The Music of Toru Takemitsu

Music in the Twentieth Century

by Peter Burt

This book is the first complete study in English of the work of the best-known Japanese composer of the twentieth century. It is also the first book in this language to offer an in-depth analysis of his music. Toru 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 composition in the twentieth century.

Genres: Music, Film, Japan

308 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2001

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Peter Burt was first published in 2001 is, so far, the best survey of the Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu's work, from Takemitsu's first forays into composition in the 1940s to his untimely death in 1996. Takemitsu had his fingers in many pies, and he composed a great deal of film scores (some of which are classics of the genre) and light-music songs of the glee club or barbershop quartet variety (which are dreadful, listen to the Philips disc A Song of Circles and Triangles), but Burt focuses solely on his music for the concert hall, whether chamber, or orchestral.

While written in an admirably accessible tone, this is a scholarly work of musicology and assumes that the reader has training in music theory. The book abounds with samples from Takemitsu's scores as it reveals what makes his music tick. Burt's survey is chronological and divides the book into chapters that cover successive phases of Takemitsu career, such as the early years of the Jikken Kobo experimental workshop, his first successes in the late 1950s with the "Requiem" and other works, his discovery of John Cage and reconciliation to his own Japanese heritage, his "modernist apogee" of the late 1960s and early 1970s, his subsequent turn towards a more conventional tonality, and his late works that evince a refining of a rather singleminded style. Nonetheless, Burt traces much of Takemitsu's development as a gradual evolution instead of any sudden breaks, and he points out distinctive stylistic concerns that appeared through Takemitsu's career. A final chapter is dedicated to Takemitsu's general philosophy.

As a fan of Takemitsu, I greatly appreciate this book for covering nearly every serious piece from Takemitsu. I've read and re-read it over the last decade, whenever grappling with some particular Takemitsu work, and Burt's writing has either expanded my appreciation, or help me better articulate why the given piece doesn't work for me.

[Samuel Cho · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book well suited to the academics in its detailed analysis of Takemitsu's compositional methods as well as to the average music students, who are just curious as to what is occurring in Takemitsu's music. It gives a chronological overview of Takemitsu's music, helpfully organizing them by their similarities and characteristics.

Far from just compositional analysis, Peter Burt also takes into account musical climates which are responsible for Takemitsu's prominence.

[M.R.K M.R.K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great analysis of the great works of Takemitsu. Provides a good indication of his music and ideology beyond the simple concepts.

[Grig O' · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the author himself acknowledges, Western pitch-centred analysis isn't the best way to approach Takemitsu's music. As such, the introductory and concluding chapters say perhaps more than the rest of the book, which is still pretty interesting though.