[KineJapan] Suntory Prize
Aaron Gerow
aaron.gerow at yale.edu
Tue Nov 12 10:32:29 EST 2024
It was nice to see that Shibata Kotaro’s book on sound in the silent era movie theater, Eigakan ni narihibiita oto, was just awarded the prestigious Suntory Prize.
https://www.suntory.co.jp/news/article/14700-1.html
In a stroke of good luck, it so happens that Shibata-san will be giving a talk about his research at Yale this Thursday.
https://macmillan.yale.edu/eastasia/events/2024-11/sounds-silent-cinema-japan-global-history-film-sound-and-tokyos-movie
The summary of the talk:
During the silent era, cinemas worldwide cultivated distinctive sound cultures to accompany silent films. Japanese cinemas, in particular, developed a particularly rich vocal tradition. While the role of benshi (film orator) is relatively well-known, Japanese theaters also featured a variety of other vocal performances, including gidayū, shinnai, naniwabushi, and biwa songs. This presentation explores the diversity of vocal performance in prewar Japanese cinemas, with a focus on Tokyo, highlighting the historical development of biwa-accompanied screenings. By examining the concurrent evolution of biwa accompaniment and Western music within film venues in Japan, this lecture also considers the framework of film music and affective expression in Japanese cinema.
Aaron Gerow
Alfred W. Griswold Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures and Film and Media Studies
Chair, East Asian Languages and Literatures
Yale University
320 York Street, Room 108
PO Box 208201
New Haven, CT 06520-8201
USA
Phone: 1-203-432-7082
Fax: 1-203-432-6729
e-mail: aaron.gerow at yale.edu
website: www.aarongerow.com
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