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[[File: | [[File:Sugiyama main photo.png|right|thumb|230px|Sugiyama posing with a personalized conducting rod]] | ||
{{ja|Kōichi Sugiyama|すぎやま こういち|Sugiyama Kō'ichi}} (his birth name is 椙山 浩一, which is pronounced the same) (born April 11, 1931; died September 30, 2021<ref>http://sugimania.com/</ref>) was the lead composer of the {{DQSeries}}, with other works done for Japanese TV shows, such as ''Space Runaway Ideon'', ''Cyborg 009'' and ''Gatchaman''. Sugiyama worked on the ''Dragon Quest'' series for an incredible 35 years, composing over 500 tracks for the games. Because of the incredible length of his career, Suigyama's accomplishments have been officially recognized by the Guinness World record association as the longest lived composer of video game music. | {{ja|Kōichi Sugiyama|すぎやま こういち|Sugiyama Kō'ichi}} (his birth name is 椙山 浩一, which is pronounced the same) (born April 11, 1931; died September 30, 2021<ref>http://sugimania.com/</ref>) was the lead composer of the {{DQSeries}}, with other works done for Japanese TV shows, such as ''Space Runaway Ideon'', ''Cyborg 009'' and ''Gatchaman''. Sugiyama worked on the ''Dragon Quest'' series for an incredible 35 years, composing over 500 tracks for the games. Because of the incredible length of his career, Suigyama's accomplishments have been officially recognized by the Guinness World record association as the longest lived composer of video game music. | ||
Sugiyama's music was immortalized on Friday, July 23rd 2021 during the first day of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. The series main theme, the ''[[Overture]]'', was broadcast before hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide as the majority of the song started the opening ceremony's parade of nations, with the final bars of ''Overture'' playing at the parade's conclusion when the Olympic motto was projected on the field. | Sugiyama's music was immortalized on Friday, July 23rd 2021 during the first day of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. The series main theme, the ''[[Overture]]'', was broadcast before hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide as the majority of the song started the opening ceremony's parade of nations, with the final bars of ''Overture'' playing at the parade's conclusion when the Olympic motto was projected on the field. | ||
In addition to his work for the series Sugiyama held several positions within Japanese society, such as honorary chairman of the Japanese Association of Composers and Arrangers<ref>『ゴジラVSビオランテ コンプリーション』ホビージャパン、p. 134, 2015年12月16日。ISBN978-4-7986-1137-2。https://archive.fo/ecXB0</ref>, the chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Association<ref>https://archive.fo/CDnJW</ref>, as well as being the founder and representative of the Smoking Culture Research Association<ref>https://archive.fo/5PT3m</ref>. | |||
Kōichi Sugiyama is survived by his wife Nobuko Sugiyama, who manages his estate and the catalog of his music with the [https://sugiyama-kobo.com/ Sugiyama Kobo label]. | |||
==Early life== | |||
Kōichi Sugiyama was born in the Shitaya Ward of Tokyo in 1931. His father, Yokichi Sugiyama, graduated from the Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in pharmacy and served as a health technician in the Aichi Prefecture Government in 1938 before later transferring to the Ministry of Health and Wellfare in 1942<ref>『AERA』 10巻、朝日新聞社出版本部、1997年4月7日、61–62頁</ref>. His mother, Tsutako, held a career in children's education. | |||
Sugiyama's earliest memories of music were listening to his grandmother sing English hymns to him as a lullaby<ref>https://archive.fo/yGame</ref>. His family enjoyed singing songs such as Schumman's ''"Der Wanderer"'' and Rentaro Taki's ''"Flowers"'' together in a chorus, giving him an exposure to classical music at a very young age. The American bombing of Japan in World War II caused Sugiyama's family to be evacuated from their home in Tokyo to Taketa City in the Otia Prefecture and later Sakeshita City in the Gifu Prefecture, with the family home being destroyed in the resulting fires. The family fell on hard times after the war