從選曲通知書看臺灣古倫美亞唱片公司與日本蓄音器商會之間的訊息傳遞

劉麟玉。〈從選曲通知書看臺灣古倫美亞唱片公司與日本蓄音器商會之間的訊息傳遞──兼談戰爭期的唱片發行(1930s－1940s)〉。《民俗曲藝》182 (2013.12): 59-98。

Liou Lin-yu. “The Role of the “Notifications of Music Selection” in the Course of Music Album Release between the Taiwan Columbia Record Company and the Nippon Phonograph Co. (1930s-1940s).” Journal of Chinese Ritual, Theatre and Folklore 182 (2013.12): 59-98.

Abstract

臺灣古倫美亞唱片公司是1945年以前臺灣唱片業界裡，發行臺灣當地音樂最大宗的公司。在研究臺灣古倫美亞發行唱片的過程中，我們發現了「選曲通知書」這份資料。同時也從「選曲通知書」的內容，得知臺灣古倫美亞透過這份資料傳達各種訊息給母公司—日本蓄音器商會，其中也包含部分日本蓄音器商會的內部公文。雖然這份選曲通知書是單向的，但我們從選曲通知書的字裡行間的訊息，可讀出兩者之間的對話—比如對於發行一張唱片時，兩者是如何的分工，又是如何的追求唱片聲音的品質等等。

本論文的目的在於透過「選曲通知書」所獲得的訊息來釐清以下的歷史：一，臺灣古倫美亞公司與日本蓄音器商會的上下游關係；二，臺灣唱片從製作到發行的流程；三，唱片發行與時代與時局的關係，特別是戰爭期間唱片所扮演的角色。藉此，我們將能更加深入古倫美亞唱片在臺灣的興衰。

The Taiwan Columbia Selling Co. was colonial Taiwan’s biggest music brand which released the largest quantity of Taiwanese local music records before World War II. Having investigated into the history of Taiwan Columbia Selling Co., we find many “notifications of music selection,” which suffice for explaining the workings of music release in its initial stage. Through these notifications, among which precious official documents of internal circulation are also included, we know that Taiwan Columbia Record Company negotiated wit h its parent company, the Nippon Phonograph Co., over the standards of music selection.

Although these “notifications of music selection” were mainly sent by the Taiwan Columbia Selling Co. to Nippon Phonograph Co. for confirmation, we can read from the negotiations for more information over division of work, the demand for record quality and so on.

This paper thus attempts to analyze these notifications and finds the following results: (1) the roles of Taiwan Columbia Selling Co. and the Nippon Phonograph Co. in the initiation of marketing plan of music records release, (2) the procedures of Taiwanese local music’s production and release, (3) the influences of the contemporary situation upon album release, especially the official need for war-time propaganda. The above findings will help elucidate the rise and fall of Taiwan Columbia Selling Co.