Akira Miyoshi's Didactic Works for Solo Piano.

Abstract

Akira Miyoshi (b. 1933) is a well-known composer and respected educator in Japan. His compositional output includes music for piano as well as numerous instrumental and vocal compositions. He has been commissioned to write music for important international events including the Tokyo Olympics, World's Fair, and International Music Competition. He performs and conducts his own music in one-composer recitals in addition to giving lectures, master classes, and serving as a judge in competitions. Miyoshi has taught piano and composition for many years at two prestigious music schools in Japan--Tohogakuen University and Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Through his involvement with Tohogakuen (a leader in Japanese musical education since its early existence), Miyoshi has exerted an active influence on young pianists. Miyoshi's concern regarding the limited availability of pedagogical materials in Japan led him to compose and publish his pedagogical collections. Since their publication, they remain popular and in demand throughout Japan; however, at present, they are relatively unknown outside of Japan. This study examines Miyoshi's didactic works for solo piano, focusing on the Etudes en forme Sonate (1967), Suite In Such Time (1967), Forest Echos (sic) (1978), and A Diary of the Sea (1982). Chapter 1 provides a brief discussion concerning the development of pedagogical works for piano in Japan, followed by a biographical sketch of the composer. An examination of Miyoshi's style characteristics and compositional techniques is included in Chapter 2, and technical and musical characteristics in his pedagogical works are discussed in Chapter 3. Chapter 4 is a summary of the information contained in the previous chapters, and an Appendix provides a brief description of Miyoshi's advanced-level solo piano works.