Exploring the Forest of Sound: A Performer's Guide to Toru Takemitsu's In The Woods
Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996) was one of the most influential and original composers of the 20th century. His music reflects his deep fascination with nature, impressionism, and the synthesis of Eastern and Western musical traditions. Among his many works for various media, he composed several pieces for solo guitar, which are widely regarded as masterpieces of the repertoire.
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In this article, we will focus on his last composition for guitar, In The Woods (1995), which consists of three independent pieces: Wainscot Pond, Rosedale, and Muir Woods. Each piece is dedicated to a different guitarist and inspired by a different forest location. We will explore the musical features, the aesthetic concepts, and the performance challenges of this remarkable work.
Wainscot Pond: After a Painting by Cornelia Foss
This piece was dedicated to John Williams, who was a close friend and collaborator of Takemitsu. The title refers to a painting by Cornelia Foss, an American artist who was also a friend of the composer. The painting depicts a tranquil pond surrounded by trees and flowers in Long Island, New York.
The music evokes the serene atmosphere and the subtle colors of the painting through delicate harmonies, gentle melodies, and fluid rhythms. The form is loosely based on a ternary structure (A-B-A'), with some variations and interruptions. The A section (mm. 1-16) introduces the main thematic material, which consists of a descending chromatic motif and a rising pentatonic motif. The B section (mm. 17-32) contrasts with a more rhythmic and syncopated texture, featuring repeated notes and chords. The A' section (mm. 33-48) returns to the initial material, but with some changes in register, dynamics, and articulation.
Some of the performance challenges of this piece include achieving a clear and balanced sound in the polyphonic passages, creating a smooth and expressive legato in the melodic lines, and controlling the tempo and rubato in the rhythmic fluctuations.
Rosedale: To Kiyoshi Shomura
This piece was dedicated to Kiyoshi Shomura, another prominent Japanese guitarist who premiered several works by Takemitsu. The title refers to a residential area in Toronto, Canada, where there is a beautiful forest with colorful trees in autumn.
The music captures the vividness and the variety of the forest scenery through contrasting sections, dynamic changes, and chromatic harmonies. The form is based on a rondo structure (A-B-A-C-A-D-A), with some modifications and transitions. The A section (mm. 1-8) presents the main theme, which is a lyrical and modal melody with some chromatic inflections. The B section (mm. 9-16) introduces a new theme, which is more rhythmic and angular, with some percussive effects. The A section returns (mm. 17-24) with some variations in octave displacement and fingering. The C section (mm. 25-40) develops the second theme in a more elaborate and virtuosic way, with fast scales
Muir Woods: To Julian Bream
This piece was dedicated to Julian Bream, who was one of the most influential and respected guitarists of the 20th century and a champion of contemporary music. The title refers to a national park in California, where there are ancient and majestic redwood trees that reach up to the sky.
The music reflects the awe and wonder that Takemitsu felt when he visited the forest, as well as his admiration and gratitude for Bream. The form is based on a free variation structure, where a simple and diatonic theme is transformed through different harmonic, rhythmic, and timbral devices. The theme is first stated in mm. 1-4, and then repeated with some changes in mm. 5-8. The variations begin in m. 9, and each one explores a different aspect of the theme or the guitar's potential. For example, variation 1 (mm. 9-12) uses harmonics and glissandi to create a shimmering effect; variation 2 (mm. 13-16) uses tremolo and trills to create a flowing effect; variation 3 (mm. 17-20) uses pizzicato and staccato to create a percussive effect; and so on.
Some of the performance challenges of this piece include mastering the different techniques and effects that Takemitsu employs, maintaining the coherence and continuity of the theme throughout the variations, and conveying the emotional depth and expressiveness of the music.
The Influence of Nature and Impressionism on Toru Takemitsu's In The Woods
Toru Takemitsu was deeply inspired by nature and impressionism throughout his musical career. He often used natural images or phenomena as titles or sources of inspiration for his compositions, such as Rain Tree, Toward the Sea, or From me flows what you call Time. He also admired and studied the works of impressionist composers such as Debussy, Ravel, or Messiaen, who used innovative harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic techniques to create musical landscapes that evoke colors, moods, or sensations.
In The Woods is a clear example of how Takemitsu combined his love for nature and impressionism in his music. Each piece is based on a specific forest location that he visited or saw in a painting, and he tried to capture the essence and the atmosphere of each place through his musical language. He used modal melodies that emerge from a chromatic background, creating a sense of ambiguity and fluidity. He also used complex harmonies that blend consonance and dissonance, creating a sense of richness and contrast. He also used irregular rhythms and meters that suspend the sense of regular pulse, creating a sense of freedom and spontaneity.
Takemitsu's music is not only descriptive but also expressive. He used nature as a metaphor for his own feelings, thoughts, or experiences. He said that \"nature is not only beautiful but also cruel\", and that he wanted to express both aspects in his music. He also said that \"nature is always changing\", and that he wanted to reflect that in his music as well. In The Woods is not only a musical portrait of three forests, but also a musical reflection of Takemitsu's inner world.
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The Aesthetic Concepts and the Musical Language of Toru Takemitsu
Toru Takemitsu was not only a composer, but also a philosopher, a poet, and a critic. He had a profound and original vision of music and its role in human culture and society. He was influenced by various sources of thought, such as Zen Buddhism, French literature, Japanese aesthetics, and Western avant-garde. He developed his own aesthetic concepts and musical language that reflected his worldview and his artistic goals.
