Toward the sea

On this CD:

1. Sonata for fltue & basso continuo in E minor, Op. 3/7
Composed by Jean-Baptiste (of London) Loeillet

2. Toward the Sea I, for alto flute & guitar
Composed by Toru Takemitsu

3. Omveje, for flute & guitar
Composed by Peter Bruun

4. Sonata for recorder (or flute) & guitar
Composed by Jean Francaix

5. Suite de trois morceaux in B flat major for flute & piano (or orchestra), Op. 116
Composed by Benjamin Godard

Toward the sea, Music, Peter Bruun, Jean Francaix, Benjamin Godard, Jean-Baptiste (of London) Loeillet, Toru Takemitsu, Chamber, Chamber Music, Chamber Music & Recitals, Classical, Classical Composers, Classical Music, Flute Solo/Sonata

Turning Toward the Morning
Average customer rating:

A couple of keepers

Generally Delightful

Beautiful!

Turning Toward the Morning
Gordon Bok , Ann Mayo Muir , and Ed Trickett
Manufacturer: Folk Legacy
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Folk | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00000JYP4
Release Date: 1999-09-15

Tracks:

Three Score And Ten
I Drew My Ship
St. Anne's Reel/Over The Waterfall
The Wind That Shakes The Barley
Isle Au Haut Lullaby (Hay Ledge Song)
How Can I Keep From Singing
The Horn Of The Hunter
The Cocky At Bungaree - Gordon Bok/Ann Mayo Muir
Slow Dance From Machu Picchu
Gentle Annie
Sunday Morning - Ann Mayo Muir
Turning Toward The Morning

Customer Reviews:

A couple of keepers.......2007-03-11

A pleasant enough folk CD, with two exceptionally good songs: the title track, Turning Toward the Morning, and a great version of the traditional Three Score and Ten. Most of the songs are rather on the sad side, which isn't my first preference, but to be expected from folk music. Still, the CD has a nice sound to it, and the two songs I mentioned are definitely keepers. Of course, someone with more of a taste for softer, sadder songs, will enjoy this album even more.

Generally Delightful.......2001-01-10

This is a very nice collection of folk and other songs performed by, Ann Mayo Muir, Ed Trickett and Gordon Bok.

They draw upon their various backgrounds to excellent effect on most of the cuts on this disc, although there are a couple of cuts I don't prefer (and I hope I won't prejudice anyone by saying #8 and #9).

If you like robust, folk-y, music, this is a very nice collection.

Beautiful!.......2001-01-09

This recording contains come of the most beautiful harmonies I have ever heard. The songs are traditonal - some familiar, some not so, but the renditions are clear and thoughtfully produced. Some are mostly vocal, some instrumental, and others a delightful combination. Behind these recordings there is a distinct love of the music; some are joyful, some heartbreaking. You will not be disappointed by this record, and you are guaranteed to run the full gamut of emotions while listening.

Average customer rating:

Beautifully performed and superbly recorded late chamber works

Takemitsu: Chamber Music

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Takemitsu: Garden Rain
Takemitsu: A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden

ASIN: B000090WAR
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

And Then I Knew 'Twas Wind, For Flute, Viola And Harp
Rain Tree, For Three Percussion Players
I. The Night
II. Moby Dick
III. Cape Cod
Bryce, For Flute, Two Harps, Marimba And Percussion
Itinerant, For Solo Flute
Voice, For Solo Flute
Air, For Solo Flute
Rain Spell, For Flute, Clarinet, Harp, Piano And Vibraphone

Album Description

Robert Aitken invited Takemitsu to Canada for performances of his chamber music in the New Music Concerts series in 1975 and 1983. Their close friendship led to the composition of a number of works which were not only personally performed for Takemitsu by the musicians on this recording but benefited from his interpretative insights. The Night from Toward the Sea, one of several works on the subject of water, a continuing theme in the composer's works, received its first performance in Toronto in 1981 by Robert Aitken and the Cuban guitarist Leo Brouwer.

Customer Reviews:

Beautifully performed and superbly recorded late chamber works.......2006-07-23

This Naxos disc contains several chamber works by Toru Takemitsu, the self-taught Japanese composer who was one of the most singular composers of the 20th century. They are performed by flautist Robert Aiken and several other Toronto-based musicians with whom Takemitsu formed a close relationship. With the exception of a single piece, all are from the last two decades of his life, after his modernist apogee and when he had entered a "sea of tonality".

