Toru Takemitsu “Works of Toru Takemitsu 4”

武満徹
武満徹の音楽 4
Victor (Japan) 1966
VX-23 (LP) Original pressing, textured gatefold sleeve.
sleeve : EX-(slightly dirts.)
media : EX+/EX+(some slightly surface noises, still good condition.)

This is the fourth volume in a series of compilations of works by Toru Takemitsu, one of Japan's greatest composers, who transcended the boundaries of contemporary music and took on a variety of experimental compositions. A1 and A2 are piano solos by Yuji Takahashi; A1 was composed for Yuji Takahashi and is a further development of the notation Takemitsu has been experimenting with since the 1950s. A2 is a small piece composed from the image of Shuzo Takiguchi's poem. The contrast between the very soft and quiet sound and the eerie melody is very impressive. In A3 and A4, "Son Calligraphy for 8 Strings" depicts an inner landscape with four violins, two violas and a cello under the direction of Hiroshi Wakasugi. The most noteworthy song was "Eclipse"on B1, a long song expressing the eclipse of the sun through the performance of shakuhachi and biwa, traditional Japanese instruments. Although it uses a graphic score devised by Takemitsu, it has strong improvisational elements, and is a wonderful performance with a sense of tension that sublimates the unique spirit of ancient Japan into the modern age. This is original Japanese first pressing.