Akira Ifukube facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Akira Ifukube
Ifukube in 1954
Background information
Native name	伊福部 昭
Born	(1914-05-31)31 May 1914 Kushiro, Hokkaido, Empire of Japan
Died	8 February 2006(2006-02-08) (aged 91) Tokyo, Japan
Genres	Classical, film scores
Occupation(s)	Musician, Composer, educator
Years active	1935-2006

Akira Ifukube (伊福部 昭, Ifukube Akira, 31 May 1914 – 8 February 2006) was a famous Japanese composer. He wrote both classical music and music for movies. He is best known for his amazing work on the Godzilla movies.

Biography

Early Life in Hokkaido

Akira Ifukube was born on May 31, 1914, in Kushiro, Japan. He was the third son in his family. When he was a child, from age 9 to 12, he lived in Otofuke. This area had a mix of Ainu and Japanese people.

He was greatly inspired by Ainu folk music. He first heard classical music when he was in high school in Sapporo. At age 14, he decided to become a composer. This happened after he heard Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring on the radio. He also said that the music of Manuel de Falla was a big influence.

Ifukube studied forestry at Hokkaido Imperial University. He composed music in his free time. This showed that he was a self-taught composer. His first piece was a piano solo called Piano Suite. He later changed its name to Japan Suite. It was arranged for an orchestra.

A friend sent a letter about Ifukube's music to a famous pianist, George Copeland. Copeland was impressed and wanted to play Ifukube's music. But their letters stopped because of the Spanish Civil War.

Ifukube became well-known in 1935. His first orchestral piece, Japanese Rhapsody, won first prize. This was in an international competition for young composers. Famous judges chose his music as the winner. Ifukube also studied modern Western music styles. His Piano Suite received an award in Venice in 1938. Japanese Rhapsody was played in Europe many times in the late 1930s.

After university, he worked as a forestry officer. He also processed wood. Near the end of World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army asked him to study wood. He looked at how strong wood was and how it vibrated. He was exposed to radiation during this work. This was because of a shortage of lead for protection during the war. Because of this, he had to stop working in forestry. He then became a professional composer and teacher.

Ifukube in 1956

He spent some time in the hospital due to radiation exposure. One day, he was surprised to hear his own march music playing on the radio. This was when General Douglas MacArthur arrived to officially end the war in Japan.

Later Years in Tokyo

After the war, Ifukube taught at the Tokyo University of the Arts. During this time, he wrote his first film score. It was for the movie Snow Trail, released in 1947. Over the next 50 years, he wrote music for more than 250 films. His most famous film music was for Ishirō Honda's 1954 Toho movie, Godzilla.

Ifukube also created Godzilla's famous roar. He made this sound by rubbing a leather glove covered in resin along the loose strings of a double bass. He also made Godzilla's footsteps. He did this by hitting an amplifier box.

Even though he was successful with film music, Ifukube loved writing classical music most. His film music and classical music often influenced each other. For example, he used music from his 1953 ballet Shaka for the 1961 film Buddha. Later, in 1988, he changed this film music into a symphonic piece called Gotama the Buddha.

He returned to teaching at the Tokyo College of Music. He became the president of the college the next year. In 1987, he retired and became the head of the college's ethnomusicology department. This department studies music from different cultures.

He taught many younger composers. He also wrote a 1,000-page book called Orchestration. This book teaches how to arrange music for an orchestra. Many Japanese composers use it.

He passed away in Tokyo on February 8, 2006. He was 91 years old. He was buried at the Ube shrine in Tottori.

Honors and Tributes

Ifukube in 1960

The Japanese government honored Ifukube with the Order of Culture. This is a very high award. He also received the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Third Class.

On May 31, 2021, Google celebrated his 107th birthday. They made a special Google Doodle in his honor.

Works

Akira Ifukube wrote many different kinds of music. He composed for orchestras, solo instruments, and voices. He is especially famous for his film scores.

Orchestral and Chamber Music

• Japanese Rhapsody (1935)
• Symphony Concertante for piano and orchestra (1941)
• Sinfonia Tapkaara (1954)
• Violin Concerto No. 2 (1978)
• Symphonic Fantasia No. 1, 2, and 3 (1983); these were arrangements from his film scores.
• Gotama the Buddha, a symphonic ode for chorus and orchestra (1989)

Instrumental Music

• Piano Suite (1933)
• Toka: Cantilena ballabile sul mode antico de Giappone, for guitar (1967)
• Toccata for guitar (1970)
• Sonata for violin and piano (1985)

Vocal Music

• Ancient Minstrelsies of Gilyak Tribes, for soprano and piano (1946)
• Three Lullabies among the Native Tribes on the Island of Sakhalin, for soprano and piano (1949)
• A Shanty of the Shiretoko Peninsula (1961)

Film Scores

Ifukube composed music for over 250 films. Here are some of his most well-known works:

See also

In Spanish: Akira Ifukube para niños