Yoshida Soshian

A kouta (Japanese folk song) composer. His real name was Kintaro, and Soshian was originally a tea ceremony name, but he used it exclusively for composing kouta (Japanese folk song). He first studied Nagauta, but switched to Kiyomoto at the age of 16. He studied under the first Kikusuke and was given the name Kikunosuke. He composed his first kouta at around the age of 30, and was in charge of composing for the Tokyo Kouta Club, which was formed around 1916 (Taisho 5). He continued composing even after returning to his family business of plastering. In particular, his compositions for Kabuki and Shinpa Kyogen gained a reputation as Soshian's "Kabuki Kouta." He also developed the traditional zashiki kouta into "stage kouta" performed in halls and theaters, and breathed fresh air into the genre by expanding the scope of his research, making a great contribution to the rise of the modern kouta world.

[Kiyohiro Hayashi]

"Eijuzo and Tori Isobe, supervised by 'Koushi-an's Kouta Commentary Collection' (1963, Edo Kouta-sha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

小唄(こうた)作曲家。本名は金太郎、草紙庵は元来茶道の号であったが、もっぱら小唄作曲に用いた。初め長唄を習ったが、16歳から清元(きよもと)に転向。初世菊輔(きくすけ)に師事して菊之輔の名をもらう。小唄処女作は30歳ごろで、1916年（大正5）ごろ結成された「東京小唄会」では作曲を受け持ち、家業の左官職に戻ってからも作曲を続けた。とりわけ歌舞伎(かぶき)、新派の当り狂言の作曲は草紙庵の「歌舞伎小唄」として定評を獲得した。さらに旧来の座敷小唄をホールや劇場で演奏する「舞台小唄」にまで進展させ、取材分野の拡大によって新風を吹き込むなど、近代小唄界の隆昌(りゅうしょう)に多大の功績を残した。

［林喜代弘］

『英十三・磯部東離監修『草紙庵の小唄解説集』（1963・江戸小唄社）』

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