Ifukube Akira

Overview

伊福部昭

31 May 1914

Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan

8 Feb 2006 (91)

Tokyo, Japan

Intestinal Obstruction

Born in Hokkaido and raised in community with the native Ainu populace. Ainu music later influenced his own composing style.

Obeyed his father's urging to study forestry, but continued to teach himself music in his spare time.

At age 21, his work Japanese Rhapsody won an international young composers' contest promoted by Russian composer Alexander Tcherepnin. Ifukube received formal musical education from Tcherepnin in 1936.

Drafted into the army and assigned to study the structure of wooden fighter planes flown by the Allied forces. His work involved constant exposure to x-rays and fell ill from overexposure in 1945. He listened to the Japanese surrender on the radio from his sickbed.

After leaving the army he was encouraged by Hayasaka Fumio to pursue film music to make a living. He had severe arguments with director Kurosawa Akira and Taniguchi Senkichi, but also befriended the blacklisted Tsuburaya Eiji. Tsuburaya and Ifukube were reunited on the set of Godzilla (1954), the first of many kaiju eiga scored by Ifukube.

Credited with inventing Godzilla's iconic roar.

First retired from film music after Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975). During the 80s he revised several of his pre-war concert works to incorporate themes from his film works, and wrote a new work, Symphonic Fantasia, to celebrate his science fiction and fantasy scores.

He disapproved of the pop arrangement of his music in Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) and came out of retirement to score four more Godzilla films in the 90s, retiring again after Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).

Selected Works