"Voice" for solo flute (1971) is the only piece here from Takemitsu's modernist middle-period. Its writing is rougher than other pieces, sometimes a lot and at other times not much so, and it makes use of quarter-tones. But what really sets it apart is Takemitsu's having the performer shout, sing, and hum into the instrument, amplifying and treating his voice. The opening, with some bold words by Japanese poet Shuzo Takiguchi, will snap you out of any trance entered from the other works. At times it sounds like flute-meets-Ligeti's "Aventures", and so comes across as rather dated, but still it comes across as a nice change of pace on a disc having otherwise only late works. This performance stands in interesting contrast with that of Aurele Nicolet on the DG "Echo 20/21" disc; Aiken's is polished and prim, while Nicolet, the work's dedicatee, gives a rougher and more primal go at it. By the time "Bryce" for flute, two harps, marimba, and percussion (1976) was written, Takemitsu had already left modernism behind and one immediately notices a consistent meditative feel, though it retains the usual touches of quarter-notes and improvisation. I find little that grabs me in this work, and think it the only ho-hum piece on the disc. Takemitsu was clearly still perfecting a new idiom.

"And then I knew 'twas wind" for flute, viola, and harp (1992) bears more than a passing resemblance with Debussy's "Sonata" for the same three instruments, and shares with the French composer's work the interest in timbre for its own sake that marked all of Takemitsu's late works. Takemitsu has been criticized, even by supporters such as Oliver Knussen, of cutting all his final works from the same general carpet, with all being quite mellow and some overly so. This piece, however, really stands out for its dynamic interactions of the three instruments, with the flute often leaping above the encumberance of the other two. This recording is dazzling, much brighter and crystal-clear than the recording in Deutsche Grammophon's "20/21" series.

"Rain Tree" for three percussion players (1981) is glorious. It is related to the later "Rain Tree Sketch" and "Rain Tree Sketch II" for piano, but the expanded timbres and greater use of hall space in this original version make it transcendently beautiful. Two of the percussionists here, Russell Hartenberger and Bob Becker, are members of the Nexus percussion ensemble for whom Takemitsu wrote his "From me flows what you call Time" piece, which is on a worthy Sony disc.

The theme of water is continued in two other works on this CD. "Toward the Sea" for alto flute and guitar (1981) was written for Greenpeace's "Save the Whales" campaign, and is in three movements titled "The Night", "Moby Dick" and "Cape Cod". The flute's melodic line often exhibits a raising three-note phrase S-E-A (German notation having "Es" for "E flat"), while arpeggios on the guitar give a gently undulating touch like the surface of the ocean. This performance is equal to that on DG, but preferable to the Sony recording with John Williams, the London Sinfonietta, and Salonen which lacks confidence. "Rain Spell" for flute, clarinet, harp, piano, and vibraphone (1983) has with arpeggios on the strings evoking the flow or currents. The clarinet, however, performed her by Joaquin Valdepenas, gives a very odd timbre compared by some to insects. The general form of the work is that the melodies get progressively longer.

"Itinerant" for solo flute (1989) was written in memory of the sculptor Isamu Noguchi. It is notable for its slow pace and extremely conservative nature. Silence is an important factor here, and much of the work purposefully consists of what the performer does *not* play. Takemitsu's final work, "Air" for solo flute (1995), continues in this style, but eschews unusual techniques, giving it an even greater simplicity. It was taken from material developed for a work for flute, harp, and orchestra that was not to be, for Takemitsu's untimely death came the next year. The piece is a set of variations in rondo form on a four-note motif, with an interest in ascending and descending scales.

This might be one of the best possible introductions to the late chamber music of this sorely missed composer. (If orchestral music is more your thing, check out the QUOTATION OF DREAM disc on Deutsche Grammophon in the 20/21 series.) Be aware, however, that this is music of great subtlety that demands concentration, but if you are willing to give it your attention, it will demonstrate great beauty.

Takemitsu: To the Edge of Dream / Folios for Guitar / Toward the Sea / Transcriptions for Guitar

Average customer rating:

Not very impressive material, and some of what's good is available elsewhere better and more economically
Interesting Sound Pictures
Austere, Humble Beauty

Takemitsu: To the Edge of Dream / Folios for Guitar / Toward the Sea / Transcriptions for Guitar
Toru Takemitsu , Esa-Pekka Salonen , and John Williams
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Takemitsu: A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden

ASIN: B0000027CT
Release Date: 1992-01-28

Tracks:

To the Edge of Dream
Folios for Guitar: I . (1.4 = 68 ---72) 3'02
Folios for Guitar: II. ( 1.8 = 96 -- 120) 2'36
Folios for Guitar: III. ( 1.8 = 120 --- 146) 2'41
Toward The Sea For Alto Flute And Guitar: I. The Night
Toward The Sea For Alto Flute And Guitar: II . Moby Dick
Toward The Sea For Alto Flute And Guitar: III . Cape Cod
Transcriptions For Guitar: Here, There and Everywhere (Lennon and McCartney)
Transcriptions For Guitar: What a Friend (Converse)
Transcriptions For Guitar: Amours Perdues (Kosma)
Transcriptions For Guitar: Summertime (Gershwin)
Vers, l'arc-en-ciel, Palma

Customer Reviews:

Not very impressive material, and some of what's good is available elsewhere better and more economically.......2007-02-26

This Sony disc features several of Toru Takemitsu's guitar-centric works in performance by John Williams and the London Sinfonietta conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen. All of the works here, with the possible exception of the "Folios", are from Takemitsu's late period when he had left behind avant-garde stylings in favour of slow drifts of timbre.

