Masaru Sato
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese composer of film scores. He was born in Rumoi, Hokkaidō
and raised in Sapporo
. While studying at the National Music Academy, Sato came under the influence of Fumio Hayasaka
, Akira Kurosawa
's regular composer for his earlier films. He became a pupil of Hayasaka's, studying film scoring with him at Toho
Studios, and working on the orchestration of Seven Samurai (1954). When the older composer died suddenly in 1955, leaving the scores to Kenji Mizoguchi
's New Tales of the Taira Clan, and Kurosawa's Record of a Living Being
incomplete, Toho assigned Sato to finish them. His first original score was for Godzilla Raids Again
in 1955. He wrote the music to all of Kurosawa's movies for the next decade, including Throne of Blood
, The Bad Sleep Well
, Yojimbo, Sanjuro
, and Red Beard
. In addition to Mizoguchi and Kurosawa, Sato worked with Hideo Gosha
.
His work in the realm of popular film continued throughout his career, composing the scores to Ishirō Honda
's The H-Man
(1958), The Lost World of Sinbad (1963), and three Jun Fukuda
-directed Godzilla
films: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
(1966), Son of Godzilla
(1967), and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
(1974). During his 44-year association with Toho Studios, he wrote more than 300 film scores. He also created the music for such Japanese Television series as Water Margin
. He was nominated for Best Music at the 15th Japan Academy Prize.
, the principal composer of the Godzilla films. Ifukube's scores show strong roots in European classical music, as well as influences from Japanese traditional
and Ainu
folk music. Sato, however, employed Western popular styles and light jazz
in his film scores. Unlike Ifukube, Sato apparently never felt the need to compose for the concert stage, writing exclusively for film.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese composer of film scores. He was born in Rumoi, Hokkaidō
Rumoi, Hokkaido
is a city located in Rumoi, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is the capital of Rumoi Subprefecture.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 26,017 and the density of 87.5 persons per km². The total area is 297.44 km².The city was founded on October 1, 1947....
and raised in Sapporo
Sapporo, Hokkaido
is the fourth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. It is the capital of Hokkaidō Prefecture, located in Ishikari Subprefecture, and an ordinance-designated city of Japan....
. While studying at the National Music Academy, Sato came under the influence of Fumio Hayasaka
Fumio Hayasaka
Fumio Hayasaka was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores.- Early life :...
, Akira Kurosawa
Akira Kurosawa
was a Japanese film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. Regarded as one of the most important and influential filmmakers in the history of cinema, Kurosawa directed 30 filmsIn 1946, Kurosawa co-directed, with Hideo Sekigawa and Kajiro Yamamoto, the feature Those Who Make Tomorrow ;...
's regular composer for his earlier films. He became a pupil of Hayasaka's, studying film scoring with him at Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
Studios, and working on the orchestration of Seven Samurai (1954). When the older composer died suddenly in 1955, leaving the scores to Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi
Kenji Mizoguchi was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. His film Ugetsu won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and appeared in the Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll in 1962 and 1972. Mizoguchi is renowned for his mastery of the long take and mise-en-scène...
's New Tales of the Taira Clan, and Kurosawa's Record of a Living Being
I Live in Fear
is a 1955 Japanese film written and directed by Akira Kurosawa. It was co-written by Shinobu Hashimoto, Fumio Hayasaka, and Hideo Oguni.The film stars Kurosawa regulars Toshirō Mifune and Takashi Shimura. It is in black-and-white and runs 103 minutes. The film was entered into the 1956 Cannes Film...
incomplete, Toho assigned Sato to finish them. His first original score was for Godzilla Raids Again
Godzilla Raids Again
, also known in the United States as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, is a 1955 Japanese black-and-white kaiju film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, written by Shigeru Koyama, Shigeaki Hidaka and Takeo Murata, and produced by Toho....
in 1955. He wrote the music to all of Kurosawa's movies for the next decade, including Throne of Blood
Throne of Blood
Throne of Blood is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa. Its original Japanese title is Kumonosu-jō , which means "Spider Web Castle". The film transposes the plot of William Shakespeare's play Macbeth to feudal Japan.-Plot:...
, The Bad Sleep Well
The Bad Sleep Well
is a 1960 film directed by the Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. It was the first film to be produced under Kurosawa's own independent production company. It was entered into the 11th Berlin International Film Festival....
