The Storm of Taki Rentaro's Reappraisal: Coldly, but with Love

In the past few years, we have heard the name Taki Rentaro (1879-1903) mentioned again and again. His works have a certain mythological status as those that heralded the dawn of modern Japanese music and as one of the few pieces of music left behind by a short-lived genius. However, I cannot help but have some doubts if his works have attracted so much attention only for their "pure musical value.

His music is beautiful. There is no doubt about that. However, we should be careful not to take advantage of the simple construct that "because it is beautiful, it is a masterpiece. His music is valued in part because of its historical background and the "unique position" he occupies in the history of music. But even without that, is his music still worth listening to? I would like to discuss the "present" of Taki Rentaro's music with a cool-headed consideration and still with affection.

The Myth of Taki Rentaro: Beautification Due to His Short Life

The "premature genius" trope is often a trigger for overvaluation in music history. Schubert, Mozart, Ahn, and Roentgen...... are deified because of their premature deaths, and their works are also spoken of with the "possibility of unfinished business. Taki Rentaro was one of them, and his death at the age of 23 from pulmonary tuberculosis has cloaked his works with the illusion that if he had lived longer, he must have left something even more wonderful.

But what is the reality?
The music he left behind is basically "in accordance with Western musical forms, but with a somewhat Japanese melody," and is not particularly innovative compared to Western composers of the same period. This is not an accusation, but a fact. Was his music immature? No. Rather, the problem is that it is considered "unfinished" because of his short life.

If he had lived longer, would he have written more mature works, or would he have simply been buried in time? No one can answer that question. But one thing we can say for sure is that his music has value only because of its "completed immaturity.

The Moon Over the Deserted Castle" - The Spell of a Great Song

The best known of Taki Rentaro's compositions is "Tsukiji no Tsuki" (Moon Over the Deserted Castle). It now occupies an absolute place in the history of Japanese songs, and has been arranged and performed in all kinds of genres. However, I feel a certain discomfort when this song is referred to as "his masterpiece.
The melody is melancholy, beautiful, and evokes a Japanese sentiment. However, is this really the full expression of "Taki Rentaro's personality"?
Rather, the melody reflects the style of Western music of the time quite strongly, and the Japanese sentiment is only reinforced by the "Japanese lyrics. The melody itself does not have a purely "Japanese" feel, in fact, it does not.

It cannot be overlooked that the extraordinary "national recognition" of this piece has buried other works by Taki Rentaro. Moon Over the Deserted Castle" is a masterpiece. However, it is too unfortunate for Taki Rentaro that it is considered to be all of his works.

Piano piece "Menuetto" - Western dream, unfinished sound

Among Taki Rentaro's instrumental works, the piano piece "Menuetto" is the most frequently performed. This piece is extremely simple, yet it follows the form of a neat Western classical music. The melody is flowing, the tonality is clear, and the harmony functions without strain. However, to what extent should this be regarded as "Taki Rentaro's music"?

To be honest, this piece is not "music that could have been written only by Rentaro Taki. Any number of European composers of the time could have written piano pieces similar to this one. However, that does not make this piece any less valuable. Rather, it is important to find out how Taki Rentaro's will as a Japanese composer is hidden in this "complete imitation of Western music.

What is Taki Rentaro's "value"?

So, what is the value of Taki Rentaro's music, after all?
I believe that the true value lies in the "symbolism of Japanese modern music" that his music possesses.

His works exist as "unfinished experiments" that attempt to fuse Western and Japanese music. It is sometimes poor, sometimes imitative, but it is clearly inscribed with the intention of "trying to find a new Japanese sound using the language of music.

It is meaningless to evaluate his music solely on the basis of "pure artistic value. It would be like talking about Mozart's operas while ignoring the historical background. Taki Rentaro's music should not be evaluated solely on the basis of its beauty and perfection, but only in the context of "how Japanese people tried to establish their own sound while adopting Western music" can its value be seen.

And yet, despite this cool-headed viewpoint, I have a deep attachment to the music of Rentaro Taki. This is because his music, though immature, is full of dreams and longings. It is filled with the pure impulse that music should have.
Although I analyze Taki Rentaro's music coldly and look at it critically, I cannot help but love his music.