"To the Edge of Dream" for guitar and orchestra (1983) is a typical example of Takemitsu's late style. Gentle rising waves of orchestral material, sprinkled with light percussion, are contrasted against the soloist's somewhat faster remarks. While the guitar part is actually quite clever and engaging, the ensemble writing succumbs like most other orchestral works of this late period to a stylistic stagnation. That's true also of "Vers, l'arc-en-ciel, Palma" for oboe d'amore, guitar and orchestra (1984), a homage to the Catalan painter Joan Miro. Again while the solo guitar part, and even more so the oboe part are highly engaging, the stale orchestral writing drags everything down. The only late Takemitsu orchestral works I've found satisfying are those collected on Deutsche Grammophon's QUOTATION OF DREAM disc, everything else has been a disappointment.

The three "Folios" for guitar (1974) are fairly unusual in Takemitsu's output in being completely tonal, able to even end with a Bach chorale with no outright feeling of collage. Virtuosic pieces, they have gained a wide following among classical guitar fans, and with their romantic flair they are certainly the composer's most accessible pieces. While I very often find classical guitar in works by Tan Dun and Per Norgard had to "get", and I generally find common-practice tonality dry, the Folios are quite likeable indeed. It's really a thrill to see Takemitsu writing at faster tempos, and with a strong edge. Williams' performance, with its excellent sound and confidence, certainly beats the old recording by Kiyoshi Shimura (1974 on DG, reissued in the "Echo 20/21" series in 2005).

"Toward the Sea" for alto flute and guitar (1981) was written for Greenpeace's "Save the Whales" campaign, and is in three movements titled "The Night", "Moby Dick" and "Cape Cod". The flute's melodic line often exhibits a raising three-note phrase S-E-A (German notation having "Es" for "E flat"), while arpeggios on the guitar give a gently undulating touch like the surface of the ocean. Takemitsu's late chamber works work far better than his orchestral works, and I enjoy this piece, but I find a lack of confidence in the playing. The Naxos chamber works disc is a better place to hear "Toward the Sea".

Four songs are excerpted from Takemitsu's "12 Songs for Guitar" (1977), arrangements of popular tunes. Here were have the Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere", Charles C. Converse's What a Friend", Joseph Kosma's "Amours perdues", and George Gershwin's "Summertime". These are totally insubstantial and are the deadest of the dead weight on the disc. It may seem snobbish to say, but if I wanted popular music, I'd buy recordings of the original versions, but on a disc by a usually rigourous composer, one expects more.

The liner notes are fairly decent, but fans of the composer would do well to seek out Peter Burt's THE MUSIC OF TORU TAKEMITSU, published by Cambridge University Press and recently out in paperback. I praise the disc's excellent sound, from the Henry Wood Hall in London. I'd recommend this disc to classical guitar afficionados or Takemitsu completists. Certainly those whose favourite Takemitsu are his early works or his wild avant-garde styles of the late '60s and early '70s will find little memorable here except for the "Folios" and "Toward the Sea", which latter work should be had on Naxos.

Interesting Sound Pictures.......2005-09-27

If Takemitsu's career is any indication, the best thing about being a self-taught composer is that you don't have to slavishly adhere to any school but can be a musical tiger, changing your compositional stripes as maturity peels away one layer of influence after another. Takemitsu began his career as a committed modernist, a champion of Webern and Schoenberg, but as he matured, he rediscovered his Asian roots, and this apparently allowed him to discover an affinity with Debussy and other musical Impressionists, who in turn learned much from Asian music. In terms of influence, it all fits together nicely, especially since for Takemitsu a renewed interest in Asian musical tradition went hand in hand with an interest in capturing the natural world in sound.

That Takemitsu found the guitar a natural medium for explorations of his musical roots is expressed in his praise of the instrument's "simplicity." This comes across in much of the music on the current recording. Takemitsu eschews the athletic writing for the instrument of many contemporary composers, well documented in Sharon Isbin's recordings. Instead, in his music for guitar and orchestra, Takemitsu creates quiet waves of sound to which the guitar contributes brief, jewel-like splashes of color. I find these two orchestral works more attractive than the earlier Folios for solo guitar, where the writing is almost too spare to sustain interest even over the modest span of these short pieces.

