Sadao Bekku (別宮貞雄, Bekku Sadao, May 24, 1922 in Tokyo – January 12, 2012 in Mitaka, Tokyo^[1]) was a Japanese classical composer. His works include five symphonies, film scores, a flute sonata, a piano concerto, choral work and art songs, and the opera, Prince Arima.

His work took strong influence from jazz. His best-known works include the film score Matango (1963).

Major works

Operas

• A Story of Three Women (Le dit des trois femmes) (1964)
• 有間皇子 (Prince Arima (Arima-no Miko)) (1963–67)
• Aoi-no-ue ^[2]

Orchestral works

• Deux mouvements pour orchestre (1946)
• Suite classique (1947)
• Introduction et Allegro (1954)
• Deux prières (1956)
• Symphonietta for String Orchestra (1959)
• Symphony No. 1 (1961)
• Concerto pour violon et orchestre (1969)
• Concerto pour alto et orchestre (1971)
• Symphony No. 2 (1977)
• Concerto pour piano et orchestre (1980)
• Festival Overture (1981)
• Symphony No. 3 "Spring" (1984)
• Memories of Pictures: Suite for Wind Band (1987/2005)
• March "Be Pure, Be Fresh" for wind orchestra (1988)
• Symphony No. 4 "The Summer 1945" (1989)
• Concerto pour violoncelle et orchestre "Autumn" (1997)
• Symphony No. 5 "Man" (1999)

Chamber works

• Trio d'anches for bassoon, oboe and clarinet (1953)
• Sonate pour flûte et piano (1954)
• Suite japonaise Nr. 1 for wind quintet (1955)
• Quatuor à cordes Nr. 1 (1955–57)
• 1er sonate pour violon et piano (1963–67)
• Sonate pour violoncelle et piano (1974)
• Aubade for flute, violin and piano (1976)
• Suite "Chants de ville" for alto saxophone and piano (1981)
• Petit pastoral for flute and piano (1983)
• 《Hide and Seek》 and 《Tag》: Two Players for Two Marimbas (1988)
• Trio for Violin, Cello and Piano (1995)
• Kaleidoscope No. 2 for marimba (2002)
• Autumn for violoncello and piano (2004)

Piano works

• Sonatine (1965)
• Suite "Kaleidescope" (1966)
• Three Paraphrases Based on Folksongs of Southern Japan (1968)
• Sonatine in Classical Style (1969)
• Festa in the north: Japanese Suite No. 2 for piano by 4 hands (1989)

Vocal works

• Light-coloured Pictures for voice and piano (1948)
• 2 Rondels for voice and piano (1951)
• Three Songs Based Man-yō-shū poems (1958)
• Giant's Garden for narrator, mixed choir, orchestra and electronic sound (1962)
• The Four Seasons of the Mountain for mixed choir (1967)

Film music

Bekku composed about 40 film scores from 1954 to 1978.^[3]

• Ghost of Hanging in Utusunomiya aka The Ceiling at Utsunomiya (怪異宇都宮釣天井 Kaii Utsunomiya tsuritenjō) (1956)
• 姫君剣法　謎の紫頭巾 (1957)
• 日本南極地域観測隊の記録　南極大陸 (1957)
• 南極大陸 (1957)
• 天下の鬼夜叉姫 (1957)
• (遙かなる男 Shizukanaru otoko) (1957) literally: The Quiet Man
• (太平洋戦記 Taiheiyō senki) (1958)
• 密告者は誰か (1958)
• 黒部侠谷　第二部　地底の凱歌 (1959)
• Matango (マタンゴ) (1963) aka Attack of the Mushroom People
• 恐怖の時間 (1964)
• White Rose of Hong Kong (香港の白い薔薇 Honkon no shiroibara)(1965)
• Key of Keys (国際秘密警察　鍵の鍵 Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi) (1965) literally: International Secret Police: Key of Keys
• (国際秘密警察　絶体絶命 Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Zettai zetsumi) (1967)
• (ニイタカヤマノボレ　−日本帝国の崩壊− Niitakayama nobore) (1968)
• (喜劇　駅前開運 Kigeki ekimae kaiun) (1968)