Komei Abe was one of the finest pupils trained at the Tokyo Music School (now the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music) in the 1930s. His musical language is characterized by crisp melodies, structural clarity and, in the composer's own words, 'rhythmic ostinato by the steam locomotive'. Written during his 'vintage years' of the 1950s, the Symphony No. 1 and the Sinfonietta are scored for a large orchestra, including a wide variety of percussion.