Western Music in Japan 1923~1944-From the Masataro Sugiura SP Record Collection-

We selected the pieces to be recorded on the CDs based on the following criteria

Performance of Japanese composersÕ works
Performance of foreign composersÕ works by Japanese musicians
Performance by foreigners who played an active role in Japan
Pieces recorded in Japan (recording)

After receiving a request from Toshiyuki Sugiura (who lives in Ukyo-ku, Kyoto City) to make full use of what he possessed, the ÒMasataro Sugiura SP Record Collection,Ó the Rohm Music Foundation produced 2,000 sets of ÒRohm Music Foundation CD Reproduction Series from SP Records <Western Music in Japan 1923~1944> -from the Masataro Sugiura SP Record Collection-Ó (5-CD set with description) to look back on relations between Japanese and Western music as well as the history of compositions and music performances before and during World War II (1939~1945). We also donated some of them to music schools and other public institutions to support musical education and culture.

Masataro Sugiura (1906~1945), the father of Toshiyuki Sugiura who came to us with a request to use his SP records, was deeply involved in music as his hobby while managing his family business (wholesale dealer in kimono fabrics), and collected approximately 4,500 SP records. Masataro also took an active role as a violinist in the ÒKyoto Symphony OrchestraÓ after 1940. However, he died young at the age of thirty-nine years old in 1945.

♦CD1 Orchestra in Japan 1 (works by the Japanese <with singing>)
	1. Composition: Kiyoshi Nobutoki, Lyrics: Hakushu Kitahara/Cantata ÒKaido-toseiÓ <Conducting: Tamotsu Kinoshita, Solo-level chorus: Tokyo Music School, Accompaniment: Department of Orchestra of the Tokyo Music School>
	2. Composition: Hidemaro Konoe, Lyrics: Keizo Horiuchi et al/Cantata Tairei-hoshuku <Conducting: Hidemaro Konoe, Solo: Eiichi Uchida et al., Chorus: Vocal Four Chorus, Orchestra: The New Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo>

♦CD2 Orchestra in Japan 2 (works by the Japanese and foreigners)
	1. Composition: Kyosuke Kami/Symphonic suite ÒBorneoÓ <Conducting: Terunobu Sakanishi, Orchestra: Tokyo Broadcasting Orchestra>
	2. Composition: Akira Ifukube/Ballata sinfonica ~dedicated to my deceased brother <Conducting: Kazuo Yamada, Orchestra: Tokyo Symphony Orchestra>
	3. Composition: Jacques Ibert/Ouverture de fete <Conducting: Kosaku Yamada, Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra for the Celebration of Imperial 2600>
	4. Composition: R. Strauss/Celebrating Music in Imperial 2600 (Festmusik zur Feier des 2600 jahrigen Bestehens des Kaiserreichs Japan) <Conducting: Helmut Fellmer, Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra for the Celebration of Imperial 2600>

♦CD3 Orchestra in Japan 3 (works by foreigners)
	1. Composition: Ildebrando Pizzetti/Symphony in A (Sinfonia in A in celebrazione del XXVIo centenario della fondazione dell'Impero giapponese) <Conducting: Gaetano Comelli, Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra for the Celebration of Imperial 2600>
	2. Composition: S‡ndor Veress/ÒSymphonyÓ <Conducting: Kunihiko Hashimoto, Orchestra: Symphony Orchestra for the Celebration of Imperial 2600>

♦CD4 Japanese Musicians
	1. Violin: Mari Iwamoto, Conducting: Hideo Saito, Orchestra: Tokyo Symphony Orchestra <Composition: L. v. Beethoven/Romance No. 2 in F Major, Op. 50>
	2. Violin: Nejiko Suwa, Piano: Masashi Ueda <Composition: A. Dvoř‡k/No. 7 in G Flat Major from 8 Humoresques Op.101>
	3. Violin: Nejiko Suwa, Piano: Masashi Ueda <Composition: F. Kreisler/Allegro from Praeludium and Allegro in the Style of Pugnani>
	4. Xylophone: Yoichi Hiraoka, Piano: Conducting: Hideo Saito, Orchestra: Tokyo Symphony Orchestra <Composition: G. Enescu (arranged by Yoichi Hiraoka)/Rumanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A Major, Op. 11-1>
	5. Xylophone: Yoichi Hiraoka, Piano: Koji Taku <Composition: J. S. Bach (arranged by Yoichi Hiraoka)/Arioso from Cantata No. 156>
	6. Xylophone: Yoichi Hiraoka, Piano: Koji Taku <Composition: F. Schubert (arranged by Yoichi Hiraoka)/Ave Maria>
	7. Piano: Ryukichi Sawada <Composition: F. Chopin/Polonaise No. 3 in A Major, Op. 40-1 ÒMilitaireÓ>
	8. Piano: Yoko Matsukuma <Composition: F. Liszt/Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C Sharp Minor>
	9. Piano: Kazuko Kusama (Yasukawa) <Composition: J. Ibert/The Little White Donkey from ÒHistoiresÓ>
	10. Piano: Kazuko Kusama (Yasukawa), Conducting: Naotada Odaka, Orchestra: Tokyo Symphony Orchestra <Composition: C. Saint-Sa‘ns/Concerto for Piano No. 5 in F Major, Op. 103 ÒEgyptianÓ>

♦CD5 Foreign Musicians who played an active role in Japan
	1. Conducting: Nicolai Schiferblatt, Violin: Efrem Zimbalist, Orchestra: Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra <Composition: L. v. Beethoven/Romance No. 1 in G Major, Op. 40>
	2. Violin: Alexander Moguilewsky, Piano: Leonid Kreutzer <Composition: L. v. Beethoven/Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 ÒSpringÓ>
	3. Piano: Leonid Kreutzer <Composition: F. Liszt/ Paganini Etudes No.1~No. 6>
	4. Piano: Leo Sirota <Composition: Kosaku Yamada/Variations on a theme of ÒKojo-no-Tsuki (Moon over the Ruined Castle)Ó>

Yumeji Takehisa (1884~1934) rose to national prominence as an artist for magazine covers and illustrations in the end of the Meiji Era. The works of Yumeji reached their ripest period in the Taisho Era, which was called the ÒEra of Sensitivity and Sensation,Ó and made a great impact especially on the young generation at the time. For the cover picture of this CD series, we used six pictures of beautiful women that were drawn by Yumeji from the Taisho to early Showa Era, including ÒKurofuneya,Ó his most popular work.