Shigeaki Saegusa

Biography

Shigeaki Saegusa (三枝 成彰, formerly 三枝 成章; Saegusa Shigeaki; born July 8, 1942) is a Japanese composer.

Career

Saegusa is best known for Chushingura, his opera version of the well-known kabuki epic of the Forty-seven Ronin/Chūshingura with a libretto by the novelist Shimada Masahiko. Written over a period of 10 years, the opera was most recently performed at the New National Theatre, Tokyo in 2002. His newest opera, Jr. Butterfly is a sequel to Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly.
He has also written the background music for anime, the foremost of which being Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Other anime he has written for are Astro Boy (1980), Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, Catnapped! The Movie, and Mother: Saigo no Shoujo Eve.

Orchestral works

1971 Piano Concerto
1983 The Symphony
1985 Symfonic Suite Z Gundam
1989 Orchestra '89

Chamber/Instrumental works

1963 Bläserquintet (Wind Quintet)
1965 Novelette for string quartet
1977 Memory for narrator, string quartet and tape
1981 Radiation Mass for 4 synthesizers, vocorder and percussion
1983 Sho '83 for sho, percussion and keyboard
1987 Duo '87 for sangen and koto
1988 Cello '88 for cello solo
1988 Percussion '88 for percussion solo
1994 Four Concertos for violin, cello, piano and sangen

Vocal works

1970 Madrigal for 6 sopranos
1998 Requiem for soprano, tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra
2003 Requiem for soprano, tenor, male chorus and orchestra

Film score

1983 The Catch
1985 Typhoon Club
1988 Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack
1988 Oracion
1993 Moving
1995 Catnapped!

Music for TV programs

1980 Astro Boy
1982 Ninjiman Ippei
1985 Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
1986 Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
1991 Taiheiki
1994 Hana no Ran

Recordings

Chushingura was recorded in 1997 and published on compact disc (Sony Classical SK60233).

Honours

Medal with Purple Ribbon (2007)
Order of the Rising Sun, 4th Class, Gold Rays with Rosette (2017)
Person of Cultural Merit (2020)