with Sugiyama contracting scurvy due to the food shortages, but Yokichi kept the family's spirits high by taking cloth he retrieved from their destroyed home and used it to barter for three gramophone records: Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral), Symphony No. 7, and Violin Sonata No. 9 (Kreutzer's Sonata). These records provided much needed relief from the difficulties of life in post-war Japan, with Sugiyama listening to them on a hand-crank gramophone that produced no low tones; he sang the double bass parts himself to fill in the gaps and studied the accompanying sheet music<ref>"僕の音楽のバックグラウンドは、クラシック音楽です。子供の頃に家族３人でシューマン「流浪の民」、滝廉太郎「花」などの歌を合唱で歌って楽しみながら、譜面を読むという音楽の基礎を覚えました。それから、戦後間もない頃に親が買ってくれたベートーベンの交響曲第６番（田園）、第７番、“クロイツェル・ソナタ” といった３曲のレコードを譜面を見ながら、繰り返し聴きましたね。子供の頃は、おもちゃよりもレコードを買ってもらう方が嬉しかったんです。当時は、手巻きの蓄音機だったからジャリジャリした雑音だらけで低音も出ないので、譜面をたよりにコントラバスのパートを自分で歌って補っていました（笑）。" https://archive.fo/7NUdH</ref>. | |||
In 1949 Sugiyama would enroll in Seikei High School of Musashino City and founded the school music club. He reorganized the school orchestra that had become defunct during the war in his third year, becoming the conductor and arranger<ref>https://archive.fo/YpN4C</ref>. Prior to graduating, Sugiyama was approached by the [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%B0%B7%E6%A1%83%E5%AD%90%E3%83%90%E3%83%AC%E3%82%A8%E5%9B%A3 Momoko Tani Ballet Company] to compose a ballet piece for children to perform. This composition, "The Lost Caterpillar" (''迷子の青虫さん''), would mark the young man's first professional opus and be performed for decades to come<ref>DQ30thアニバーサリー 2016, pp. 13、83.</ref>. | |||
Upon graduation Sugiyama planned to enroll in a private music college but was denied entry by each institution he applied to due to being unable to play the piano well, a strict requisite for admission which was the norm at the time. As purchasing a piano himself was prohibitively expensive, Sugiyama elected to enroll in Tokyo University instead as it was one of the cheapest options available and pursued a science degree. The love for music would not leave the man's soul, however, and Sugiyama regularly skipped classes to participate in activities at the club he founded in Seikei High School<ref>"Q それほど音楽に傾倒していたのに進学したのは音楽大学ではありませんでしたね | |||
A もちろん音大に進みたくてあらゆる音大から願書を取り寄せたのですが、どの学校にも試験科目に「ピアノの実技」があるのです。当時、家にはピアノがなかったので音楽大学受験のための練習ができませんでした。そこで音楽大学はあきらめて「仕方なく」東京大学に入学しました。東大に通っている間も出身高校の音楽部の活動に足繁く通い、音楽に没頭していましたね。"</ref>. This resulted in him needing to repeat a year, and after graduating Sugiyama found employment as a part-time quality control inspector at a factory through his father's connections. This period wouldn't last long though, as a broadcast of "The Lost Caterpillar" caught the attention of a famous contemporary music critic [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9C%89%E5%9D%82%E6%84%9B%E5%BD%A6 Yoshihiko Arisaka], who wrote very favorably of Sugiyama and recruited him into the [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%96%87%E5%8C%96%E6%94%BE%E9%80%81 Nippon Cultural Broadcasting radio network]. First assigned to score for the news department's segments, Sugiyama found success as a part of the entertainment division where he was given control over the live performance segment "Hitatchi Concert" (''日立コンサート''). This was a very valuable learning experience for the man as it taught him the intricacies of producing and arranging music on a professional level he was not exposed to before. In 1958 Sugiyama would move from radio to television as he took employment with [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%B8%E3%83%86%E3%83%AC%E3%83%93%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A7%E3%83%B3 Fuji Television], where he would direct programs such as "The Hit Parade" (''ザ・ヒットパレード'')<ref>Q 大学卒業後は文化放送やフジテレビで活躍されます | |||
A はい。文化放送では最初報道部に配属されたのですが、その後芸能部に移り、生の演奏を放送する「日立コンサート」という番組を担当しました。ここで音楽のプロの作曲・編曲方法を体験したことがその後の作曲人生にとても役立ちました。1958年にはフジテレビに転職し、ディレクターとして「ザ・ヒットパレード」などの番組に携わりました。振り返れば、文化放送でもフジテレビでも常に音楽に関わってきた会社人生でしたね。</ref>. | |||
