| This thesis explores the factors that led to the enduring popularity of Beethoven's music in Japan. Early in the Meiji Period (1868-1912) when Japan embraced Westernization, German artists and educators instilled respect for the tradition of German art music in their Japanese students. Beethoven's music became the most valued source of material for education and performance in Japan in the years before the Second World War. During the war, Western music faced opposition from a nationalist government which reversed course, calling for the development of a native Japanese musical style untainted by Western oppression. However, Beethoven's music still found a ready place in concert halls and schools. Many teachers and performers came to its rescue, defending the music's masculinity, German origins, and associations with Beethoven's Romantic determination and unyielding spirit. After the war, his music escaped censorship because of its widespread popularity and the belief that Beethoven transcended his nationality. |
