Abe, Komei
Abe, Kōmei
Abe, Kōmei, Japanese composer and teacher; b. Hiroshima, Sept. 1, 1911. He studied cello at the Tokyo Academy of Music (graduated in 1933), where he also took postgraduate courses with Pringsheim (composition, 1933-36) and Rosenstock (conducting, 1935-39). He then was a prof. at the Elizabeth Music Coll. in Hiroshima, and subsequently at the Kyoto Municipal Univ. of Arts (1953–77). In his compositions, he demonstrated an assured command of traditional forms.
Works
ORCH.: Theme and Variations (1935; Tokyo, Feb. 8, 1936); Kleine Suite (1936; Tokyo, Feb. 27, 1937); Cello Concerto (Tokyo, March 31, 1942); Piano Concerto (1945; Tokyo, March 27, 1947); 2 syms.: No. 1 (Tokyo, May 9, 1957) and No. 2 (Tokyo, Oct. 10, 1960); Serenade (Tokyo, Oct. 7, 1963); Sinfonietta (1964; Tokyo, Jan. 14, 1965); Piccola Sinfonia for Strings (1984). CHAMBER: 16 string quartets (1934, 1937, 1939, 1941, 1946, 1948, 1950, 1952, 1955, 1978, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1994); 2 flute sonatas (1942, 1949); Clarinet Quintet (1942); Divertimento for Saxophone and Piano (1951; also for Orch., 1953); Divertimento for 9 Instruments (1954); Sextet for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Viola, Cello, and Piano (1964). Piano: 3 sonatinas for children (1972); Dreamland, 22 short pieces for children (1986). OTHER: Choral music; songs; film music.
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire