do people still play Takemitsu ?

[malc laney]

There has been a bit of stuff on this forum about the sometimes conservative repertoire of modern players, and his name has come up , presumably as a more contemporary composer.
I have a copy of Folios, but do not want to get involved with its Byzantine perambulations[ i know !!!]
any thoughts ?

[Jeremiah Lawson]

do people still play Sor?

[mae]

Yes.

[Toccata]

I see his pieces on programs from time to time. "Folios" is probably his least guitar-friendly piece--not that any of them are!

[hyz]

Takemitsu is always my favourite. I like the way he arranged those oldie music making it bit jazz like and also the feeling of melancholy with the kind of chords he uses.

hyz

[Sanft]

I do. Recently with my flute colleague "Towards the Sea". This is great, great music! Time and again the "12 Songs" and I LOVE "All in Twilight" and "In the Woods"!!
Clemens … el niño que soñó la musica

[Pragueguy]

I do. Recently with my flute colleague "Towards the Sea". This is great, great music! Time and again the "12 Songs" and I LOVE "All in Twilight" and "In the Woods"!!
Clemens … el niño que soñó la musica

Nice to read this, good for you that at least a few people on this Forum have stretched their ear muscles musically...

[malc laney]

Eh! Eh Eh !!! is Pragueguy implying that this forum is stuffed full of fuddy-duddies, cranks and nerds , i'm glad he wants to wear this badge of honour. excuse me off to return my library books , i hope they won't fine me for keeping them 8 minutes too long!

[Pragueguy]

From the preface to Charles Ives' self-published collection of his songs: "To quote from a book that is not read, "Is not beauty in music too often confused with something which lets the ears lie back in an easy-chair?"

Unfortunately CI didn't write anything for guitar, it would have been very interesting at the least.......

[Praeludium]

Is Takemitsu considered as challenging to the ears ?!
I listened to Lachenmann's Salut für Caudwell rencently. THIS is challenging.
Takemitsu might well be the most accessible of the great XXth composers, it's about beautiful chord colors, very subtle nuances, etc. Definitely aesthetically closer to Debussy and Ravel than to Xenakis or Carter.

[Pragueguy]

(Takemitsu is)... about beautiful chord colors, very subtle nuances, etc. Definitely aesthetically closer to Debussy and Ravel

..

You make a very good point, it seems to me.

Perhaps we can also add the name of Alban Berg to the Debussy and Ravel comparison, to my own ears at least..

[hyz]

Well, the only drawback of Takemitsu's pieces is the fingerings on some of the pieces, which I do not find it comfortable and enjoyable to play. Will be interested to see if someone will try to re-arrange some of his works.

hyz

[Toccata]

Is Takemitsu considered as challenging to the ears ?!

For some people, any piece more dissonant that Carcassi or Sor is challenging to the ears, so yes! For others, he is quite conservative.

[Philip.Lawson]

I'm currently working on 'Equinox'. It's an absolutely fantastic piece! It's not particularly guitaristic, but having had experience with works that are a lot more modern I don't see why his music is always considered to be so technically difficult. (admittedly it's hell to sight read with 6-Eb and 2-Bb)

If I'm talking to someone about a Takemitsu piece and they say 'Who?' I basically tell them it's a moody Debussy

[Jeremiah Lawson]

I usually compare Takemitsu to Messiaen if Messiaen wrote pop songs.