Akira Ifukube

Akira Ifukube spent most of the second half of the 20th century writing some of the finest film music to come out of Japan, as well as composing a unique body of concert music. This CD was released in Japan during 1994, in time for the 40th anniversary of the release of the movie Gojira (aka Godzilla, King of the Monsters), whose black-and-white image adorns the cover art. Film Works assembles some of the best of his work in that connection: a newly recorded suite from the Gojira score as well as material from ten other movies across nine years, from 1947 through 1956. The material chosen only rarely strays far thematically from a resemblance to the Gojira score, either anticipating portions of it or echoing the material in content and style -- other volumes in this series drew upon the sheer diversity of Ifukube's hundreds of other film scores. The first seven tracks on the CD are drawn from the actual film recordings of main title music, and have surprisingly good fidelity and presence, given that some of them go back to the earliest revival of the Japanese movie industry after World War II -- the main title music from Ginrei No Hate (1947) was never intended to be heard in high-resolution digital audio, but it does hold up, at least until a barking dog, among other sound effects, intrudes upon the scoring. That track's opening minute anticipates elements of the Gojira music in rhythm, timbre, and scoring. Jyakoman To Tetsu (1949) is a hauntingly lyrical score, reeds playing over piano, and gives way to a dirge-like piece that prefigures the memorial music from Gojira. Children of Hiroshima (1952) is thematically the film closest to Gojira, and, not surprisingly, the portion of the score featured here anticipates the funereal music associated the sacrifice that takes place at the end of Gojira. Saga of Anatahan (1953) is different from the rest of the scoring here, rooted entirely in pre-orchestral ethnic Japanese music and centered on percussion, while Ashzur Misaki (1954) is more formally orchestral in nature, but derived from traditional Japanese music -- this is a piece that ought to have been re-recorded, as the woman's voice on the soundtrack for about 20 seconds is distracting. Wolf (1955) is a piece of pure action music, rooted in Eastern tonalities and also utilizing some of the same orchestral elements that helped make the Gojira score stand out at key moments. Genji Story (1951) is one of Ifukube's ethnic scores, a faux medieval body of Japanese music that sounds like the real article, right down to the traditional koto backed by a small orchestra.

And then there's the suite from Gojira, about eight and a half minutes long, not counting the sound effects from the film. Everything else on the track is newly recorded, and it as a wonder, recapturing the distorted piano sound associated with the monster's early appearances, the martial music associated with the expedition to seek out Gojira/Godzilla, and the dirge sung in the wake of his attack on Tokyo down to the last nuance. All but two portions of the original score -- the action theme associated with the destruction of the first ship and the religious/ethnic music of the people of Odo Island -- are represented in glittering sound, although it should be pointed out that in years since, Ifukube has recorded more flamboyantly organized orchestral suites derived from this score, and the main theme was re-recorded yet again for the 2004 U.S. theatrical re-release of the uncut Japanese version of the movie. The music from Kuroobi Sangokushi (1956) is the first piece here to depart significantly from the influence of the monster movie score, and even it seems to quote from the main theme music before arriving at a light, lyrical theme for piano, flute, and strings that is one of the prettiest pieces of music in Ifukube's repertoire. Onibi (1956) features a piano-dominated score that soon adds pulsating strings and ominous brass and horns. And Shirogane Shingyu (1956) ends on a beautiful dirge-like piece featuring female chorus and full orchestra. The sound is generally above average throughout, though the last four scores represented, as new, modern digital orchestral recordings, have greater detail and richness. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide