Toru Takemitsu
Film Music by Toru Takemitsu 2
Victor (Japan) 1980
KVX-1063 (LP) w/obi, insert.
sleeve : EX-(slightly dirt.)
media : EX/EX(some slightly noise.)
Volume 2 of Tōru Takemitsu: Film Music from the Original Soundtracks, a 10-disc series presenting 48 film scores by one of Japan’s greatest composers, revered worldwide. Transcending the boundaries of so-called contemporary music, Takemitsu boldly explored everything from radically experimental composition to film scores and even popular song. This installment features music from several films by director Masaki Kobayashi—Burning Autumn (1978), Karamiai(1962), Japan’s Youth (1968), and Fossil (1975)—alongside the score for Seigenki (1973), directed by Tōichirō Narushima. The entire program is outstanding, but track A2 is a real showstopper: a moment where Takemitsu, deeply engaged with jazz in the 1960s, applies his impeccable taste to a modern jazz ensemble with remarkable flair. A truly essential release, and very highly recommended.