Samuragochi a fraud...

[Alan Howe]

Oh dear:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26039226
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26064852

[khorovod]

I am glad I didn't fork out to buy this from Japan as many seem to have done on the original Samuragochi discussion here, but I suppose if people enjoy the music it should in theory still have the same effect on them as previously when listening after the fraud was exposed. One of the amazon US reviewers quotes in a comment underneath from a Chinese newspaper that he couldn't even write music at all and a player in the Japanese orchestra says much of it is a copy and paste job from some of the composers mentioned in the earlier discussion here but I haven't heard it so don't know if that is true. I wonder if it is possible for those that were so impressed originally to still listen to it in the same way now? If sections are stolen from other composers I guess that might make it difficult. If not and it was just written by someone else and not Samuragochi, should it make a difference?

[Mark Thomas]

Hari kiri, anyone?

But it doesn't detract from the depth of, now, Mr Niigaki's achievement.

[Alan Howe]

So is Niigaki the sole composer of the Hiroshima Symphony?

[semloh]

'khorovod'  said "I suppose if people enjoy the music it should in theory still have the same effect on them as previously".

I agree, but the important phrase here is "in theory".  There is an argument that great works of art stand on their own merit, and that the character of their creator has no relevance to their aesthetic quality. For most people, however, I think this is unrealizable and our appreciation of a piece of music - even perhaps against our better judgement - tends to be influenced by what we know of the composer and their circumstances. Sometimes, the music is great enough to overcome most negative connotations (some might say that this applies in the case of Wagner) and perhaps the 'Hiroshima Symphony' is good enough to overcome and outlive the indignation listeners feel at having been duped by Mr Samuragochi.

[Alan Howe]

At the very least the CDs will have to be re-packaged...

[semloh]

As an academic, I can't help thinking that the same issues arise in relation to new musical compositions as to essays produced by students. How do we know who the true author is? How do we establish that it is an original piece of work and not a clever pastiche constructed from the work of others? Universities use sophisticated software that checks essays for plagiarism, and so students are increasingly adopting the alternative strategy of buying essays from professional ghost writers - who advertise widely on the web. There is no way of establishing that the student is not the true author, so we now mandate traditional style examinations!

It may not be possible to establish beyond doubt the true composer(s) of some new compositions, such as the Hiroshima Symphony, given the clever use of plagiarism and ghost writers - especially widespread, dare I say, in Asia.

So, yes, new CD covers, Alan, but maybe they should say - at least for the time being - "Composer(s) Unknown". 

[Alan Howe]

Good thought, Colin. Now even the title's suspect, of course (i.e. Hiroshima Symphony).

[erato]

Niigaki must be the ultimate unsung composer.

[Alan Howe]

Well, he was. Now his name's gone viral, he'll be as sung as Beethoven...

[Mark Thomas]

Personally, I had never heard of Samuragochi before listening to the Symphony, and his name meant nothing to me, beyond the authorship of the work, once I'd heard it. I just loved the music, and I still do, now that we know it's by the equally unknown (to me) Niigaki.

Might be good news for Sony, though.

[semloh]

Yes, I agree, Mark - Sony are getting great coverage. Which classical music fan would not want to hear this now much-talked-about work? I suppose that in dollar terms there is little distinction between being famous and being infamous!

By the way, I have not heard the symphony myself. Does it fall into UC's remit as a piece of late/neo- romanticism?

[Alan Howe]

Just about, Colin. Think of it as Mahler plus...

[Peter1953]

What a shame. However, the symphony hasn't lost anything from its magical and symbolical power to me. A great and heart warming piece of music which grabs me by the throat.

[semloh]

"...music which grabs me by the throat."

I trust not too tightly, though, Peter.

It is interesting to consider the words we use to describe the effect that music has on us.... and that's pretty graphic. I suppose I had better give this Samuragochi/Niigaki/?  symphony a listen!