A Violin Rings Out in Two Halls That Share a Story

Ueno is home to two concert halls, which are both known as the Sogakudo Concert Hall. The first is the old Sogakudo Concert Hall of the Former Tokyo Music School, which currently stands next to the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park. The other was built in 1998, and is the new Sogakudo Concert Hall of the Tokyo University of the Arts. 
The old Sogakudo stands out for its traditional wooden structure. Built in 1890 as the school building for the Tokyo Music School in the Taito Ward, it was later relocated to Ueno Park. The Tokyo Music School was the predecessor of the Faculty of Music at the Tokyo University of the Arts, and also the first music school in Japan. Opened in 1887, it was a place to study mostly Western music, and the school produced many musicians. 


The Sogakudo of the Former Tokyo Music School, seen from the outside. 

Rentaro Taki was one such student who studied in this school building, and his statue, built in 1950 by Fumio Asakura, stands on the premises.

Two stories high, the Former Tokyo Music School had classrooms extending throughout both wings on either side, with Japan's first Western-style music hall being built right in the center.  Every part of the building was carefully constructed with acoustics in mind, from the ceiling that rises high up in the center to the four curved corners. This is where Beethoven's “Hero" and  and "Fate," and Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique" premiered in Japan, playing an indispensable role in the spread and development of classical music from the 1890s to the 1930s. Records also show that intellectuals like Soseki Natsume and Torahiko Terada paid visits to the hall. 


What the old Sogakudo looked like around 1890. Photo courtesy of the Sogakudo of the Former Tokyo Music School, Taito Ward

Inside the old Sogakudo Concert Hall around the 1970s. Photo courtesy of the Sogakudo Concert Hall of the Former Tokyo Music School, Taito Ward

Many of the young talents who studied at the Tokyo Music School shine bright in the history of modern Japanese music. There was Rentaro Taki, who is considered to be the first Japanese musician to compose a full piece of Western music, and Kosaku Yamada, who invested himself in modern music education and established a symphony orchestra. Tamaki Miura became a pioneer in the world of Japanese opera and gained international fame, and Nagayo Motoori was a leading figure in children’s songs. Kosaku Yamada and Nagayo Motoori were enrolled in the school at the same time, and documents include a picture of them together inside the old Sogakudo Concert Hall. 

Around 1900, inside the old Sogakudo Concert Hall (Kosaku Yamada is on the far right, with Nagayo Motoori sitting behind the piano). 

Photo courtesy of the Sogakudo of the Former Tokyo Music School, Taito Ward

Tamaki Miura, an internationally renowned opera singer who played Madame Butterfly. Photo courtesy of the Sogakudo Concert Hall of the Former Tokyo Music School, Taito Ward

Since the Tokyo Music School merged with the Tokyo University of the Arts in 1949, the building has only been used as a music hall. In 1965, there was talk of relocating the building, since it had noticeably deteriorated. Eventually, in 1987, it was relocated and restored in its current location, becoming a cultural facility of Taito Ward. The building has been designated as an Important Cultural Property, and in addition to exhibiting historical documents, it is still going strong as an active music hall. Students of the Tokyo University of the Arts also perform concerts here.

Floral patterns have been carved throughout the entire building. The vaulted ceiling helps with acoustics, and the beams that run across also feature these design elements. Since the entire building is made of wood, it creates a soft sound which will become more mellow as the years go by. 

Kazuki Sawa, violinist and president of the Tokyo University of the Arts, did a violin performance to convey the charm of this hall. "One of the pieces I chose was Rentaro Taki's ‘Kojo no Tsuki.’ I feel that this piece captures the delicate spirituality of the Japanese people. The melody of Taki's original version is actually a little different to the now well-known one, and I think it reflects his regret at falling ill so young when he was so talented, with  such a bright future ahead.”

President Sawa plays “Kojo no Tsuki” (The Moon over the Ruined Castle) with his beloved Guarneri violin in hand. In Rentaro Taki's original song, the "e" part of the lyrics "hana no en" (or "feast of blossoms") is a chromatic scale higher. Today, the version by Kosaku Yamada is more well known.

Here he performs Hamabe no Uta (Song of the Seashore), composed by Tamezo Narita, who was another graduate from the Tokyo Music School. The pipe organ that stands behind him was donated in 1928 by the head of the Kishu Tokugawa family, Yorisada Tokugawa, who was a music lover.

Pictured is some sheet music handwritten by J.S. Bach. According to President Sawa, although Bach lived during the Baroque era when violin skills and techniques were still in their early days, the pieces he composed were already close to some of the best. Here he performs Sarabande from Partita for Solo Violin; this is a particularly special piece, as it was one that President Sawa himself played in this hall while still in school. Featuring the technical challenge of double stops, it’s also a fun piece that is said to express the inner emotions of the performer.

In recent years, President Sawa has been making efforts to shine a spotlight on Japanese songs. From this very hall, a remote concert took place through the official Taito Ward YouTube channel. Titled “A Look at Nostalgic Japan by the Tokyo Music School,” various pieces of music were performed during this special concert.

The Tokyo University of the Arts Sogakudo Concert Hall now stands where the old Sogakudo used to be before it was relocated. Since its completion in 1998, it has been used as a hall by the university, and concerts performed by musicians from both Japan and abroad have been held here. According to President Sawa, he was surprised by how rich the acoustics were immediately after its completion. "It has none of the acoustic hardness typical of new halls, and right from the beginning, it has had a warm, soft tone as though it has been there for many years. Perhaps it's because the souls of those who studied here before us live on."

The new Sogakudo Concert Hall at the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. This hall comes complete with a foyer that allows natural light to enter, and is equipped with 1,100 seats including balcony seats.

Including the opening performance, President Sawa has occasionally performed in the hall, and once again he took to the stage. "When it comes to the subtle nuances of low-pitched sounds, you can't tell the difference unless you're in a hall that has a delicate acoustic design."

Performing “Salut d'Amour”, this piece was chosen for its soft sounds, changes in timbre, and the subtle differences in nuance. "It’s a very relaxing and happy piece of music." Created by English composer Edward Elgar, this piece reminds pianist Emiko Tadenuma and President Sawa—who are pictured playing together—of the time they studied abroad in London as a couple.

The wonderful acoustics of this hall lie in its innovative design. By raising or lowering the ceiling and changing the volume of air, the reverberation can be adjusted and the ambience can be changed. This ability to adapt the hall in such fine detail makes it suitable for a variety of different performances, from solo piano and violin, to small chamber music, orchestras, traditional Japanese music and pipe organ. This cutting-edge design is a rare find on this sort of scale, and with it being used as an educational facility for the university, this is also a place for nurturing the next generation of musicians. 

The interior features plenty of wood, along with Italian leather chairs and stone walls. “The blending of various materials creates a beautifully mellow sound,” says President Sawa. 

A pipe organ is installed on the upper floor of the stage, and it was in front of this where “Adagio” was performed from J.S. Bach's Sonata for Solo Violin No.1. "This song is Bach's monumental masterpiece. He composed a lot of organ music to be played in churches, and the acoustic design of this hall is close to that of a church. ‘Adagio’ means peace or relaxation. I believe that music has that sort of power, so this is the song I played at the entrance ceremony right after I became president of the university."

The pipe organ was made by French organ builder Garnier. Equipped with 5,380 pipes, it features a gold arabesque pattern along with sun and moon motifs. Public concerts are performed regularly using this pipe organ. 

A solo violin performance on the balcony of the upper floor of the stage, which is rarely visited by anyone other than the organist. "Being closer to the ceiling than the normal stage, the reverberation felt very rich."