Sugiyama would continue his career at Fuji Television while also becoming a free-lance commercial composure in the 1960's, writing songs for popular musicians such as The Peanuts, which led to some accusations that he gave preferential treatment to his own work on his television programs. He would retire from his position Fuji Television in April of 1965 when the company entered heated disputes with the Japanese Association of Composers and Arrangers over the royalties owed to musical artists, in addition to his payment as a composure becoming greater than his salary as his popularity rose<ref>DQ30thアニバーサリー 2016, pp. 12–14</ref>. He would continue working with the company as a freelance director until 1968, when he would part ways with the company to devote himself entirely to composing. | |||
==History with Dragon Quest== | ==History with Dragon Quest== | ||
Sugiyama started composing with a | Sugiyama started composing with a Japanese home computer called the PC-9801 in the early 80's to experiment with new technology, and also took up an interest in the emerging market of video games around the same time. One specific title that caught his attention was "Kazuo Morita's Shogi" (森田和郎の将棋), which was published by [[Enix]] on the PC-9801 in August of 1985, and Sugiyama found himself hooked on the simple but addictive nature of the title. The game also came packaged with a questionnaire postcard for player feedback: Sugiyama filled it out on a whim in a cheeky manner, leaving the questionnaire on his desk before stepping away for other business. In a moment of pure chance, his wife Nobuko saw the card and slotted it into their mailbox as she stepped out to go grocery shopping<ref>"（笑）。そのアンケートはがきには 「終盤は強いけど、序盤の駒組みがイマイチ」みたいに、 ちょっと生意気なことを書いて、 そのままほったらかしにしておいたんです。 そしたら、たまたまうちのカミさんが それを見つけて、買い物に行く途中に ポストに放り込んだみたいなんです。" https://archive.fo/pz7E3</ref>. The questionnaire was later presented Enix co-founder [[Yukinobu Chida]], who was surprised to find that it was filled out by a celebrity because all of the names were written in hiragana, something to be expected of an elementary school student. Intrigued, Chida sent out an Enix representative to contact Sugiyama to see if he would be interested in composing music for a game: Sugiyama immediately replied and after a meeting in Shinjuku was arranged he was hired to write for "Wingman 2: The Resurrection of Kitaklar" (''ウイングマン2 -キータクラーの復活''), which would be released in April of 1986. | ||
The original ''Dragon Quest'' was in development at the same time as the second Wingman game, and Chida would approach Sugiyama to write music for it as well as the Enix employee felt that the score written by the staff of developer [[Chunsoft]] was not satisfactory. Sugiyama was intrigued by the project, but his inclusion was strongly opposed by the head of Chunsoft [[Koichi Nakamura]]. This was due to Chunsoft being an extension of a school club and the young programmers were wary of a man in his 50's writing music for a video game. | |||
It would be up to Chida and Yuji Horii to act as intermediaries between the staff of Chunsoft and Sugiyama, with the latter lightening the mood by speaking casually about his obsessions with analog games such backgammon, bingo, and especially pinball. Sugiyama would relate how he would frequently drive to Yokohama after work to play pinball for hours at a time, and the hesitant Chunsoft staff began to see him as a fellow gamer who just so happened to be born in the previous generation<ref>ニンテンドードリーム2005年11月号</ref>. With the age gap bridged Sugiyama was formally accepted as the game's composure, and he was asked to begin writing a rock-styled soundtrack to match Nakamura's vision for the game. He hesitated at this approach and asked Nakamura the nature of the game's setting and stylistic tone, and explained that classica music would much better suit a midieval fantasy world than contemporary rock. | |||
