There is a Japanese folk song called Sunayama and I think it is very beautiful but I cannot find any reliable information upon it. I know there are a few songs on iTunes of it but pretty much nothing (except for an orchestral arrangement) on YouTube. Does anyone actually know this song that can direct me to more information about it? Here is a link to sheet music I somehow found for it. What is this song's history?
2 Answers
北原白秋(Kitahara Hakushu) received an invitation to a concert of children's song from an elementary school in Niigata prefecture in June 1922. He receiveed a big welcome there from the children and he was ordered to make a song of Niigata from them. He wrote words and asked 中山晋平(Nakayama Shinpei) to compose music for it. It is a song of "Sunayama" and published in 1922.
In addition 山田耕筰(Yamada Kousaku) also composed music for the words in 1923.
According to the Japanese Wikipedia article, it was composed in 1922 by Shinpei Nakayama.
I hope this helps at least a little.