, Yojimbo, Sanjuro
Sanjuro
is a 1962 black-and-white Japanese samurai film directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring Toshirō Mifune. It is a sequel to Kurosawa's previous film Yojimbo, with Mifune reprising his role as a wandering ronin...
, and Red Beard
Red Beard
is a 1965 Japanese film directed by Akira Kurosawa about the relationship between a town doctor and his new trainee. The film was based on Shūgorō Yamamoto's short story collection, Akahige shinryotan . Fyodor Dostoevsky's novel The Insulted and the Injured provided the source for a subplot about a...
. In addition to Mizoguchi and Kurosawa, Sato worked with Hideo Gosha
Hideo Gosha
was a Japanese film director.Among his most famous films are Goyokin and Hitokiri, released in 1969, and The Wolves, released in 1971. His most famous film in the West is Sword of the Beast, released by Criterion....
.
His work in the realm of popular film continued throughout his career, composing the scores to Ishirō Honda
Ishiro Honda
Ishirō Honda , sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda", was a Japanese film director...
's The H-Man
The H-Man
The H-Man, known in Japan as , is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1958. The film was made by Toho's legendary Godzilla directing/special effects/producing team of Ishirō Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Tomoyuki Tanaka, and is considered part of Toho's "mutant trilogy," along...
(1958), The Lost World of Sinbad (1963), and three Jun Fukuda
Jun Fukuda
, was a Japanese director. He was born in Manchuria. He has directed dozens of films, perhaps best known for his contributions to the Godzilla film series in the 1970s...
-directed Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
films: Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster
Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, released in Japan as and known internationally as Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, is a 1966 science fiction kaiju film directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa. This is the first film in the series with special effects directed by Sadamasa Arikawa...
(1966), Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla
Son of Godzilla, released in Japan as , is a 1967 science fiction kaiju film. The eighth part of the Toho studio's Godzilla series, it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa It is the first film to feature Kamacuras, Kumonga, and Minilla.-Plot:A team of scientists are...
(1967), and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla
, originally known in the United States as Godzilla vs. Bionic Monster and subsequently Godzilla vs. Cosmic Monster, is a 1974 science fiction kaiju film. This was the 14th of the Toho studio's Godzilla series , it was directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano and the...
(1974). During his 44-year association with Toho Studios, he wrote more than 300 film scores. He also created the music for such Japanese Television series as Water Margin
Water Margin
Water Margin , also known as Outlaws of the Marsh, All Men Are Brothers, Men of the Marshes, or The Marshes of Mount Liang, is one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.Attributed to Shi Nai'an and written in vernacular Chinese, the story, set in the Song Dynasty,...
. He was nominated for Best Music at the 15th Japan Academy Prize.
Musical style
Sato's style differs considerably from Akira IfukubeAkira Ifukube
was a Japanese composer of classical music and film scores, perhaps best known for his work on the soundtracks of the Godzilla movies by Toho.-Biography:...
, the principal composer of the Godzilla films. Ifukube's scores show strong roots in European classical music, as well as influences from Japanese traditional
Music of Japan
The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 , combining the kanji 音 with the kanji 楽...
and Ainu
Ainu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
folk music. Sato, however, employed Western popular styles and light jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
in his film scores. Unlike Ifukube, Sato apparently never felt the need to compose for the concert stage, writing exclusively for film.
Filmography
- (六人の暗殺者 Rokunin no ansatsushaRokunin no ansatsushais a 1955 black-and-white Japanese film drama directed by Eisuke Takizawa.The film won 1956 Blue Ribbon Awards for best screenplay by Ryuzo Kikushima.- Cast :* Shōgo Shimada* Osamu Takizawa* Isao Yamagata* Kunitaro Sawamura* and others...
) (1955) - Song for a BrideSong for a Brideis a 1958 black-and-white Japanese film directed by Ishirō Honda.- Cast :* Mitsuko Kusabue* Akemi Negishi* Reiko Dan* Kenji Sahara* Hiroshi Koizumi* Yoshio Tsuchiya* Sachio Sakai* Fumiko Okamura* Daijirō Natsukawa* Toshiko Nakano* Yutaka Nakayama...
(花嫁三重奏 Hanayome sanjuso) (1958)