Takemitsu was a selftaught japanese composer who combined elements of eastern and western music and philosophy to create a unique sound world. The music of toru takemitsu, peter burts detailed chronicle of the composers career and summary of relevant japanese and international history, makes fascinating reading. Toru takemitsu 19311996 was a selftaught japanese composer who combined elements of eastern and western music and philosophy to create a unique sound world. Toru takemitsu was japans foremost composer in the late 20th century, and yet his music rarely sounds blatantly japanese. He was a composer, known for harakiri 1962, ran 1985 and rising sun 1993. Imported from austriacritically acclaimed cd by americanborn guitar master franz halasz. The story follows an engineer, okuyama, whose face is severely burnt in an unspecified workrelated accident and is given a new face in the form of a lifelike mask. He began attending the keika junior high school in 1943 and resolved to become a composer at the age of 16. Toru takemitsu was born in tokyo on 8 october 1930.
The trios third film together, face of another tanin no kao. This work opens with a flute solo that contains techniques from the shakuhatchi repertoire. Currently, hes a phd student in musicology under dfg. The pitfall, woman in the dunes, the face of another 1966 and the. Essays from toru takemitsu, towards the ocean of language, tokyo.
Media in category toru takemitsu the following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total. As one sphere of our activities, to carry out the intention of the foundations first artistic director, the late toru takemitsu, under the theme of prayer, hope and peace and window to the future, the foundation established the toru takemitsu. The composer takemitsus music, philosophy and personality are explored alongside his attraction to the metaphor of the garden i design gardens with music, claimed takemitsu, a japanese artist. Toru takemitsu waltz from the face of another igor. Toru takemitsu is the author of confronting silence 4. Concert information, facilities, toru takemitsu composition award. Some of his early influences were the sonorities of debussy, and messiaens use of nature imagery and modal scales. Over the rainbow arranged by toru takemitsu ultimate guitar. Largely selftaught, takemitsu possessed consummate. The film presciently incorporates, from abes novel, a remark about arab.
Although he wrote most of his music for western instruments in international contemporary concert style, to be played by performers trained in the european musical tradition, lists and scores of his music have been difficult to obtain. The face of another is a 1966 japanese new wave film directed by hiroshi teshigahara and based on the novel of the same name written by kobo abe. He is famed for combining elements of oriental and occidental philosophy to. Included here are the entire contents of takemitsus 12 songs for guitar book sold separately. Facebook is showing information to help you better understand the purpose of a page. These attributes reflect the japanese aesthetic concept of ma. Takemitsu was born in 1930 in tokyo and died in 1996. Perhaps owing to his having heard recordings of french popular songs in wartime, french music held a special attraction, notably that of debussy and messiaen. Hi guys, i just got toru takemitsus 12 songs for guitar, but it only comes with the sheet music for the songs. Takemitsus lengthy title and piece were inspired by a dream he had when he was shown a photograph of marcel duchamp with a five pointed start shaved into his head, taken by man ray. The face of another 1966, like woman in the dunes one of the.
The music of toru takemitsu and japanese new wave cinema. He was a composer, known for ran 1985, harakiri 1962 and rising sun. As toru takemitsu once stated, because of world war ii, the dislike of things japanese continued for some time and was not easily wiped out. The guardian takemitsus music was interwoven with the voices of his daughter and friends and sounds from nature, creating a beautiful composition a radio garden.
When toru takemitsu and hiroshi teshigahara looked to the west. Youll find a wide selection of toru takemitsu sheet music, songbooks, and music books at sheet music plus. Wong tsz, contributing writer wong tsz, from hong kong, moved to europe for ma euroculture 201012 after obtaining his ba in language and translation. The independent first broadcast on 22nd april 2007 bbc radio 3 produced by alan hall. Accordingly, in the creative life of toru takemitsu, the important stimulus of his works was nonindigenous art phenomenon. An art house favorite, toru takemitsu had a troubled youth that was interrupted prematurely due to world war ii. Drafted into the japanese army at the young age of, he was extremely bitter at the situation he was stuck in, only finding refugee in. Shop for vinyl, cds and more from toru takemitsu at the discogs marketplace. Fortunately producer masato hara intervened, made peace, and takemitsu returned to the film. As a contemporary composer, takemitsus influences, composing style and the aesthetics of his work span across both a western and eastern. Indeed, i started as a composer by denying any japaneseness. Vittal arnold, a theoretic of music, emphasized that takemitsu managed to gather together the various elements or other musical tools, and at the same time inventing his own means of expression. Largely selftaught, takemitsu possessed consummate skill in the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. But though he went on to make other films with teshigahara, and with womans brilliant composer, toru takemitsu 1965s the face of another and.