More attractive as well are the transcribed songs, where Takemitsu emphasizes qualities he finds submerged in the music, whether it is the jazzy, bluesy thing he creates of the old hymn tune "What a Friend We Have in Jesus" or in the loneliness he injects in the open chording of Gershwin's "Summertime." These are two refreshing highlights of the CD.

In "Toward the Sea," Takemitsu characteristically chooses the alto flute as partner for the guitar and creates some suitably watery music through passages of flutter-tonguing. The same could be said for his use of the oboe d'amore in 'Vers, l'arc-en-ciel, Parma." Again, the middle register where this instrument lives adds a sober, reflective voice to the proceedings. I'm not sure how this work pays homage to the memory of painter Joan Miro, but it creates a series of quietly lovely sound pictures that are quite satisfying.

John Williams is the intended artist in all of this music, so he owns it in a very real sense, and he is ably supported by the other soloists and by Salonen, who seems to have a real sympathy for Takemitsu. Nice bright sound as well from the obviously lively surround of Henry Wood Hall in London.

Austere, Humble Beauty.......2000-06-22

I would like to encourage the sale of this CD for selfish reasons: I would like for it to remain in print for years to come so that I might purchase it at any time for my guitarist friends. The music Takemitsu composed for guitar--nearly ALL of his music, in fact--cannot be praised enough. This is exquisite, austere, humble music that is even more subtle and carefully-wrought than, say, Debussy's best piano music. If you like Debussy, there is a good chance you will love Takemitsu--not so much for the harmonic flavor, etc., as for the admirably restrained aesthetic attitude (quite unlike the bombast of other contemporary composers such as Rautavaara). "Toward the Sea" is one of those small masterpieces of understatement that one listens to again and again (Takemitsu also re-wrote it for harp and flute + string orchestra). And the arrangements of Lennon/McCartney, etc., are revelations. If you like this music, check out some of Takemitsu's other work--e.g., his gorgeous "From Me Flows What You Call Time" (you'll just have to pardon the odd titles!). There are elements of dodecaphonic expressionism in certain of his works that are not altogether to my taste (e.g., in "A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden"), but I can't think of another contemporary composer whose oeuvre matches Takemitsu's in visionary refinement. If this is the direction music is taking, it is a great time to be alive indeed.

Toru Takemitsu: Works for Flute and Guitar

Average customer rating:

Toru Takemitsu: Works for Flute and Guitar

Manufacturer: Ondine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000003789
Release Date: 1995-02-07

Tracks:

SACRIFICE: Chant 1
SACRIFICE: Chant 2
SACRIFICE: Voice
All In Twilight: 1.
All In Twilight: 2.
All In Twilight: 3.
All In Twilight: 4.
Ring: I
Ring:: N
Ring: R
Ring: G
Folios: 1
Folios: 2
Folios: 3
Folios: Itinerant
Toward the Sea: The Night
Toward the Sea: Moby Dick
Toward the Sea: Cape Cod

Average customer rating:

Classical Chill

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00005Y0MS
Release Date: 2002-05-21

Tracks:

Suo (The Marsh) - Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Approach Of Autumn - English Northern Philharmonia
Adagio - Maggini String Quartet
Violin Concerto: II - Adele Anthony
Romance: Andante Tranquillo - Robert Plane
Valse Triste, Op.44 No.1 - Turku Philharmonic Orchestra
Om Manga Ar - Niklas Sivelov
Andantino - Andrew Penny
Des Pas Sur La Neige - Francois-Joel Thiollier
The Night - Petri Alanko
Mazurka, Op.50 No.3 - Martin Roscoe
Ludus - Rebecca Hirsch
Landscape: Lento - Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
Song For Athene - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge
Sancta Maria - Thomas Bloch

Tracks:

Adagio Assai - Francois-Joel Thiollier
Prelude For Strings - David Lloyd-Jones
Sospiri, Op.70 - English Northern Philharmonia
The Blue Bird, Op.119 No.3 - Oxford Camerata
Kyrie - Noel Edison
Chelsea Reach - John Lenehan
Des Abends - Benjamin Frith
Felicissima Quest'Alma - Olga Pasichnyk
Adagio - Capella Istropolitana
Adagio - German Wind Soloists
Romance - Okko Kamu
Sheperd's Boy - Richard Edlinger
Andante Assai - Tedi Papavrami
The Lord's Prayer - Choir Of St. John's College, Cambridge

Average customer rating:

Toward the Sea

Manufacturer: Marquis Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Son op.205: Allegretto grazioso
Son op.205: Tempo di Siciliana
Son op.205: Allegretto con spirito
Deux Arias, op.92b: no.1 in a
Deux Arias, op.92b: no.2 in D
Pastorale
The Sea in Springtime
Ode To Spring
Toward The Sea: The Night
Toward The Sea: Moby Dick
Toward The Sea: Cape Cod
Trois Pieces: Capriccioso, fantastico
Trois Pieces: Calme
Trois Pieces: Allegro vivo
Serenata al Alba del Dia: Andante moderato
Serenata al Alba del Dia: Allegro
Canco del Lladre
La Nit de Nadal
El Testament de N'Amelia
El Noi de la Mare

Average customer rating:

collaboration and contrast
Charming Intermezzo

Beau Soir

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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Flute Master Pieces

ASIN: B00018ZRWC
Release Date: 2004-03-09

Tracks:

I ere Arabesque
Beau Soir
Berceuse
Entr'acte
En Bateau
Sicilienne Op.78
Andantino
Piece En Forme De Habanera
Meditation
Csardas
Gymnopedie I
Le Fils Des Etoiles
I. The Night
II. Moby Dick
III. Cape Cod
Haro No Umi

Amazon.com

This is mellow in the extreme, practically New Age. As a mood album, it's unbeatable--the combination of flute and harp is ethereal and light, yet also oddly warm. Much of the music is familiar and sounds right in this context. Satie's first Gymnopedie and the Debussy selections take to these instruments easily; indeed, it becomes clear that French music has something about it--and it's not just its "sweetness"--that lends it to these translucent, some might say "wispy," transpositions. The Meditation from Thais, originally for violin, at first sounds a bit anemic, but then one begins to note how simply beautiful the melody is when stripped absolutely bare. The non-French pieces are effective as well, and the CD closes with a piece by Takemitsu, which is wonderfully evocative of similar feelings, but with a Japanese Garden in the moonlight. Flutist Emmanuel Pahud and harpist Mariku Anraku are thoroughly committed to this music and this project, and it comes across. Perhaps not a CD for all times, but when the mood for meditation strikes, this would be nice to have around. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

collaboration and contrast.......2006-12-21

I bought this after buying anonther album by Pahud entitled Paris. I loved his playing which seemed flawless but the selection of music seemed to me to be of the parts of the French repetoire that have a little too much creative confusion and chaos, at least for my present frame of mind. But after on line listening to online bits and pieces from Beau Soir, I took the plunge and I am glad I did.
The pairing with harp accompaniment was an inspired choice in the hands of Mariko Anraku who mangages to avoid the too sweet sound so easily found from the harp. The range of French pieces goes from the almost too well know such as Satie's Gymnopedie No 1 (remember Blood, Sweat, and Tears)to pieces by Nobolot, Monti, and Faure I had never heard but am pleased to have now. The Japanese pieces, especially the Takemitsu, are in a musical langauge that seems very alien to me with little apparent rythmn, notes coming in sequence only becuase the last one was finished. "But we know what we like becuase we like what we know." Perhaps I will grow into those in time.
Regardless, Emmanuel Pahud's playing seems sure and certain and his coordination with his accompanist perfectly done. Perhaps with a fully appreciated selection this would have been five stars. Any way, I certainly give it a full recommendation.

Charming Intermezzo.......2004-03-28

After two heavy-duty releases (the charming recital of Telemann concerti released in 2002, and the fiendishly difficult transcription of the Khatchaturian violin concerto released last year)flutist Emmanuel Pahud takes a little break here with some lovely miniatures arranged for flute and harp. True, the flute and harp repertoire can seem like so much sweet candy, but when in the hands of a masterful artist like Pahud it can be as meaty, and as nourishing, as anything by Bach or Beethoven.
And Pahud is a masterful artist, no mistake about it. The Faure Sicilienne, which can be treacly if overdone, is, on this recital, as poignant and moving to the listener as if he were hearing it for the first time. The Debussy pieces, as well, have the ability to open even the hardest heart, and the oft-heard Meditation from Thais also seems remarkably fresh here.
Of course, Pahud throws in a wild card, which, in this case, is the Takemitsu. But it is not the least bit jarring, it seems to fit in the program perfectly.
The recital ends grandly with the gorgeous "Haro No Umi", which casts its spell, transporting the listener to a dreamy Japanese garden. The only other recording of this of which I know is James Galway's, which was featured on his recording entitled "The Man with the Golden Flute", but, in my opinion, Pahud's is by far superior, raising the piece from kitsch (the spirit with which Galway injects it) to true art.
Pahud is accompanied by Mariku Anraku, who provides excellent support and is a fine harpist in her own right. The pairing seems perfect, and I hope we hear more from her.
All-in-all this is a wonderful getaway album, lovely for daydreaming on a sunny day, or for late night listening. A brief intermezzo between more "serious" projects perhaps, but a welcome one.