The actual production of the game's soundtrack progressed very smoothly and was completed within one week, with the ''Overture'' in particular being conceived and finalized in short order. Sugiyama would joke that it took him "54 years and five minutes to write this song" (''54年と5分で出来た曲''), referencing the [https://jgcontemporary.art/blogs/news/picassos-napkin-story story of Picasso's napkin]<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20140222200104/http://sugimania.com/says1.html</ref>. This jovial attitude belies the seriousness Sugiyama gave to the project, as he determined that the overworld and battle themes would need to be exceptionally well-crafted due to the frequency in which the player would hear them<ref>「すぎやまこういち VS 田尻智」『ドラゴンクエストIV マスターズクラブ』JICC出版局、1991年2月10日、13頁。ISBN978-4-7966-0084-2。</ref>. In addition to his official designation as the game's composer Sugiyama also assisted in debugging and balance adjustments for the project to give a different perspective compared the group of men in their early twenties. This further tightened the sense of camaraderie between the key staff of ''Dragon Quest'', cementing a friendship that would last for decades. | |||
Once the game was released on May 27th 1986, Sugiyama would then assert himself as the very first video game composer to record his video game music with a live orchestra. In 1986, the CD "[[Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite]]" was released, utilizing the London Philharmonic Orchestra to interpret Sugiyama's melodies. | |||
In 1987, he composed for {{DQ2}}, and then held the very first video game music concert in the world. "Family Classic Concert" was arranged and conducted by Sugiyama himself. It was performed by the Tokyo String Music Combination Playing Group on August 20, 1987 at Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan. "Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite" and "[[Dragon Quest II Symphonic Suite]]" were performed. The "Family Classic Concerts" have done exceptionally well with audiences every time; since then, Sugiyama has held over eighteen of them all across Japan. | In 1987, he composed for {{DQ2}}, and then held the very first video game music concert in the world. "Family Classic Concert" was arranged and conducted by Sugiyama himself. It was performed by the Tokyo String Music Combination Playing Group on August 20, 1987 at Suntory Hall, Tokyo, Japan. "Dragon Quest I Symphonic Suite" and "[[Dragon Quest II Symphonic Suite]]" were performed. The "Family Classic Concerts" have done exceptionally well with audiences every time; since then, Sugiyama has held over eighteen of them all across Japan. | ||
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==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
*Sugiyama's favorite monster is the [[dracky]], which he likens to a conductor wearing a coattail (''指揮者が燕尾服を着ているように見えるから'') | |||
:*This fondness was paid homage in the infamous monster [[Sugi]] in {{DQ8}}. | |||
*Sugiyama writes his name in hiragana instead of the traditional kanji. | |||
*Suigiyama's first connection to the Godzilla series predated ''vs Biollante'' by 21 years; he created the song ''Koi no Fuga'' for the Peanuts sister duo in 1968.Beyond their musical career in their home country, the Peanuts are famous for their portrayal of the diminutive Shobijin in three of Toho studios kaiju-eiga: being ''Mothra'', Mothra vs Godzilla'', and ''Ghidorah: the three-headed monster'' during the early-to-mid 60's. | *Suigiyama's first connection to the Godzilla series predated ''vs Biollante'' by 21 years; he created the song ''Koi no Fuga'' for the Peanuts sister duo in 1968.Beyond their musical career in their home country, the Peanuts are famous for their portrayal of the diminutive Shobijin in three of Toho studios kaiju-eiga: being ''Mothra'', Mothra vs Godzilla'', and ''Ghidorah: the three-headed monster'' during the early-to-mid 60's. | ||
==Gallery== | |||
<gallery> | |||
Sugiyama 88th birthday artwork by Akira Toriyama.jpg|Artwork by Akira Toriyama celebrating Sugiyama's 88th birthday | |||
Kōichi_Sugiyama.png|Sugiyama in a recording studio, circa 1990 | |||
Horii Sugiyama and Toriyama XI launch party group photo.jpg|The three legends celebrating the release of the eleventh Dragon Quest | |||
</gallery> | |||
==External link== | ==External link== | ||
*[http:// | *[http://sugimania.com/welcome.html Music of Kōichi Sugiyama] | ||
*[https://sugiyama-kobo.com/ Sugiyama Kobo], the license holding company for Suigyama's music | |||
{{Dragon Quest series}} | {{Dragon Quest series}} | ||
[[Category:Staff]] | [[Category:Staff]] | ||