Shigeaki Saegusa

Shigeaki Saegusa (三枝 成彰, Saegusa Shigeaki?, born 1941) is a Japanese composer.

Saegusa is best known for his opera version Chushingura of the well-known kabuki epic of the Forty-seven Ronin with a libretto by the novelist Shimada Masahiko. Written over a period of 10 years, the opera was most recently performed at the New National Theatre, Tokyo in 2002. His newest opera, Jr. Butterfly is a sequel of Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly.

He has also written the background music for anime, the foremost of which being Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Other anime he has written for are Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack, Catnapped! The Movie, and Mother: Saigo no Shoujo Eve.

Works

Opera
1997 Chushingura
2004 Jr. Butterfly

Oratorio
1989 Yamato Takeru

Orchestral works
1983 The Symphony
1989 Orchestra '89

Chamber/Instrumental works
1963 Bläserquintet (Wind Quintet)
1965 Novelette for string quartet
1977 Memory for narrator, string quartet and tape
1981 Radiation Mass for 4 synthesizers, vocorder and percussion
1983 Sho '83 for sho, percussion and keyboard
1987 Duo '87 for sangen and koto
1988 Cello '88 for cello solo
1988 Percussion '88 for percussion solo

Vocal works
1970 Madrigal for 6 sopranos
1998 Requiem for soprano, tenor, mixed chorus and orchestra
2003 Requiem for soprano, tenor, male chorus and orchestra

Film score
1988 Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack

Music for TV programs
1985 Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam

Recordings
Chushingura was recorded in 1997 and published on compact disc (Sony Classical SK60233).