ONGAKUGAKU: Journal of the Musicological Society of Japan
Online ISSN : 2189-9347
Print ISSN : 0030-2597
ISSN-L : 0030-2597
Volume 63, Issue 2
Displaying 1-14 of 14 articles from this issue
  • Yuriko Takakura
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 61-77
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
       This paper aims to compare the compositional process of the Nirvana Symphony( 1958) with that of the Mandala Symphony( 1960) by analyzing the “Campanology Documents( Campanology Shiry?)” and to discuss the position of these pieces among Toshiro Mayuzumi’s works.
       Mayuzumi is known to have his pieces based on an analysis of sounds produced by Buddhist bells. The most famous pieces among them are the Nirvana Symphony and the Mandala Symphony. This study traces their compositional processes according to Mayuzumi’s sketches, named the “Campanology Documents.”
       The “Campanology Documents” include eight documents (No. 1 to 8), which include seven autograph sketches (No. 1 to 3 and No. 5 to 8) and a copy of the page from a book (No. 4). My investigations demonstrate that these documents are clearly behind the compositional process of the Nirvana Symphony and the Mandala Symphony and several other pieces of electronic music. In the “Campanology Documents,” No. 3 to 5, and 8 are related to the Nirvana Symphony, and No. 3 to 5, and 7 are related to the Mandala Symphony.
       This paper shows that both the Nirvana Symphony and the Mandala Symphony are based on the same overtone frequency data of bell sounds quoted from the paper called “Experimental Acoustics( Jikken-Onky?-Gaku)”( 1948), written by Japanese physicist Keiji Yamashita. However, the compositional processes of the fundamental chords are different between these pieces. The fundamental chords of the Nirvana Symphony are based directly on the intervals of each overtone in the temple bell sounds, and the fundamental chords of the Mandala Symphony are based on a tone row in conformity with the regularity of the temple bell’s overtones. According to these investigations, the compositional process of these works is regarded as the composer’s attempt to expand his compositional techniques by using sound materials, such as temple bells.
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  • Makiko Yamaguchi
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 78-93
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
       Der Dirigent Hermann Scherchen (1891 -1966), der seine Karriere mit der Tournee zur Urauffuhrung von Schonbergs ?Pierrot lunaire“ Op. 21 begann, ist als Interpret moderner Musik bekannt. In der Vergangenheit wurde zwar sein Beitrag zur zeitgenossischen Musik und seine Beschaftigung mit akustischen Experimenten untersucht, es finden sich jedoch fast keine Betrachtungen zu seinem Verstandnis der klassischen Musik.
       Unter seinen unvollendet und unveroffentlicht gebliebenen Schriften ist jedoch eine Reihe von Manuskripten uber Schuberts Symphonien (?Schubertbuch“). Das erste als ?Bibliothek der orchestralen Musik: ihre spieltechnischen, kapellmeisterlichen und interpretativen Probleme“ konzipierte Manuskript (ca. 1937) behandelt die h-Moll-Symphonie ?Die Unvollendete“ D759. Das zweite Buch befasst sich mit der grosen Symphonie in C-Dur, D944.
       Scherchen interpretiert in seinem Essay Schuberts Symphonien als die Musik, die im Augenblick alles umfassen will ? im Gegensatz zu den Symphonien Beethovens, die ins Zukunftige streben. Seiner Meinung nach verwirklicht sich die Musik Schuberts durch Symmetrie in vielfaltigen Arten, durch die sinnerhellende Funktion der Vortragszeichen, durch thematische Verwandlungen mit harmonischen, timbralen Veranderungen, statt mit motivischer Arbeit.
       Bemerkenswert ist, dass die von Scherchen erwahnten musikalischen Merkmale, u. a. Symmetriebildungen, formale Flachengliederung und timbrale Erschliesung des Klangraums, mit den kompositorischen Problemen seiner Zeit in engem Zusammenhang stehen. Scherchen wollte die Aktualitat der Musik Schuberts fur die Komposition des 20. Jahrhunderts aufzeigen, was ihm die Moglichkeit bietet, Schuberts Musik von neuen Seiten zu erhellen.
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  • Tamamo Nagai
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 94-109
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
       A l’Opera de Paris au 19e siecle, l’accompagnateur du cours de ballet occupe une place indispensable a l’entrainement quotidien des danseurs, comme l’on remarque qu’ils apparaissent parfois sur les tableaux chez Degas, dessinant les repetitions des danseuses. Si les pianistes n’existent nulle part dans ses tableaux, c’est parce qu’a l’epoque, les instrumentistes a cordes sont charges du role. Pour eux, on a toujours prepare une partition reduite qui s’appelait ≪ repetiteur ≫. Meme si les chercheurs comme Roland John Wiley, Marian Smith ou David A. Day se sont interesses aux leurs activites, aucun detail ne nous parvient sur ce metier.
