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A Festival of Toru Takemitsu's Music in Osaka

Dec. 01, 2019

A Festival of Toru Takemitsu's Music in Osaka

A mini-festival celebrating the music of Toru Takemitsu will take place at Sakai Performing Arts Center "FENICE SACAY" in Sakai, Osaka, from December 27-29. Live performances and talks will be given each day: on December 27, a selection of Takemitsu's chamber music works will be conducted by Yoichi Sugiyama; on December 28, songs and choral works will be conducted by Shigeki Nishioka and produced by Hiroyuki Komibuchi; and finally on December 29, selected works performed by Kiyoshi Shomura (guitar) and accordionist coba (Yasuhiro Kobayashi) will be produced by Maki Takemitsu.

The chamber music works chosen by composer and conductor Yoichi Sugiyama to be performed on the December 27 were written between the late 1950s and the early 1970s. Stanza I (1969) for ensemble was dedicated to Takemitsu's friend and guitarist Harumi Ibe. Compared to chamber music works of the same period, such as Sacrifice (1962), Ring (1961) and Valeria (1965/69) also being performed in this concert, a more melodic compositional style is explored in this work, according to Takemitsu. In Stanza I, the medieval form of antiphony seems to be applied, and the modal fragments of each instrument are sung and gradually placed together as the ensemble creates a sense of broadened resonance and multi-layered time through individual notes’ color and duration. One of the vocal texts quoted from Wittgenstein’s ‘Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus’, “According to what” is exclaimed at the end of the piece, and signifies the American abstract expressionist artist Jasper Jones’ painting of the same title which greatly influenced many artists of the same era including Takemitsu.


(Stanza I for Guitar, Harp, Piano, Celesta, Vibraphone and Female Voice/Toru Takemitsu) 

Valeria for ensemble is the recomposed version of an unpublished work titled Sonant written in the same year. In this version, two bandoneons are replaced by an electric organ. According to Takemitsu, this work consists of a trio formed by violin, cello and guitar, and surrounding this are the two obbligato piccolos, while the electric organ beats the inner pulse.

At the concerts given on December 28-29 produced by Hiroyuki Komibuchi and Maki Takemitsu respectively, the choral and guitar works of Takemitsu will be featured, demonstrating the composer’s special appreciation for these two genres. Every work performed in these concerts showcases Takemitsu's music in its natural state. Works included in the programme are Songs for mixed chorus (1979-92) with texts by Takemitsu and poet Shuntaro Tanikawa, an acquaintance of the composer, Wind Horse (1961-66), which sets two texts by Kuniharu Akiyama, ‘Spell of Fingers’ and ‘Legend of the Dining Table’, alongside three vocalise movements, as well as a selection from SONGS (1954-94).


(Wind Horse/Toru Takemitsu/Tokyo Philharmonic Chorus/Hiroyuki Iwaki, conductor)

Well-known folk songs and numbers by the Beatles were gathered in the collection 12 Songs for Guitar (1977), arranged by Takemitsu in hope of building a bridge to the classical guitar repertoire, which had become relatively scarce. The live performance by Kiyoshi Shomura, who has strong ties with the music of Takemitsu and his family, and coba, who also keeps in close contact with the Takemitsu family, will likely be the highlight of the event.


("Londonderry Air" from 12 Songs for Guitar/Toru Takemitsu/Claudio Tumeo)

To learn more about Toru Takemitsu, visit: schott-music.com and universaledition.com

Toru Takemitsu
Stanza I (1969)
for guitar, harp, piano, celesta, vibraphone, and female voice
8'

Valeria (1965/69)
for violin, cello, guitar, electric organ, and two piccolos
7'

Wind Horse (1961-66)
for mixed choir
20'

12 Songs for Guitar (1977)
for guitar

 





 

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