Franz Eckert - Citizendia

Franz Eckert (5 April 1852 - 8 August 1916) was a German musician who composed the harmony for Japan's national anthem, Kimi ga Yo and the The Anthem of the Korean Empire. Events 456 - St Patrick returns to Ireland as a missionary bishop Year 1852 ( MDCCCLII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 1220 - Sweden is defeated by Estonian tribes in the Battle of Lihula. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's often translated as "May your reign last forever" is Japan's National anthem, and is also one of the world's shortest national anthems in current use

Franz Eckert was a native of Neurode, Silesia, Prussia, in what is now Nowa Ruda, Poland. Nowa Ruda (Neurode is a town in south-western Poland near the Czech border lying on the Włodzica river in the central Sudetes mountains Etymology One theory claims that the name Silesia is derived from the Silingi, who were most likely a Vandalic (East Germanic people The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising Nowa Ruda (Neurode is a town in south-western Poland near the Czech border lying on the Włodzica river in the central Sudetes mountains Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland He studied in the conservatories of Breslau and Dresden, and specialized in military music. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia Dresden (etymologically from Old Sorbian Drežďany, meaning people of the riverside forest, Drježdźany is the Capital city of the German A military band is a group of personnel that perform musical duties for military functions usually He received an appointment to became bandmaster to the Kaiserliche Marine at Wilhelmshaven, where he caught the eye (or perhaps the ear?) of the Japanese government in 1879. The Kaiserliche Marine or Imperial Navy was the German Navy created by the formation of the German Empire. Wilhelmshaven (vɪlhɛlmsˈhaːfən is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. The, or Meiji era, denotes the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor, running in the Gregorian calendar, from 23 October 1868 to 30 July

Eckert was invited to Japan as a foreign advisor at the behest of the Imperial Japanese Navy. For Combined Fleet, please see that article For Carrier Striking Task Force, please see that article Eckert served as director of the Navy Band from 1879-1880. At the time, the need for an anthem was especially pressing in the Navy, as Japanese officers were embarrassed by their inability to sing their own anthem at flag ceremonies at sea. Eckert rearranged the existing anthem per the Gregorian mode for Western instrumentation, making suitable modifications for playability at sea, including a four-part vocal arrangement. A Gregorian mode ( church mode) is one of the eight scales supposedly underlying Gregorian chant. The new national anthem was first performed in the imperial palace on Emperor Meiji's birthday, 3 November 1880. is the imperial main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in Chiyoda Tokyo close to Tokyo Station and contains various buildings The (3 November 1852 — 30 July 1912 or Meiji the Great was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession reigning from 3 February Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 1880 ( MDCCCLXXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year

Eckert later founded the military band of the Imperial Japanese Army Academy, established the military band of the Imperial Guards, and was active in composing ceremonial music for both the Court and for the military, while introducing a variety of Western musical instruments and musical theories on melody and harmony. The was the principal officer's training school for the Imperial Japanese Army. The Japanese is an organization which is dedicated to protection of the Emperor of Japan and his family palaces and other imperial properties A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified for the purpose of making Music. In Music, a melody (from Greek μελῳδία - melōidía, "singing chanting" also tune, voice, or In Western music, harmony is the use of different pitches simultaneously and chords actual or implied in Music. In 1897, he was invited to compose a special song, which he titled Kanashimi no kiwami, for the funeral of Empress Dowager Eisho (widow of Emperor Kōmei). ( July 22, 1831 - January 30, 1867) was the 121st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession

Eckert returned to Germany in 1889 to a posting at the Berlin Philharmonic, but was soon appointed music director to Wilhelm II, King of Prussia. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The Berlin Philharmonic (in German: Die Berliner Philharmoniker) is an Orchestra based in Berlin, Germany.

In 1901 Eckert was invited by the Korean government to also supply the harmony for the national anthem of the Korean Empire before its annexation by Japan in 1910. The Korean Empire was a former small empire of Korea that lasted from the Gwangmu Restoration of 1897 until Japan 's annexation of Korea in 1910 Korea under Japanese rule refers to the period between 1910 and 1945 when Korea was forcibly annexed by the Japanese Empire. The new anthem had elements from the works of Richard Wagner, and was played before Emperor Gojong, who was himself a Prussian enthusiast. Eckert died in Seoul from stomach cancer at age 65 while at work in Korea. Stomach or gastric cancer can develop in any part of the Stomach and may spread throughout the stomach and to other organs particularly the Esophagus and Korea is a geographic area composed of two sovereign countries a civilization and a former state situated on the Korean Peninsula in East Asia. His grave is located at Yanghwajin Hapjeong-dong Mapo-gu Seoul. Hapjeong-dong is a dong, neighbourhood of the Mapo-gu district in Seoul, South Korea. Mapo-gu is a gu, or district within Seoul, South Korea. It lies northwest of the Han River.

References

Huffman, James. Modern Japan : An Encyclopedia of History, Culture, and Nationalism. Routledge (1997). ISBN: 0815325258

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