Japanese Songs for Schoolchildren in Early 20^th- Century Germany :

Focusing on R. Lange’s Translation and G. Capellen’s Arrangement for Isawa Shuji’s Shogaku Shoka Vol. 1.

Abstract

  Although there are a lot of researches about an acceptance of Western music in Meiji era, there are little research about an introduction of Japanese school songs to Europe and a harmonic addition to those songs in the same period. In this study, I would like to clarify how Isawa Shuji’s Shogaku Shoka Vol. 1 was translated by Rudolf Lange, a Japanologist, and arranged by Georg Capellen, a musician. Isawa’s Shogaku Shoka Vol. 1 aimed to make clear understanding of the Imperial Rescript on Education by singing. From my research on Lange’s paper “Japanese school song” (1900), it was found that Lange translates Isawa Shuji’s Shogaku Shoka Vol. 1 with a profound learning. Moreover, from my analysis of Capellen’s arrangement Shogaku Shoka - Isawa Shuji’s Japanese melodies (1903), it was found that Capellen discovers several chords or several tonalities in Japanese school song’s melodies and tries to harmonize those melodies in his original way.