Average customer rating:

One or two great moments, but a lot of dead weight in a repetitive programme.
great for newcomers
Great performances, but a repetitive program
Great composer of our time
See the Toward

Takemitsu: I Hear the Water Dreaming

Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Deutsche Grammophon: Music | Specialty Stores | Music
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Toru Takemitsu: Quotation of Dream (20/21 series) - London Sinfonietta / Oliver Knussen
Takemitsu: Requiem; Twill by Twilight
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In an Autumn Garden (Dig)
Takemitsu: Garden Rain

ASIN: B00004SDNY
Release Date: 2000-06-13

Tracks:

I Hear The Water Dreaming
Toward The Sea l: 1. The Night
Toward The Sea I: 2. Moby Dick
Toward The Sea I: 3. Cape Cod
Les Filles Des Etoiles
Toward The Sea II: 1. The Night
Toward The Sea II: 2. Moby Dick
Toward The Sea II: 3. Cape Cod
And Then I Knew 'Twas Wind
Toward The Sea III: 1. The Night
Toward The Sea III: 2. Moby Dick
Toward The Sea III: 3. Cape Cod
Air

Amazon.com

Takemitsu, who died in 1996, wrote everything from movie music to Beatles arrangements to avant-garde chamber music. In his best works, he draws simultaneously on the traditional idiom of Japan and the most advanced contemporary techniques. All this music was written (or, in one case, arranged) for flute solo, and Patrick Gallois proves a most satisfying interpreter, getting into the composer's skin and playing with a most convincing sense of inner quiet. One misconceived idea mars the disc, though. Takemitsu had good reasons for producing three versions of Toward the Sea, a lovely and imaginative piece. But even when separated by other pieces, they don't make for satisfying listening on one program. (Given the choice, I would have picked the orchestral version for its added color.) Still, with such fine performances and sound, there's enough music on the disc to make it worth picking up if the idiom appeals to you. --Leslie Gerber

Customer Reviews:

One or two great moments, but a lot of dead weight in a repetitive programme........2007-02-04

This Deutsche Grammophon disc, part of the "20/21" series of contemporary music recordings, contains seven works by Toru Takemitsu with a spotlight on the flute, performed here by Patrick Gallois. Gallois is occasionally joined by guitarist Goeran Soellscher, harpist Fabrice Pierre, violist Pierre Henri Xuereb, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Davis. All of these pieces are from Takemitsu's late period, after he had left behind the wild avant-garde stylings of his middle years, and unfortunately generally show a significant turn towards dullness and stagnation.

The earliest piece here isn't Takemitsu's original, but his 1975 arrangement of Satie's piano work "Le Fils des Etoiles" for flute and harp. This is brief and fairly unremarkable, and the first substantial piece on the album is "Toward the Sea" for alto flute and guitar (1981). This is a fairly enjoyable work, and while I often find the sound of the classical guitar uninteresting, here it is used for background texture against the flute's leaps in a neat way.

Takemitsu went on to write two further arrangements of the musical material in "Toward the Sea", where only the textures were changed and the flute part remained unaltered. The first, "Toward the Sea II" (1981) is for alto flute, harp, and string orchestra, while the second "Toward the Sea III" (1989) is a reduction of the first for alto flute and harp. While not among the lowest parts of his late oeuvres, these arrangements don't stand up to the elegance of the original, and as they are all cut from the same general cloth, putting all three on one disc was a foolish idea.

"I Hear the Water Dreaming" (1987) is a typical work of Takemitsu's late orchestral output, featuring an interest in timbre but with no drama or variations in tempo. You'll forget it as soon as it's over.

"And then I knew 'twas wind" for flute, viola, and harp (1992) bears more than a passing resemblance with Debussy's "Sonata" for the same three instruments. It stands out for the dynamic interactions of the three instruments, with the flute often leaping above the encumberance of the other two. However, this recording is somewhat muddled, comparing badly to the crystal-clear sound on a Naxos disc.

Takemitsu's final work, "Air" for solo flute (1995), was taken from material developed for a work for flute, harp, and orchestra that was not to be, for Takemitsu's untimely death came the next year. The piece is a set of variations in rondo form on a four-note motif, with an interest in ascending and descending scales. Unfortunately, Takemitsu doesn't explore any unusual techniques, which made his earlier pieces for solo flute so exotic.

There are a few good works from Takemitsu's late period. I'd direct browsers towards the Naxos chamber music disc, a series of spellbinding pieces (including better performances of "Toward the Sea", "Air", and "And Then I Knew 'twas Wind") in performance by some of Takemitsu's favourite musicians. For large-scale orchestral works of the late period, Deutsche Grammophon's "20/21" disc QUOTATION OF DREAM and the Sony disc with "From Me Flows What You Call Time" are worth getting. However, if you are a fan of challenging modernistic writing, middle-period Takemitsu is more for you. This disc should be left to Takemitsu completists.

great for newcomers.......2006-07-16

Sometimes I encounter opinionated people who believe that modern art music as a whole stinks. Other times I find someone interested in the subject, but too nervous to experiment with George Crumb or John Cage or even Schoenberg. These are not the kind of people who would approvingly compare Takemitsu to Debussy or Messiaen. But these are precisely the kind of people to whom I introduce Takemitsu, confident that his beautiful music will seduce them if they approach it with an open spirit.

