Toru Takemitsu

[dcoscina]

Didn't score that many US known films but was a powerful Japanese composer in his own right. My favorite score of his is RAN, Kurosawa's masterpiece. Brilliant score with an adagietto that is easily on par with Mahler's symphonies.

I own a few of Takemitsu's concert works and also find them a fascinating exploration of sound and tone. any other fans of his?

[Nayi]

Me.

[Andrew Sigler]

Hey,

I'm a guitarist and have played a few Takemitsu pieces, most notably Toward the Sea for Guitar and Alto Flute. He is among those enigmatic Japanese composers who write such wonderful post-impressionistic music. I'd love to hear some EWQL treatments that sound like that...


...maybe I should get on it.



ps- I saw RAN years ago, but never new Takemitsu wrote the score! I'll have to rent it and watch it again.

[nikolas]

any other fans of his?
Present!

But I do have to say that there is maybe a tendency to overvalue some things...

But as I say I'm a fan!:)

[Ragingkirb]

Can't admit that i am a fan of his, but i really admire his work in DREAM WINDOW. Great work with a chamber orchestra.

[DallasComposer]

Wow, that’s a name I didn’t expect to see in here. I actually had the honor and privilege to meet and talk with him on several occasions while he was in Dallas rehearsing a performance with the Voices of Change chamber ensemble about 12 years ago, he died shortly after. He was a very charming and delightful man who wrote concert music as well as film music to earn a living and also was largely self taught. And was one of the first Japanese composers to make a name for himself outside of Japan which is hard to do in a European/American dominated field.

EDIT: not meaning to derail the topic here but on the lines of Japanese composers, any fans of Ryuichi Sakamoto? or maybe should be a whole other thread.

[Sam Fischmann]

I'm a Takemitsu fan!

I haven't heard enough (or haven't realized enough of what I've heard is by) Ryuichi Sakamoto to know...

All I can remember offhand is a record I saw once, and the soundtrack to Little Buddah.

-Sam

[dcoscina]

Wow, that’s a name I didn’t expect to see in here. I actually had the honor and privilege to meet and talk with him on several occasions while he was in Dallas rehearsing a performance with the Voices of Change chamber ensemble about 12 years ago, he died shortly after. He was a very charming and delightful man who wrote concert music as well as film music to earn a living and also was largely self taught. And was one of the first Japanese composers to make a name for himself outside of Japan which is hard to do in a European/American dominated field.

EDIT: not meaning to derail the topic here but on the lines of Japanese composers, any fans of Ryuichi Sakamoto? or maybe should be a whole other thread.

that's amazing! I would have loved to sit down and talk to him about his compositional approach and philosophy. You're so lucky! Thanks for sharing that story with us. Very cool. :cool:

[ellios]

Yah! Me too. I am surprised to see his name here but yes, a fine composer indeed. Any of you had the chance to hear a chamber piece named «Rain coming». It's simply full of stars for me...

[josejherring]

yeah. Takemitsu is great. Love his music. Not terribly complicated but very nice. His score for Ran made that movie. Great work.

Jose