       Cette etude a ainsi pour but de devoiler la situation de travail des accompagnateurs de ballet a l’Opera de Paris dans la deuxieme moitie du 19e siecle, en analysant les documents conserves a l’Archive Nationale ainsi qu’a la Bibliotheque-musee de l’Opera.
       Le resultat des recherches nous montre que la direction de l’institution admet un poste d’accompagnateur de ballet qui pourra etre rempli par un violoniste ou un artiste de l’orchestre. Dans la seconde moitie, dix instrumentistes a cordes sont en charge d’accompagner le ballet, dont neuf sont engages par l’Orchestre de l’Opera en tant que violoniste ou altiste, comme Gustave Collongues (1830-1906), un des altistes de l’orchestre et des accompagnateurs. Cela veut dire que, pour eux, l’accompagnateur de ballet etait un emploi secondaire autorise, tres rarement, par la direction de l’Opera. La trace de leurs activites se trouve jusqu’a la periode de 1920s, alors que les pianistes se succedaient au role des accompagnateurs comme aujourd’hui.
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  • Rui Hara
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 110-127
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
       This paper considers the piano solo work Piano Distance composed by the Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu in 1961. The previous studies tried to explain the associations within this piece by using musical set theory. In Section 1, I overview the previous studies and show the necessity of focusing on other factors than the pitch. In Section 2.1, I clarify the structural aspects by analyzing the note groups connected by beams and the measures. Concerning these two factors, a numerical operation consisting in a periodic decrease, such as “3, 2, 1” or “12, 6, 3”, can be noticed. A closer observation of this operation brings out the technique of inserting smaller divisions (such as note groups connected by a beam) into a larger division (such as the measure) having a certain period. After the measure 51st, a symmetric division of the measures can also be observed. In Section 2.2, I analyze the indeterminable or improvisational factors such as the vague value, or grace note that provide the experimental nature to this piece. In this work, these factors are more in the first part (measures 1-50), and less in the second part( measures 51-79). I show that this contrasting placement of these factors corresponds with the degree of coherence or regularity of the construction made by the measures analyzed in Section 2.1. Finally, in Section 3, I examine the critical works about John Cage written in the period before Takemitsu composed Piano Distance. By doing so, it is revealed that the influence of Cage over this work can be recognized not only in the introduction of indeterminacy, but also in the technique of “the rhythmic structure”.
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  • Michiru Kodera
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 128-
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
       This article compares Leonard B. Meyer’s “Criticism” or “Critical Analysis” described in Explaining Music: Essays and Explorations( 1973) with Joseph Kerman’s “Criticism” presented as a new discipline in Contemplating Music: Challenges to Musicology (1985). The four points Kerman suggests as the reasons why existing musical studies’ scope has become too limiting will be used to compare Meyer’s and Kerman’s perspectives. These points are:( 1) the obsession with the D-N model based on Carl Hempel’s idea and Arthur Mendel’s article, (2) the exclusion of the ‘aesthetic experience’ from evidence, (3) the solo focus on the internal structure of musical pieces, (4) the neglect of history. Consequently, it is revealed that in Meyer’s “Critical Analysis” the structure-oriented approach and dependence upon music theory do not match with Kerman’s new field. Namely, Kerman differentiated “Critical Analysis” as a theory-based study from the so called “New Musicology” which he attempted to establish.
       In the other words, this examination focuses on the relationships, which have never been fully discussed, between Meyer and the New Musicology at its founding. Kerman did not recognize Meyer as a representative of this new discipline, though Meyer’s theory of musical meaning had presented a foundation for the New Musicologists, e. g. Susan McClary and Rose R. Subotnik. After the Society for Music Theory was established and separated from the American Musicological Society in 1977, Kerman further scrutinized and set the framework for the division of history and theory approaches. He labeled this new field of historical study as “Criticism.” In contrast, Meyer remained on the theory side.
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  • Akitsugu Kawamoto
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 143-
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Hiroshi Watanabe
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 145-149
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Daisaku Mukai
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 149-150
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Fuyuko Fukunaka
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 151-153
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Yasuharu Akiyoshi
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 153-154
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Masako Shibuya
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 155-157
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Hiroko Nishida
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 157-158
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Yoichiro Matsumura
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 159-160
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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  • Junko Nagano
    2018 Volume 63 Issue 2 Pages 160-161
    Published: 2018
    Released on J-STAGE: March 15, 2019
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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