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Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹 Takemitsu Tōru, October 8, 1930–February 20, 1996) was a Japanese composer of music, who explored the compositional principles of Western classical music and his native Japanese tradition both in isolation and in combination.
Born in Tokyo, Takemitsu first became interested in western classical music around the time of World War II. He heard western music on American military radio while recuperating from a long illness. He also listened to jazz from his father’s ample collection.
Takemitsu was largely self-taught in music. He was greatly influenced by the music of Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen. In 1951 he founded the Jikken Kobo, a group which introduced many contemporary western composers to Japanese audiences.
Takemitsu at first had little interest in traditional Japanese music, but later incorporated Japanese instruments such as the shakuhachi (a kind of bamboo flute) into the orchestra. November Steps (1967), a work for shakuhachi and biwa (a kind of Japanese lute) solo and orchestra was the first piece to combine instruments from east and west. In an Autumn Garden (1973-79) is written for the kind of orchestra that would have played gagaku (traditional Japanese court music). Works such as Eclipse, (1966) for shakuhachi and biwa, Voyage (1973), for three biwas should also been mentioned as works that are decidedly derived from traditional genres.
Born in Tokyo, Takemitsu first became interested in western classical music around the time of World War II. He heard western music on American military radio while recuperating from a long illness. He also listened to jazz from his father’s ample collection.
Takemitsu was largely self-taught in music. He was greatly influenced by the music of Claude Debussy and Olivier Messiaen. In 1951 he founded the Jikken Kobo, a group which introduced many contemporary western composers to Japanese audiences.
Takemitsu at first had little interest in traditional Japanese music, but later incorporated Japanese instruments such as the shakuhachi (a kind of bamboo flute) into the orchestra. November Steps (1967), a work for shakuhachi and biwa (a kind of Japanese lute) solo and orchestra was the first piece to combine instruments from east and west. In an Autumn Garden (1973-79) is written for the kind of orchestra that would have played gagaku (traditional Japanese court music). Works such as Eclipse, (1966) for shakuhachi and biwa, Voyage (1973), for three biwas should also been mentioned as works that are decidedly derived from traditional genres.
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Air
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Itinerant
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And Then I Knew 'Twas Wind
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Solitude Sonore
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A flock descends into the Pentagonal Garden
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Rain Tree
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I - The Night
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Bryce
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Spirit Garden
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III - Cape Cod
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Voice
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II - Moby Dick
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Rain Spell
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Shoutbox
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Mynameisluca wrote:
this is really really good..
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twisted_finger wrote:
2 SirAlecHendrix: maybe they call it "japanese" because Takemitsu used shakuhachi, biva, taiko drums and other japanese percussion in his orchestral works =)
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John7Kimble wrote:
he owns
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SirAlecHendrix wrote:
new avant-garde group about the future of music : organization of sound - http://www.last.fm/group/organization+of+sound
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SirAlecHendrix wrote:
i'm trying to understand why takemitsu and his music is tagged 'japanese', because after listening to his wonderful music i didn't recognize a specific japanese musical trait. i guess, a japanese composer doesn't need to write 'japanese music', and his music isn't national or culturally restricted in any way. just listen ...
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Debtfromabove wrote:
@ eumaios, no, but I definitely want to. Gonna track down whatever I can found by this guy. He's fantastic!
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eumaios wrote:
Have you all heard his arrangements of pop (e.g. Beatles) and jazz (e.g. 'Summertime') standards for solo guitar? Beautiful!
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eumaios wrote:
Genius.
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Frippgamesh wrote:
Thanks a lot, both were perfect for my project on him :)
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ekkert wrote:
or november steps, which i just discovered today
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be_quiet_peter wrote:
Try "Hell's Picture Scroll" from the RAN soundtrack. Uncomfortably emotional. (RAN is more of an example of combining Western/Japanese orchestral setups, while the Kwaidan soundtrack shows him combining a traditional Japanese starkness of sounds along with European Musique concrète methods)
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Frippgamesh wrote:
Can any of you please recommend a piece that shows his Japanese musical influences? I would love to hear how he combined western and traditional music.
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be_quiet_peter wrote:
I can't believe he did Kwaidan! That's been one of my favourites since grade 8.
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Eftos wrote:
absolute endless bows, master, you are my hero, the infinite best. (the similar make me throw up)
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ryadeum wrote:
love his orchestral works
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lutenist wrote:
Worklist: http://chorch.fc2web.com/e/takemitsu_t2.html
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zonnebloemkonin wrote:
innovative and <3music.
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mosesxan wrote:
I need to find my From Me Flows What You Call Time CD. NEED to hear it.
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danielj666 wrote:
Am I the only one who find some of his music scary? :P
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Aeroaviones wrote:
hey... I hear the water dreaming.
Events
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Dec
14
De Bezetting: Japan in Europa (Galerieconcert III)
Galerie Kralingen, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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| 1 attendee - Jan 29 Asko|Schönberg Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Recent Activity
- yanasus and therington added 武満徹 to their libraries. 2 minutes ago
- the_wild_palms added 武満徹 to the lineup of De Bezetting: Japan in Europa (Galerieconcert III) at Galerie Kralingen. yesterday morning
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- Bassabuzzz added 武満徹 to the lineup of Asko|Schönberg at Muziekgebouw. Friday afternoon
- Axeimoniastos, maddalenaf, friderik and 6 other people added 武満徹 to their libraries. Friday morning
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