One of his main aesthetic concepts was the idea of \"ma\", which is a Japanese term that can be translated as \"interval\", \"space\", or \"pause\". Takemitsu understood \"ma\" as the temporal and spatial distance between sounds, events, or objects, which creates a sense of tension, expectation, or silence. He said that \"ma\" is \"the emptiness full of possibilities, like a promise yet to be fulfilled\". He used \"ma\" as a compositional principle to create musical structures that are flexible, open-ended, and unpredictable. He also used \"ma\" as a performance principle to encourage the performers and the listeners to be aware of the subtle nuances and the expressive potential of each sound.
Another aesthetic concept that Takemitsu employed was the idea of \"borrowed scenery\", which is a technique used in traditional Japanese gardens to incorporate distant elements into the design of the garden. Takemitsu applied this concept to music by incorporating elements from different musical traditions, genres, or styles into his compositions. He said that he wanted to \"borrow\" from various musical sources without losing his own identity or originality. He used \"borrowed scenery\" as a way of expanding his musical vocabulary and creating new musical connections and contrasts.
Takemitsu's musical language was characterized by a high degree of freedom and diversity. He did not adhere to any specific system or method of composition, but rather experimented with different techniques and materials according to his intuition and inspiration. He used both tonal and atonal elements, as well as modal, pentatonic, chromatic, and serial scales. He used both traditional and extended techniques for the instruments, as well as electronic and environmental sounds. He used both simple and complex forms, as well as indeterminate and aleatoric processes. He used both consonant and dissonant harmonies, as well as polyphony, heterophony, and homophony.
Takemitsu's music was not only diverse but also coherent and unified. He achieved this by using recurring motifs, themes, or gestures that create a sense of continuity and identity throughout his works. He also achieved this by using a delicate balance between contrast and harmony, between tension and resolution, between sound and silence. He said that he wanted to create music that is \"like water\", which can change its shape and color according to its surroundings, but still retain its essence and purity.
A Performer's Guide to Toru Takemitsu's In The Woods
Toru Takemitsu's In The Woods is a challenging and rewarding work for solo guitar that requires a high level of technical and musical skill from the performer. The performer needs to be familiar with the composer's aesthetic concepts and musical language, as well as the specific features and difficulties of each piece. The performer also needs to be able to interpret and express the composer's intentions and emotions, as well as his own personal response to the music.
In this section, we will provide some general and specific guidelines and suggestions for the performer who wishes to study and perform In The Woods. These are based on the analysis of the previous sections, as well as on the available sources of information about Takemitsu and his music, such as his writings, interviews, scores, recordings, and comments by other performers and scholars. However, these are not meant to be definitive or prescriptive, but rather indicative and inspirational. The performer is encouraged to explore and experiment with different possibilities and options, and to find his or her own voice and style in playing this music.
General Guidelines
Some of the general guidelines that apply to the whole work are:
• Use a good quality classical guitar with nylon strings, preferably with a clear and warm tone.
• Tune the guitar according to the standard tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E), unless otherwise indicated in the score.
• Use a combination of fingernails and flesh for the right hand plucking technique, adjusting the angle and position of the hand according to the desired tone quality and articulation.
• Use a combination of free stroke (tirando) and rest stroke (apoyando) for the right hand plucking technique, depending on the dynamic level, the melodic prominence, and the musical expression.
• Use a combination of left hand slurs (hammer-ons and pull-offs), slides (glissandi), bends (portamenti), vibrato, harmonics (natural and artificial), and percussive effects (tapping, snapping, etc.), according to the indications in the score or the musical context.
• Follow the tempo markings, metronome indications, rhythmic values, time signatures, fermatas, pauses, and other notational symbols in the score as accurately as possible, unless otherwise specified by the composer or suggested by the musical expression.
• Follow the dynamic markings, crescendo and diminuendo signs, accent marks, articulation marks, and other expressive symbols in the score as precisely as possible, unless otherwise specified by the composer or suggested by the musical expression.
• Use rubato (flexible tempo) sparingly and tastefully, avoiding excessive or arbitrary fluctuations of speed or rhythm.
• Use pedal (sustain) sparingly and carefully, avoiding unwanted blurring or overlapping of sounds.
• Use a microphone or an amplifier if necessary or desired, adjusting the volume and tone settings according to the acoustic conditions of the performance venue.
Specific Guidelines
Some of the specific guidelines that apply to each piece are:
Wainscot Pond: After a Painting by Cornelia Foss
• The tuning for this piece is D-A-D-G-B-E (drop D tuning), which creates a richer sonority for the low D notes.
• The tempo marking for this piece is Andante con rubato (quarter note = 66), which suggests a moderate speed with some flexibility.
The main challenge of this piece is to create a clear and balanced sound in the polyphonic passages, where there are two or three voices sounding simultaneously. The performer should pay attention to the voice leading, phrasing
Conclusion
Toru Takemitsu's In The Woods is a remarkable work for solo guitar that showcases the composer's musical genius and artistic vision. It is a tribute to nature, to impressionism, and to three of his friends and colleagues who were also great guitarists. It is also a reflection of his own inner world, his emotions, thoughts, and experiences. It is a work that challenges and rewards the performer and the listener alike, with its beauty, complexity, and expressiveness.
In this article, we have explored the musical features, the aesthetic concepts, and the performance challenges of this work. We have provided some analytical, historical, and biographical information to help understand the composer's intentions and influences. We have also provided some general and specific guidelines and suggestions to help the performer study and perform this work. We hope that this article has been informative and helpful for anyone who is interested in this work.
We encourage the performer to delve deeper into Takemitsu's music and his world, to discover more of his works and his writings, to listen to his recordings and his interviews, to learn from other performers and scholars who have played or studied his music. We also encourage the performer to develop his or her own interpretation and expression of this work, to find his or her own voice and style in playing this music. We believe that this is the best way to honor Takemitsu's legacy and to share his music with others. d282676c82
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