Takemitsu, Toru (1930 - 96)

[Alison]

A couple of mini crazes on this composer didn't actually prove enduring.

Radio 3 and maybe the record companies seemed keener once than they are now ??

What are the views of fellow boarders?

Favourite works ? Recordings ? The usual stuff really ...

[Serial_Apologist]

Much as I love Takemitsu and the ideas expressed in all his music, I tend to prefer the earlier atonal pieces as more subtly expressive and timbrally original than works from around 1974 onwards with the heavy imprint of Messiaen's chromatic modal harmonic approach upon them. The short piece "Winter" from 1970 is probably my favourite of his works.

[Richard Barrett]

Much as I love Takemitsu and the ideas expressed in all his music, I tend to prefer the earlier atonal pieces as more subtly expressive and timbrally original than works from around 1974 onwards with the heavy imprint of Messiaen's chromatic modal harmonic approach upon them.

Same here, which reminds me I haven't listened to many of those earlier pieces for a long time. I don't know that I could name a favourite work without listening to a few to check, but the one that comes to mind is Arc for piano and orchestra from the rearly 1960s.

[BBMmk2]

I like his brass ensemble work, Garden Rain.

[Richard Tarleton]

Only one TT piece on my shelves - "To the Edge of Dream", for guitar and orchestra and lasting just 12 mins 55. Not sure if it was actually commissioned by Julian Bream, but it's a dreamy piece that's over too soon - a large orchestra (triple wind, brass, 4 percussion, 2 harps, celesta and strings ) but delicately scored as you would expect. It's on a CD of the same name, one of Bream's last 4 on EMI and attractively coupled with the Rodrigo (again!) and the Malcolm Arnold concerto which is a gem.

[teamsaint]

His pieces have lovely titles, which is something I fully approve of !!
The only one I have is " From me Flows what you call time"on BBC MM disc.

Never been completely bowled over by it, perhaps need to revisit more thoroughly.

[Ferretfancy]

His pieces have lovely titles, which is something I fully approve of !!
The only one I have is " From me Flows what you call time"on BBC MM disc.

Never been completely bowled over by it, perhaps need to revisit more thoroughly.

I was at that Prom, and I love the CD. There were huge coloured ribbons running up to the gallery to sets of chimes on either side of the hall to produce the ppp tinkling at the very end of the piece. The recording captures the occasion very well.

Back in the 80s I mixed a documentary about Takemitsu directed by Barry Gavin. It was basically a portrait of the composer using The Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden and November Steps as a template, quite an intellectual programme of a type that we rarely if ever encounter nowadays. I was lucky enough to meet Takemitsu at a video mixing session, a very quiet self contained man, as you might expect, but lets not forget the huge dramatic structures that he could produce. The film music for the epic Ran is a good example.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

The film music for the epic Ran is a good example.

The one based on King Lear - my goodness, yes; that was marvellous. How could I have forgotten that from my "list" for Suffy's Poll?! (Rhetorical question - no need to tweet any comments.) I bet it wasn't featured this month, either.

[Tapiola]

I like his brass ensemble work, Garden Rain.

A lovely, unexpectedly quiet piece, BBM. I have a few Takemitsu discs, my favourite being Naxos' selection of chamber works. Favourite pieces would include the Debussy-derived "And then I knew 'twas Wind", "Rain Tree" for percussion (beautifully evocative) and (as S-A has already mentioned) "Winter".

[eighthobstruction]

No CD's but used to have a lot bookmarked on Youtube....for those jazzres about: always felt he should have signed to ECM as their recording methods would have suited....

[amateur51]

Christoph Eschenbach played Takemistsu's 'Piano Distance' in recital at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London in the 1970s I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A8gQfUlXRI

[Richard Barrett]

The film music for the epic Ran is a good example.

Yes, Sara M-P played a few seconds of that on Tuesday, followed by a whole movement of the Death and the Maiden quartet, not that I have anything against Schubert but the entire quartet was played later in the day so it would have been nicer to have had more Takemitsu, especially since I'd never heard that music outside the film.

[Beef Oven!]

A couple of mini crazes on this composer didn't actually prove enduring.

Radio 3 and maybe the record companies seemed keener once than they are now ??

What are the views of fellow boarders?

Favourite works ? Recordings ? The usual stuff really ...

Fascinating thread. My interest in Takamitsu has never really taken off, so I relate closely to the OP.

I started off just over twenty years ago with works that were unalike - 'Seasons' in the (quickly) revised version performed by Tsutomu Yamashita on Decca; and 'Quatrain' and 'A Flock Descends Into The Pentagonal Garden' et al, (good shout teamsaint on titles), with The Boston Symphony Orchestra on Deutsche Grammophon. I have added a few more CDs down the years, without getting particularly hooked on him.

Seasons remains my favourite work, but as I type, I'm listening to 'From Me Flows What You Call Time' (Nexus;Carl St. Clair;The Pacific Symphony Orchestra, on Sony Classical), which I am enjoying very much indeed.

This thread has caused me to dig up my Takemitsu CDs and re-listen - thanks!

The first two takemitsu CDs I bought shown below.

[gurnemanz]

I don't know his music at all well, but I went to a concert over 40 years ago at York University, where Roger Woodward played Takemitsu and Scriabin in the first half and the Hammerklavier after the interval. Interestingly, he chose different colour lighting for each composer. As far as I remember, Takemitsu - green, Scriabin - purple, Beethoven - yellow.

[Roehre]

I am afraid the pieces I've heard or extensively listened to -nearly all the ones mentioned before- haven't left a lasting impression other than feeling like having eaten a lot of sweets and not a substantial meal.
Beautifully written music, but IMO without much body.
Most of it I think is quite suitable for the relaxation, easy-listening & muzak-brigade.
But, to be honest, I could live with that.
That's something I never could say re Einaudi's music (or much of Jenkins', for that matter)