Search - Takemitsu, Izumi Tateno :: Piano Distance: Takemitsu - Piano Works

Weaker than his orchestral works, but worth hearing

Christopher Culver | 07/31/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This disc contains 11 piano pieces by Toru Takemitsu performed by Izumi Tateno. Note that while it originally appeared in 1996 on Finlandia, the disc has been re-released in Europe under Warner Classics' economy line Apex, and is a bargain worth seeking. Like all of Takemitsu's oeuvre, his piano works (which altogether make up only a single CD) are meditative, intensely focused, and undramatic.



The triptych "Uninterrupted Rests" was begun in 1952, when the young Takemitsu was active in the Jibben Kobo workshop, and completed in 1959. Its musical language is quite reminiscent of Messiaen, and Takemitsu does not entirely succeed in finding his own original voice.



"Piano Distance" (1961) shows Takemitsu finding that original voice. Instead of established pianistic method, the composer gives a demanding set of tone colourings, tone clusters, and pedal effects. It is a gestures-centered works.



"For Away" (1973) is a rarity in Takemitsu's oeuvre, a piece inspired by non-Japanese Asian music, in this case Balinese gamelan music. As a result, it bears a resemblance to some of the Piano Etudes of Gyorgy Ligeti, who also was inspired by that tradition, but no one but Takemitsu could create a piece so meditative.



"Rain Tree Sketch" dates from 1982, a year after Takemitsu had composed "Rain Tree" for three percussion players, though the works are related more through mood than through any shared material. Like a tree which continues to pour rain upon the ground even after the storm has disappeared, the piece displays drop after drop of single notes and the occasional chord. "Rain Tree Sketch II" is from a decade later, and was the last piano work Takemitsu wrote. Dedicated to the memory of Messiaen, it is an ABA form and has three sections. The opening "Celestially Light" is rhythmic, and is based mainly on two chords and an upward three-note arpeggio. The middle section "Joyful" is melodic, and is interrupted by the pair of chords from the first section. In the final section, material is repeated from the first section. This is the stronger of the two sketches.



The twelve-minute "Litany" (1989) is a recomposition of Takemitsu's early "Lento". It is divided equally into two movements. The first opens with a Phrygian-mode melody in the middle range. Each phrase is ended by arpeggios, but the mood is generally tranquil and still. The second movement is much the same as the first but uses brighter harmonies.



While I think that Takemitsu's strongest works are those for orchestra--see the excellent QUOTATION OF DREAM disc on Deutsche Grammophon, his piano works are also entertaining for fans of Takemitsu. If you have already come to love the works of this singular Japanese composer, this is a disc work picking up."

A remarkable musical experience!

Oscar | MEXICO, D.F. Mexico | 06/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Izumi Tateno makes an excellent interpretation of several piano works by Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996), undoubtedly the most important contemporary Japanese composer. Tateno's play is extremely sensitive and musical. The piano sound he produces almost floats in the air, not only creating an impressive musical atmosphere, but also transmitting the deep thoughts characteristic of Takemitsu's mind. Highly recommended for all lovers of contemporary music."