You do not require an education in music theory to appreciate this; in fact, you might be better off without one. Just listen closely.

As for me, I am far from an expert in music, but Takemitsu is definitely among my favorites. I love "From Me Flows What You Call Time" best of all his work, and I would offer it to you ahead of the music on this CD, although this is probably more approachable just because it is a little less percussive, though no less rythmically startling.

Like all of Takemitsu's music that I've heard, this music is very peaceful on the surface, with quickly passing moments of conflict--though repeated listening reveals more and more subdued tension to me. Takemitsu teaches me not merely to wait patienty for the music, but to appreciate the silence as attentively as the sound. Simple sounds in Takemitsu's music sometimes seem so intense, silence is required as a balance, sometimes even a relief. And then, harmony comes as a kind of sweet delight that would be unbearable in abundance.

At first his music made me feel a contrast between woodwind and string; but more and more I find myself experiencing them as a single, inseparable sound in his music, as if they came from a single instrument. So far, no other composer's music has had that effect on the way I experience the instruments. Forgive me for leaping so far, but it reminds me of some very enjoyable jazz.

This particular CD is interesting because it has three variations of the same piece of music, as Takemitsu modified it over an 8 year period. The opportunity to contrast them makes for a unique musical experience, which some people will enjoy greatly.

Just FYI, for my fellow humble dabblers in the musical world, some other modern composers whose work I find easy to enjoy include Arvo Part, Philip Glass, and George Enescu--not to mention the stars, Shostakovich, Holst, and Orff. Messiaen I have found more challenging, though I am unfamiliar with most of his work.

As for Debussy, mentioned by all the reviewers here, you should definitely not miss his "Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faun." No one will fail to perceive Takemitsu's debt, but it's very pleasant to move from Debussy's lush sensuality to Takemitsu's gentle beatitude.

Great performances, but a repetitive program.......2003-11-21

DG 20/21's second Takemitsu survey is devoted to performances of flute music by the excellent Patrick Gallois. There are seven pieces on the disc, though three of them are different versions of the same work.

I Hear the Water Dreaming is a flute concerto in miniature. Like most of late Takemitsu, it is mostly slow and rhapsodic, with a harmonic language derived from Debussy and Messiaen, yet a sound that could never be mistaken for any other composer. I think this is one of the finest of Takemitsu's late pieces and Gallois' excellent rendition of the solo part is well-counterpointed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Andrew Davis.

There are three versions of Towards the Sea on this disc. This three-movement work was written for Greenpeace's "Save the Whales" campaign, and despite being inspired by Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick is predominantly peaceful and lyrical. In the original version, the solo flute carries much of the melodic line and the guitarist accompanies mainly with chords and arpeggios. The second version moves the guitar part to the harp and adds sustaining chords in a string orchestra, while the third version--like the second--leaves the flute part unaltered, merely adapting the guitar part for harp. My preference is for the second version, with harp and string orchestra, which is given a better performance here than in the rival Naxos recording.

Like the third version of Toward the Sea, Takemitsu's transcription of Erik Satie's Le Fils des etoiles is for flute and harp. This is a simple, effective piece of work, which does not lose the original's faux-naif style. And Then I Knew 'twas Wind, the longest work on this disc, adds a viola--thus openly duplicating the instrumentation of Debussy's sonata for flute, viola and harp. It can't compete with Debussy's work for quality, but it is still an enjoyable, ruminative work.

The disc closes with the solo flute piece Air, Takemitsu's last work, which was cobbled together from sketches for a flute concerto abandoned when it became clear the composer was too ill to complete it. Unfortunately, despite some characteristic touches, this work is not Takemitsu at his best.

Overall, this is an excellent collection of Takemitsu's music, with outstanding performances all around. The only demerits I can find for it are the appearance of all three arrangements of Toward the Sea, and the unvarying mood--common to almost all of Takemitsu's late work--of all the works here.

Great composer of our time.......2001-10-10

Toru Takemitsu is a very outstanding composer in the world. His music always has some feelings of fantasy and his harmony is very colorful. This CD includes two big works of him. "I hear the water dreaming" and " Towards the sea" .I don't need to say much about the pieces, just listen to them, you will agree with me that Takemitsu is a huge star.

