Gauche the Cellist
1982 Japanese edition, with artwork from the 1982 film
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| Author | Kenji Miyazawa |
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| Original title | セロ弾きのゴーシュ Sero Hiki no Gōshu |
| Translator | John Bester |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
| Genre | Fantastic, Juvenile, Philosophical, Parable |
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Publication date
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1934 |
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Published in English
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1994 |
| Media type | Novel |
Gauche the Cellist (セロ弾きのゴーシュ Sero Hiki no Gōshu?, also transliterated Gorsch the Cellist or Goshu the Cellist) is a short story by the Japanese author Kenji Miyazawa. It is about Gauche, a struggling small town cellist who is inspired by his interactions with anthropomorphized animals to gain insight into music. The story has been translated into English, Italian and Spanish, and was adapted into a critically acclaimed anime in 1982 by Isao Takahata. It had previously been adapted to the screen several times.
Gauche is a diligent but mediocre cellist who plays for a small town orchestra The Venus Orchestra (金星音楽団 Kinsei Ongaku Dan?) and the local cinema in the early 20th century. He struggles during rehearsals and is often berated by his conductor during preparations for an upcoming performance of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony (the Pastoral Symphony).
Over the course of four nights, Gauche is visited at his mill house home by talking animals as he is practicing. The first night, a tortoiseshell cat came to Gauche and, giving him a tomato, asked him to play Schumann's "Träumerei." Gauche was irritated, as the tomato was from his garden outside, so he berated the cat and instead played "Tiger Hunt in India." This startled the cat and made it leap up and down in astonishment. The cat ran away in fright.
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