After
World War II, Irino, along with colleagues
Minao Shibata and Kunio Toda, studied the
twelve-tone method of composition devised by
Arnold Schoenberg. In 1951, Irino used the composition technique to compose his Concerto da Camera for Seven Instruments. This work is credited to be the first Japanese dodecaphonic composition.[1] During the same time, the magazine Ongaku Geijutsu published two articles by Irino: "Schoenberg's Composing Technique" and "What is Twelve-Tone Music?". Subsequently, Irino used the twelve-tone technique in numerous compositions and wrote extensively about contemporary music. Working to introduce foreign contemporary music and music literature to Japan, he made Japanese translations of important books such as Die Komposition mit zwölf Tönen (12音による作曲技法) by
Josef Rufer and Schoenberg and His School (シェーンベルクとその楽派) by
René Leibowitz. Irino did not, however, compose
serial music, a technique of the same period widely used with the
Darmstadt School.
In 1973, the Asian Composers League was established by Irino and his colleagues. After his death, the Irino Award and the Yoshiro Irino Memorial Prize (sponsored by the Asian Composers League) were established to promote young composers. Notable students include
Kimi Sato.
Awards
6th Mainichi Music Award for Sinfonietta (1953)
6th Odaka Award for Concerto Grosso for Double String and Wind Orchestras (1957)
8th Odaka Award for Symphonia (1959)
Works
Yoshirō Irino's music is mainly published by
Zen-On Music Company Ltd, Ongaku No Tomo Sha, Japan Federation of Composers (日本作曲家協議会, Nihon sakkyokuka kyōgikai)
Stage works
The Damask Drum (綾の鼓, Aya no tsuzumi), Music for the
Noh Drama (1962)
Orchestra
Adagietto and Allegro Vivace (1949)
Sinfonietta for Small Orchestra (1953)
Ricercari for Small Orchestra (1954)
Double Concerto for Violin, Piano and Orchestra (1955)
Concerto Grosso for Double String and Wind Orchestras (1957)
Symphonia (1959)
Concerto for String Orchestra (1960)
Music for Harpsichord, Percussion and 19 Strings (1963)
Symphonia No. 2 (1964)
Theme and Variations (1967)
Wandlungen (転, Ten) for Two
Shakuhachi and Orchestra (1973)
Jazz band
Suite for Jazz Band (1960)
Chamber music
Sonata for Cello and Piano (1945)
String Quartet No. 1 (1945)
Sonatina for Flute and Piano (1946)
Piano Trio, Op. 4 (1948)
String Sextet (1950)
Concerto da Camera for Seven Instruments (1951)
Quintet for Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, Cello and Piano (1958)
Joevan de Mattos Caitano (2021). "Bernhard Großmann und Hidekazu Yoshida als Vermittler zwischen japanischen Komponisten und dem Darmstädter Musikinstitut 1961–1963" [Bernhard Großmann and Hidekazu Yoshida as Mediators between Japanese Composers and the Music Institute Darmstadt 1961–1963]. Archiv für Musikwissenschaft. 78 (4).
Franz Steiner Verlag: 276–295.
doi:
10.25162/AFMW-2021-0015.
JSTOR27108073.