, ensembles were taking shape in completely different organizations. It’s a military band.

The trigger was the Anglo-Satsuma War of 1863 (Bunkyu 3).

The perpetrators of the Namamugi Incident in Yokohama (an incident in which four British soldiers were cut off for not dodging the procession of feudal lords) were executed, and compensation of 25,000 pounds (100,000 pounds to the shogunate) was awarded. Britain demanded compensation, but the Satsuma clan refused. Britain, in a panic, led a fleet of seven ships into Kagoshima Bay.

In the end, the Satsuma clan borrowed money from the shogunate to pay reparations, but the British were impressed by their brave fighting style and the attitude of the Satsuma clan during peace negotiations. The Satsuma clan was also surprised by the splendor and military power of Western civilization through Britain, and they recognized each other.

Since then, the Satsuma Domain and Britain have maintained a friendly relationship, and in 1866 (Keio 2), the Satsuma Domain invited the British Minister to Japan, Mr. and Mrs. Parkes, and 300 members of the British Army and Navy to demonstrate mutual military training.

At this time, the British army played funeral songs for the wind instruments when burying their war dead at sea, and this is how the Japanese became familiar with wind instruments.
In 1869 (Meiji 2), when the Minister of War, Iwao Oyama (born 1842 in Kagoshima) came to Tokyo, he asked the British Consulate to teach wind music, and he asked about 30 young Satsuma samurai (mostly from the drum and flute corps) to teach brass bands. ) were invited to Yokohama as “military music trainees”.

They were instructed by John William Fenton (born in Ireland in 1831), commander of the 1st Battalion of the 10th Regiment of the British Army, at Myokoji Temple in Yokohama.

They are called the Satsuma Band. He was given a new instrument by Tadayoshi Shimazu, the lord of the Satsuma domain, and his playing skills improved tremendously. As part of his official duties, he was in charge of performing at ceremonies and other events.

The military band of the Japanese Army and Navy was established with this Satsuma Domain Military Music Trainee (Satsuma Band) as its parent organization (separated from the Ministry of Military Affairs Military Band). This was in 1871 (Meiji 4).

Kozo Yoshimoto, who was invited to play the clarinet at Nobu Koda’s return-to-home concert, was a member of the Navy’s first military music recruitment program. Fujikichi Setoguchi (born 1868 in Kagoshima), who applied for and was selected for the second military music public recruitment program (1882) and studied under Franz Eckert and Kozo Yoshimoto, composed the “Battleship March” and “Patriot March.” did.

Thus, after the Meiji period, with the introduction of Western military tactics, the need for military bands increased day by day, including as accompaniment for military marches and performances at special events. This tradition has been passed down to the Self-Defense Forces Band, and it is in this vein that the Self-Defense Forces Band is in charge of the “Kimigayo” that is played at the Grand Sumo Tournament.

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The above has been reconstructed based on Hiromu Honma’s new book “Japanese Conductors and Orchestras: Seiji Ozawa and the Map of Classical Music” (Kobunsha Shinsho). We will explore the charm of a conductor and orchestra who are bursting with individuality.

●For details on “Japanese Conductors and Orchestras”here

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