Akira Ifukube [伊福部昭] (1914~2006, Japan)
管絃樂の爲の音詩「寒帯林」
Tone Poem for Orchestra "Arctic Forest"
00:00 1. うすれ日射す林 [The Dimming of Light in the Forest] Andante Tranquillo
14:40 2. 杣の歌 [Song of the Woodcutter] Moderato Pastorale
20:56 3. 山神酒祭樂 [Wine Festival Music for the Gods Protecting the Mountain] Allegro Rapsodico
Orchestra Nipponica
Tetsuji Honna, conducting
Recorded: August 8, 2010 at Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo (Live)
This piece is one of Mr. Ifukube's early works. He visited the northeastern part of China, the area one known as Manchuria, and based on his impressions from that visit, the composer wrote this orchestral music in 1944. It consists of three movements: "Usurebi-sasu Hayashi [The Dimming of Light in the Forest]," "Soma no Uta [Song of the Woodcutter]", and "Sanjin Shusaigaku [Wine Festival Music for the Gods Protecting the Mountain]"
There were some records of its first performance in Manchuria, but soon after that performance Japan greeted the end of the war. In the confusion of the significant political changes in China, the score disappeared for a long time. It took more than 60 years before the second performance of "Arctic Forest" was realized in 2010. We can say that this piece was at the mercy of history. After Mr. Ifukube's passing, the handwritten score was found in his belongings. By fate, I was assigned to edit the score and produce parts for the second performance. I reproduced the core without being able to get answers to the many questions that I wished I could have asked Mr. Ifukube directly. If there were any errors in the score, I'm solely responsible.
I was told that Mr. Ifukube himself mentioned that he "had to simplify the score" in order to adjust it to the skill level of the orchestra for the first performance. The instrumentation also appeared to be quite limited, but the finished piece is still a very attractive symphonic work. When this piece was performed for the first time, the composer was 30 years old. It is amazing that at that time he had already perfected what may be considered to be the "Ifukube sound," which we now know as his signature style. After the performance in Manchuria, some of the motifs in "Arctic Forest" were adapted into other later pieces. I imagine that this was due to postwar circumstances beyond his control.
After I finished editing the score, I was looking at Mr. Ifukube's manuscript once again and felt a strange, profound emotion. I felt as if the piece's numerous melodies had previously been scattered here and there but had finally, after a long time, come back to where they belonged. The tone poem "Arctic Forest" is a memorable masterpiece in which the young composer, Akira Ifukube, perfected his unique style.
I would like to conclude my humble remarks by quoting Mr. Ifukube's words written in the program for a 1943 performance of his work "Triptyque Aborigène."
" A musical work that cannot be understood without an explanation ceases to be a musical work. [...] The composer hopes from the bottom of his heart that audience will appreciate only the direct acoustic effects without any preconceived ideas. "
(From "Ifukube Akira Tsuzuru II [Akira Ifukube Writes Vol.2]," Wide Shuppan, Edited by Atsushi Kobayashi)
by Satoshi Imai from ZMM-1609 "Akira Ifukube memorial concert to mark ten years of his death" booklet
この作品は1944年(昭和19年)現在の中国大陸東北地方、かつて満州国と言われた彼の地周辺を訪れた伊福部がその印象をもとに書いた初期の管絃楽曲である。3つの楽章から成り、各々「うすれ日射す林」「杣の歌」「山神酒祭樂」と副題がそえられている。
現地で初演された記録は残っていたが、その後日本は終戦をむかえ、中国もまた政治状況が大きく変わる混乱の中、永く楽譜の所在が不明となり、2010年の再演まで60年以上を要した、謂わば歴史に翻弄された楽曲であった。御遺品の中から自筆譜が見つかり、再演にあたり、ご縁あってスコアの構成と演奏用パート譜の制作を担当したが、願わくは今一度先生に直接ご教示を賜りたかった多くの事柄を擱いての復元である。
ここに楽譜制作の経過と私見を述べさせていただきたい。自筆譜には赤インクで随所に修正が施されていた。推敲の形跡はダイナミクス、アーティキュレーション、オーケストレーションの変更から小節のカットにまで及ぶ。かつて満州で使用された楽譜がこの遺稿なのか、または初演後に加筆・訂正がなされたものなのか、その筆跡からは判然としなかった。何れにせよ表紙に書かれたLast Proof(最終稿)の文字を作者の意志として尊重した。
仄聞によると先生ご本人は、初演した楽団の技術的レヴェルに合わせて「平易に書かざるを得なかった」と言われたという。また楽器編成もかなり制限されたものだったらしいが、充分魅力的な交響作品に仕上がっている。1945年の初演の際、作者は30歳である。その当時にしてわたくしたちの現在知る往年の作風いわゆる「伊福部節」が完成されていたことは一興に値する。満州での演奏後この曲のモティーフのいくつかは他の楽曲に転用されて行くが、大戦直後のやむを得ぬ事情があったのであろう。
楽譜制作を終え、あらためて先生の肉筆のスコアを眺めていた時、不思議な感慨にとらわれた。方々に散らばって行った数々の楽想が、長い年月を経てようやく本来在るべき場所に還って来たように思ったのである。音詩「寒帯林」は作曲家・伊福部昭が若くしてその独自の様式を確固たるものとした記念すべき傑作である。
以上、1943年に先生が自作「土俗的三連画」の上演にあたりプログラムに寄稿された文章に倣い本稿を終えたい。
「解説無しに理解し得ぬ様な作品は最早作品ではない。(中略)唯一つ、作者の心からなる願いは、先入的な何等の観念もなく、これ等音響の直接的な効果のみを審美して頂き度いことである」(ワイズ出版 小林淳編纂 伊福部昭綴るⅡ より)
（今井聡、ZMM-1609『伊福部昭没後10年記念演奏会』解説書より）