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Morishige Takei

Morishige Takei (武井 守成, Takei Morishige, 1890–1949) was a Japanese composer and court official during the reign of Emperor Showa.

Baron
Morishige Takei
武井 守成

October 11, 1890
Tottori, Japan

December 14, 1949 (aged 59)

classical

  • 1917 "Officer of Ceremonies" in the Department of the Imperial Household
  • 1921 "Chief of the Music section of the Department of the Imperial Household"
  • 1946 "Grand Master of Ceremonies"
  • composer, conductor, musician

mandolin, guitar

1915–1949

Biography[edit]

He studied Italian at Tokyo College of Language. After studying in Italy and discovering the mandolin and guitar, he returned to Japan and in 1915 established what would become the Sinfonia Mandolini Orchestra, a mandolin orchestra. The orchestra would continue (with breaks) through 1949, when he died.[1] He became a composer, with 114 compositions for mandolin and guitar.


World War II affected music in Japan, through the National Mobilization Law of 1938. One of the effects of the law was to allow the government to assert control of music, banning western music and instruments, including the electric guitar, banjo and ukulele.[2] In spite of this, Takei was able to maintain his mandolin-guitar orchestra until 1943. His orchestra, named the Orchestra Sinfonica Takei in 1923, was temporarily renamed Takei-Gakudan (shedding non-Japanese words in its name), December 1941. After the war, he rose higher in the imperial court. He continued the work of promoting the mandolin and guitar, giving a concert with his orchestra November 6, 1949. He fell ill at a rehearsal, however, on December 12 and died two days later.[1]

Fate of Takei's mandolin orchestra[edit]

The mandolin orchestra, founded by Morishige Takei is still in existence. After Takei's death, the Orquestra Sinfonica Takei (OST) was dissolved in December 1958, but then started up again in December 1959 under the name Murao Sugita Symphony Orchestra. After Mural Sugita passed away in July 1986, it was newly organized as Sugita Mura Yuu Memorial Regular Concert Organization. In May 1987 it was renamed Orquestra Sinfonica Tokyo (OST), which it remains today.[3]

Twilight, Op. 6 (1921)

Morning Prelude, Op. 10 (1925) (co-produced with Akira Onuma and Akira Sugawara "From the Friend's Three Friends")

Small Flowers Dancing, Op. 14 (1925)

Late Spring, Op. 15 (1925)

To a Dead Young Man, Op. 18 (1925)

Fantasia "Impression of Korea", Op. 20 (1926)

Small March "Louise", Op. 21 (1926)

Spring Nostalgia, Op. 22 (1927)

Remembering Carlle, Op. 23 (1927)

Song of Early Autumn, Op. 26 (1927)

Futaba of Album, Op. 30 (1929)

Summer's Suite, Op. 31 (1928)

Spring Festival Night, Op. 34 (1930)

Hypocritical, Op.35 (1930)

Flow, Op. 36 (1931)

Evening Rain Shower, Op. 38 (1931)

Dusk, Op. 41 (1931)

Improvisation Song, Op. 42 (1932)

Yellowling Flower, Op. 43 (1932)

Big, Op. 45 (1939)

Spring Sailing, Op. 46 (1940)

Standing in Front of the House of the Martyrdom Chapel, Op. 47 (1940)

Rain and Cosmos, Op. 49 (1941)

Festival Town Corner, Op. 50 (1941)

Akane, Op. 63 (1942)

March March "Going through the Sky", Op. 64 (1942)

Dew Small Diameter, Op. 68 (1942)

Algae, Op. 69 (1942)

The Fruit Jumps Off, Op. 70 (1942)

Sonko, Op. 74 (1943)

Insect Dance, Op. 80 (1943)

Life Autumn, Op. 81 (1943)

Breeze, Op. 108 (1947)

Suite "Festival of Fruits", Op. 111 (1948)