See the Toward.......2000-10-29

I enjoy the quiet, expressive music on this CD. It is music for flute (Patrick Gallois) and orchestra, influenced by French impressionism of the late nineteenth century. LE FILS DES ETOILES is adapted from Erik Satie. The music elevates silence to an importance equal with sound. Just as there can be no wave without a trough, there can be no sound without silence. I am reminded of waves by the undulating melodies of the flute accompanied by guitar in TOWARD THE SEA (I). Takemitsu-sensei (1930-1996) was a prolific composer, who was largely self-taught. He composed scores for 93 films in his forty year career. Among the distinguished directors he has worked with are, Kurosawa, Teshigahara, Imamura, Shinoda and Oshima. By way of an incomplete example, some of the esteemed films he has been involved with are Kuroi Ami (Black Rain 1989), Ran (1985), Ai no borei (L' Empire de la Passion 1978), Dodesukaden (1970), and Suna no onna (Woman in the Dunes 1964). If you are interested in the artistry of one of Japan's most reknowned composers, or if you are interested in quiet, flute music, this CD will interest you.

Average customer rating:

Sheila Silver To The Spirit Unconquered

Manufacturer: Composers Recordings
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005TXN
Release Date: 1996-03-05

Tracks:

I. With Great Intensity - Strained, Sometimes Violent - The Guild Trio
II. As If In A Dream - The Guild Trio
III. Very Fast, Rhythmic, And Precise; Suddenly Mysterious - The Guild Trio
IV. Calm And Stately - The Guild Trio
I. La Mer A Cassis (The Sea At Cassis) - Gilbert Kalish
II. La Pendule (The Pendulum Clock) - Gilbert Kalish
III. La Descente Vers L'Enfers (Descent Into Hell) - Gilbert Kalish
IV. Dans Une Foret Demie-Brulee (In The Half-Burned Forest) - Gilbert Kalish
V. La, Tout N'Est Qu'Ordre Et Beaute, Luxe, Calcme Et Volupte (There, All Is Perfection And Beauty, Luxury, Calm, And Delight) - Gilbert Kalish
VI. Vers Le Paradix De Mes Reves (Toward The Paradise Of My Dreams) - Gilbert Kalish
Dynamis - William Purvis
Dance Converging - William Purvis

Average customer rating:

Beauty
Fabulous string playing by the I Fiamminghi
Good performance but you hear the players breathing

Music of Takemitsu

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Takemitsu: Requiem; Twill by Twilight
Takemitsu: A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden
Toru Takemitsu: Quotation of Dream (20/21 series) - London Sinfonietta / Oliver Knussen
Takemitsu: I Hear the Water Dreaming
Takemitsu: Garden Rain

ASIN: B0000064U6
Release Date: 1998-02-24

Tracks:

Death and Resurrection
Funeral Music
Music Of Training And Rest
Nostalghia
A Way A Lone II
Entre-Temps
I. The Night
II. Moby Dick
III. Cape Cod

Customer Reviews:

Beauty.......1999-11-26

This soundtrack is one that American directors should ingest into their systems. Why does one have to be subjected to Forrest Gumpesque film trailors in America when film music such as this exists in other countries. This is not the greatest music that Takemitsu composed, however that is not an insult. This music gives the young film composer hope that one day he may be approached with projects that demand these types of scores.

Fabulous string playing by the I Fiamminghi.......1999-08-22

I must confess that I have almost never heard anystring ensemble play so wonderfully delicate andwith such perfect phrasing and precision as on this CD!.The overall soundscape of the recording siuts the transparent and delicate scoring of Mr. Takemitsuabsolute great (although the almost cathedral-likesound propably is, at least to some extend, the workof the recording engineer, I'd expect!) Only two minorthings could be said, in my opinion. Firstly, the veryfact that the strings are recorded very closely throughoutthe entire CD, sometimes threatening the balance in thepieces where additional instruments appear (eg. sometimes the oboe player gets almost drowned in the piece "Entre-temps", this goes for the harp and flute as well in thelast piece of the CD, "Toward the Sea II"). Secondly Ifind it somewhat irritating that liner notes, in all quitegood, don't explain anything as to why the recording of"Entre-temps", which is originally written for string quartetand oboe, here appears in a version for full string orchestra.Is this an arrangement made or authorized by the composer?Anyway, I highly recommend this CD; the "breathing problem"mentioned by my fellow reviewer somewhat puzzled me when listening to this recording, no more breathing that you usually might expect. However, this perhaps refers to the clattering of the keys of the oboein "Entre-temps", but that more or less goes with territory when writingfor this instrument - take my word for it!

Good performance but you hear the players breathing.......1999-01-27

The performances are very good but they must have closely miked all the players because you hear them breathing which is very iritating. This is very apparent in all the works most of which are string pieces.

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