AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG - Nocturne

NOCTURNE
(1932)

Hokkaido Imperial University (1930)

Nocturne is the third known original composition by Akira Ifukube. It is scored for solo guitar.

Enthusiastic after writing his first piece of music, Jin (also for solo guitar), Ifukube composed Nocturne. Like Jin, it is based on Ainu musical motifs. Ifukube composed Nocturne specially for his older brother Isao who was a talented guitar player.

In April 1932, young Akira and Isao began studies at Hokkaido Imperial University in Sapporo. Upon entrance to the university, Isao joined the school's mandolin club. One day, Isao performed his brother's Nocturne for the club and it was met with much disdain. Because the piece was "ethnic sounding," the members considered it to be ridiculous and Isao was forced to leave the club!

When Ifukube's close friend Atsushi Miura first heard the piece, he said it sounded "Spanish," a comment that left the composer distraught; in Nocturne, Ifukube specifically attempted an "Ainu" sound.

Ifukube attempted to send Nocturne (along with his other guitar composition, Jin) to his pen-friend, the Spanish composer Ernesto Halffter. When Halffter received the package from Ifukube, both scores were missing. Unfortunately, Ifukube did not make a personal copy of either score; both compositions have thus been considered lost since the same year they were written, 1932.

Ernesto Halffter

Please use your browser's BACK button to return to the Music Library