I. Slowly, sadly and as if to converse with
II. Quietly and with a cruel reverberation
III. Song of love
Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996) was an internationally acclaimed Japanese avant-garde and film composer. He was mostly self-taught and began composing when he was 16. Debussy and Messiaen were paramount influences, although he also experimented with electronic music and indeterminacy. His big break occurred when Stravinsky heard his Requiem (1957) and praised it as a masterpiece. Takemitsu also took an interest in Cage’s music and theories. It was through Cage that Takemitsu developed an appreciation for his own Japanese heritage and began using traditional Japanese music in his own compositions. Takemitsu’s style fluctuated constantly, but he remained a definite avant-gardist whose piano music shows kinship with the mysticism of Obukhov, Rudhyar, and Messiaen.