There’s no doubt that Ludwig van Beethoven was a musical genius, but what makes his compositions even more impressive is the fact that he was deaf, unable to hear the beautiful melodies he created. It’s an amazing feat, one that has no doubt inspired people with disabilities all over the world.
Japanese composer, Mamoru Samuragochi, also claimed to have overcome his own deafness, releasing music that earned him the title of “Japanese Beethoven.” But in a shocking confession on Wednesday, Samuragochi has revealed that he hired someone to compose his most famous works.
In a statement released by Samuragochi’s lawyer, the alleged composer expressed his regret and apologized for “betraying” his fans. He continued, stating, “I started hiring the person to compose music for me around 1996, when I was asked to make movie music for the first time. I had to ask the person to help me for more than half the work because the ear condition got worse.” Although the true composer of Samuragochi’s work has not been officially revealed, Japanese media sources are reporting that Aragaki Takashi, a music teacher, wrote the works.
Mamoru Samuragochi had been celebrated by the global music community for his beautiful compositions, including music in video games such as entries in the Resident Evil and Onimusha series. In 2001, Time magazine called him a “digital-age Beethoven” and figure skater Daisuke Takahashi has chosen to use a sonatina composed by Samuragochi in his upcoming program at the Winter Olympics. Samuragochi even laid claim to a musical tribute to those killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, which later became known as a “Symphony of Hope” after the song’s use in a NHK documentary showing Samuragochi meeting survivors of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.
It’s really a shame that such an inspiring artist has deceived the world, taking credit and gaining global fame for compositions that weren’t his own. At least we still have the original Beethoven to draw inspiration from.
Update: Reports are now coming in which suggest that, along with having committed fraud for years, Mr. Samuragochi may not even be deaf, and that he has been tricking the world into thinking that he was unable to hear his own music. ABC News reports that the real composer of much of the music Samuragochi took credit for, one Takashi Niigaki, has gone on record to say that he “never felt he was deaf ever since we met.”
The plot thickens…
Source: BBC News, The Guardian
Image: Amazon