Credits:

Takuo Yuasa

Description:

The Nagauta Symphony Tsuru-Kame was completed on August 19, 1934. It features nagautathe pinnacle of Edo-period shamisen musicbut rather than being arranged for Western-style singers or Western instruments, it remains true to nagauta itself, with its traditional singers, shamisen, and accompaniment. This piecein which these elements perform in concert with a Western-style orchestra, a concept beyond imaginationreflected the trends in the music world at the time, the tastes of the audience, and Kozo Yamadas own creative concerns, including his bitter realization that I have come here without knowing the sounds native to Japan. Furthermore, Meiji Song is a symphony that depicts events ranging from the era of national isolation to the arrival of the Black Ships, the Enlightenment, and the death of Emperor Meijiand is likewise considered to have the acceptance of Western music as its central theme.