Art Encouragement Prize for Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
1 appearances
-
Edition 1 (1951) award
Hisatada Otaka
おたか ひさただ
Otaka Hisatada
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1911-09-26 （Tokyo (formerly Tokyo-fu), Japan）
- Died
- 1951-02-16 （Nagoya, Aichi, Japan） age 39
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Tokyo (birth and upbringing) → Vienna (study/residence) → Nagoya (tour performance and death)
Career
- Occupations
- composer, conductor, music educator
- Active Years
- 1931-1951
- Affiliations
- New Symphony Orchestra (predecessor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra), Japan Symphony Orchestra (during reorganization of the New Symphony Orchestra), Vienna Symphony Orchestra (guest conductor), Berlin Philharmonic (guest conductor), Musashino Music School (faculty)
- Influenced By
- Klaus Pringsheim, Leo Sirota, Richard Stoehr, Josef Marx, Felix Weingartner, Franz Moser
- Influenced
- Hikaru Hayashi, Atsutada Otaka (son, composer), Tadaaki Otaka (son, conductor)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Prefectural Dai-go Middle School (now Tokyo Metropolitan Koishikawa Secondary Education School) | — | — | — | 1920年代 | Japan |
| Seijo High School (old system; predecessor of Seijo University) | — | — | — | 在学半年（中退） | Japan |
| Musashino Music School (now Musashino Music University) | Composition (faculty member) | Composition | — | 帰国後（1932年頃） | Japan |
| Vienna (private studies) | — | — | — | 1931年、1934年以降（留学） | Austria |
Tokyo Prefectural Dai-go Middle School (now Tokyo Metropolitan Koishikawa Secondary Education School)
Period:
1920年代
Country:
Japan
Attended as a youth; former middle school (old system)
Seijo High School (old system; predecessor of Seijo University)
Period:
在学半年（中退）
Country:
Japan
Left after a half-year; did not complete studies
Musashino Music School (now Musashino Music University)
Composition (faculty member)
/ Composition
Period:
帰国後（1932年頃）
Country:
Japan
Taught composition after returning to Japan (short period)
Vienna (private studies)
Period:
1931年、1934年以降（留学）
Country:
Austria
Studied with Berta Yanber, Richard Stoehr, Josef Marx and Felix Weingartner (private instruction)
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Japanese Suite, Op.6
1936 Orchestral musicComposed in 1936. Incorporates Japanese melodic elements and folk-like motifs, emphasizing orchestral color.
Japanese modal elementsfolk-like melodiesorchestral coloration
Cello Concerto in A minor
1943 ConcertoComposed in 1943. Reportedly premiered by cellist Takashi Kurata; despite wartime composition conditions, it exhibits introspective expression.
lyricismdialogue among stringsintrospection
Symphony No.1 in E minor
1948 SymphonyComposed in 1948. Long thought incomplete until a second movement was discovered; completed (in part) by Yuzo Toyama and premiered in a two-movement version by the NHK Symphony in 2006. A work of symphonic scope.
symphonic developmentpostwar reconstruction sentimentlarge-scale orchestration
Flute Concerto in A major
1948 ConcertoOriginally written in 1948 as a chamber-accompanied version; an orchestral version was arranged in 1951 but its final orchestration remained unfinished and was later completed in part by Hikaru Hayashi.
melodic flowdialogue among woodwindshints of folk elements
Bibliography
- Japanese Suite, Op.6 (1936)
- Rhapsody (1937)
- Little Symphony (1937, for strings)
- Symphonic Poem 'Ashiya Otome', Op.9 (1937)
- Cello Concerto (1943)
- Sinfonietta, Op.24 (1943)
- Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra, Op.21 (1943; revised 1947)
- Symphony No.1 (1948)
- Flute Concerto (1948/1951)
- Numerous songs and chamber works
Adaptations
- 1948 broadcast arts festival video: conducted Act II of Beethoven's 'Fidelio'
- 1943 Victor studio recording of Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No.5 (the 'Egyptian'), with Kasuko Yasukawa
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Romantic coloration combined with modern orchestration techniquesincorporation of folk-like and Japanese materialsdense and colorful orchestration
- Recurring Motifs
- folk-like Japanese melodiesmarch-like rhythms (reflecting wartime period)dialogues between strings and woodwinds
Health
-
hemorrhagic encephalitis of the upper gray matter1951年（急性）An acute illness in early 1951 following accumulated exhaustion and an intense performance schedule; led to his death in February and ended his career.
Legacy
In a brief life he left an important mark on modern Japanese orchestral composition and conducting. Closely associated with the history of the NHK Symphony Orchestra, his name endures in the 'Otaka Prize' and his influence continues within the musical community.
Archives
- NHK Symphony Orchestra archives (holds concert records and some recordings)
In Popular Culture
- The NHK Symphony Orchestra established the 'Otaka Prize' for outstanding orchestral works, named after him
- Anecdotes circulate that he joked he'd die at 39 like Gershwin, and stories such as whistling Beethoven's Ninth in a toilet are part of popular lore
Quotes
-
I'll die at 39 just like Gershwin.
Source: Family recollection / anecdote -
It was NHK that killed Otaka. If NHK had taken full responsibility, the players would have been spared excessive busyness.
Source: Koichi Nomura (music critic), contribution to Mainichi Shimbun
Trivia
- An anecdote says he used to whistle Beethoven's Ninth in a toilet as a student.
- Reportedly told his wife after seeing the film 'An American in Paris' that he'd die at 39 like Gershwin.
- The 'Otaka Prize' for outstanding orchestral works takes its name from him.
- Very few audiovisual recordings and documents by him survive.