AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG - A Shanty of the Shiretoko Peninsula

A SHANTY OF THE SHIRETOKO PENINSULA
(1960)

A group of Ainu from Hokkaido, circa 1930

The Shiretoko Peninsula is located on the easternmost portion of Hokkaido, protruding into the Sea of Okhotsk. The name Shiretoko is derived from the Ainu word shiruitoku, meaning "the end of the earth" or "the place where the earth protrudes".

A Shanty of the Shiretoko Peninsula, written in 1959, is scored for soprano, solo bass and piano. With this piece, Ifukube stove to express the sorrow and anger of northern folks who have been forced to accept unwanted political, economic and cultural changes brought about by modern civilization.

This is a somber work, though melodic and and quite touching. In the middle of the piece, Ifukube inserted his version of an old Ainu boat song with the purpose of reminding the listener of the "good old days" in northern Japan before the advent of cultural modernism.

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Acknowledgments:

Akira Ifukube: Anthology of Vox Prinicple Works by Motohide Katayama.