Toru takemitzu waltz from the motion picture the face of another igor yuzefovich, violin singapore symphony orchestra recorded live in concert october 22, 2016 victoria concert hall, singapore. The complete toru takemitsu collection for solo guitar franz halasz. Toru takemitsu sheet music and music books at sheet music plus. Tokyo opera city cultural foundation aspires to promote and foster the possibility of more creative music culture for the future. I can remember the first time i listened to japanese composer toru takemitsu. Toru takemitsu the film music of toru takemitsu discogs.
Takemitsu s works are increasingly popular with western audiences and peter burt attempts for the first time to shed light on the hitherto rather secretive world of his working methods, as well as place him in context as heir to the rich tradition of japanese. Toru takemitsu after pitfall and the woman in the dunes, the face of another is another of. Toru takemitsus most popular book is confronting silence. Toru takemitsu, one of japans leading composers in the western style, writes music which is structured in cycles on a large and small scale and in which silences and the spatial arrangement of the instruments are often critically important. It is also the first book in this language to offer an indepth analysis of his music. Toru takemitsus requiem the aesthetic of mono no aware. Although he decided upon a career as a composer when only sixteen, he had little formal training and remained essentially selftaught.
Tanin no kao the face of another 1966 hiroshi teshigahara 1. It was his piece archipelago s, written for a large ensemble, and it was back in 1993 in vienna. One example is provided by the alliance between director teshigahara hiroshi, writer abe kobo and composer takemitsu toru who together made four quite remarkable films. How toru takemitsu and hiroshi teshigahara explored japans. His compositions also used percussion in unusual ways. Toru takemitsu was not only one of the greatest contemporary japanese composers and theoreticians of experimental music. Takemitsus works are increasingly popular with western audiences and peter burt attempts for the first time to shed light on the hitherto rather secretive world of his working methods, as well as place him in context as heir to the rich tradition of japanese. Translated and edited by yoshiko kakudo and glenn glasgow, the contents come from varied sources, some magazine or newspaper articles, others lectures to university crowds.
Pitfall, woman in the dunes, the face of another book toru takemitsu memorial edition book takemitsu. Tanin no kao is a 1966 japanese new wave film directed by hiroshi teshigahara and based on the novel of the same name written by kobo abe. A guide to toru takemitsus music music the guardian. Peter burt, in his book the music of toru takemitsu, observes that the first few bars vaguely resemble samuel barbers adagio for strings, and speculates that barbers score may. Confronting silence is a slim 143page plus index collection of writings by the japanese composer toru takemitsu published in 1995, a year before his untimely death. Toru takemitsu was a japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Although his book deals only tangentially with takemitsus film music, his comments nevertheless point the way toward some very fertile analytical and conceptual ground. Though often misunderstood in the west, the works of toru takemitsu 19301996 deserve attention beyond their native land. Books by toru takemitsu author of confronting silence. Chandos records is one of the worlds premier classical music record companies, best known for its ground breaking search for neglected musical gems. Takemitsu actually resigned and demanded to be stripped from the credits after an intense fight over the scoring of scene 36, where kurosawa bypassed him and had the sound technician alter the register and time meter of his music.
Toru takemitsu s most popular book is confronting silence. Toru takemitsu has 41 books on goodreads with 312 ratings. The only obvious traditional influences on this cd come at the very beginning of the first piece, through me flows what you call time. During the postwar years, he came into contact with western music through radio broadcasts by the american occupying forces not only jazz, but especially classical music by debussy. Toru takemitsu bio, albums, pictures naxos classical music. Tanin no kao the face of another, toru takemitsu brahms ircam. Toru takemitsu composer 19301996 play streams in full or download mp3 from classical archives, the largest and best organized classical.