Takemitsu: Chamber Works
View all works by Takemitsu in the main appExplore the complete catalog of Chamber compositions by Takemitsu. This curated list includes composition years, historical Wikipedia context, and interactive audio to add specific tracks directly to your listening queue.
| Title | Year | Actions |
|---|---|---|
| A Way A Lone, for string quartet |
A string orchestra is an orchestra consisting solely of a string section made up of the bowed strings used in Western Classical music. The instruments of such an orchestra are most often the following: the violin, which is divided into first and second violin players (each usually playing different parts), the viola, the cello, and usually, but not always, the double bass. String orchestras can be of chamber orchestra size ranging from between 12 (4 first violins, 3 second violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos and 1 bass = 12) and 21 musicians (6 first violins, 5 second violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos and 2 double basses= 21) sometimes performing without a conductor. It could also consist of the entire string section of a large symphony orchestra which could have 60 musicians (16 first violins, 14 second violins, 12 violas, 10 cellos and 8 double basses = 60; Gurre-Lieder calls for 84: 20.20.16.16.12). |
|
| Air for solo flute |
Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹; pronounced [takeꜜmitsɯ̥ toːɾɯ]; 8 October 1930 – 20 February 1996) was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for his subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental philosophy and for fusing sound with silence and tradition with innovation. Takemitsu composed several hundred independent works of music, scored more than ninety films and published twenty books. He was also a founding member of the Jikken Kōbō (実験工房, experimental workshop) in Japan, a group of avant-garde artists who distanced themselves from academia and whose collaborative work is often regarded among the most influential of the 20th century. His 1957 Requiem for string orchestra attracted international attention, led to several commissions from across the world and established his reputation as the leading 20th-century Japanese composer. He was the recipient of numerous awards and honours and the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award is named after him. |
|
| All in Twilight, 4 pieces for guitar |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| And Then I Knew 'Twas Wind, for flute, viola, and harp |
The trio of flute, viola and harp is a standard chamber music ensemble. It was first popularized by a work by Claude Debussy in 1915, namely the Sonata for Flute, Viola and Harp, L. 137. The earliest known composition for this trio is the Terzettino by Théodore Dubois (1905). This trio has gained popularity partly due to its unique timbre: with its arco (bowed) and pizzicato abilities, the viola bridges the gap between the smooth flute sound and plucked harp tones. There are also musical ensembles containing this instrumentation. |
|
| Between Tides, for violin, cello, and piano, SJ1091 | ||
| Bryce, for flute, 2 harps, and 2 percussionists |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Distance de fée, for violin and piano, SJ1050 |
Compositions using the octatonic scale: Radiohead "Just" (1995). Jonny Greenwood plays a series of OCT02 scales on the guitar during the intro (0:06-0:16) and each chorus (0:55-1:05, 1:44-1:55, 2:47-3:09) Béla Bartók Harvest Song (Ara táskor) Violin Duo # 33 Frederic Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23 : (bars 130-132) Etude in F Minor, Op. 10, No. 9: (bars 28-30) Charles Ives The Unanswered Question (solo trumpet part) Julian Cochran Piano Sonata No. 1 (1st mov.) Fire Dance Animation Suite, Tin Sentinel Animation Suite, Clockwork Doll Trio for violin, oboe and piano, Artemis (2nd mov.) Prelude No. 9 Mazurka No. 1 Madeleine Dring Lilliburlero Variations for Two Pianos Prince Edmond de Polignac Échos de l'Orient judaïque (1879) "Chant à la lune", incidental music to Salammbô (1886) Joseph Haydn String Quartet in F minor, Op. 20 No. 5 The Human Abstract "Digital Veil" (2011) King Crimson "Red" (1974). Nirvana "Oh, the Guilt" (1993) (verses) "Blandest" (1988) (verses) Procol Harum "Whaling Stories" on Procol Harum – Live In New York (April 1971) Zoltán Kodály Sonata for Violoncello and Piano, Mov. II (1910) Sergei Rachmaninoff Trio élégiaque No. 2 Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Sadko (1867) Arnold Schoenberg Piano Piece, Op. 23, no. 3 (1923) Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8, 1st mvt., bars 13-20 Piano Sonata in C major, D 840 (Schubert), 1st mvt bars 33-39 Alexander Scriabin Prelude Op. 74, No. 3 (1914) Piano Sonata No. 9, Op. 68 (1912-13), melody from bar 5 onwards Juan Maria Solare Octango (2005) Transfuga Igor Stravinsky Petroushka (1911) The Rite of Spring (1913) Les Noces (1923) Symphony of Psalms (1930) Agon, "Pas de deux" (1957) Kenneth Leighton Magnificat from the Second Service, Op. 62 (1972) Toru Takemitsu Distance de Fée, SJ1050 (1951) Die Antwoord Fok julle Naaiers (2011). Piano line in the intro is octatonic, bass synth adds a ninth tone. Adi Morag "Octabones" (1999) Orbital Oolaa from the Green Album Suraj Synthesist Khayaal , a lil fantasy Gilad Hochman Closer for two alto saxophones (2022) Polarizations for solo viola (2023) Dream Theater The Dark eternal night |
|
| Distance, for oboe and sho ad lib |
The oboe ( OH-boh) is a type of double-reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common type of oboe, the soprano oboe pitched in C, measures roughly 65 cm (25+1⁄2 in) long and has metal keys, a conical bore and a flared bell. Sound is produced by blowing into the reed at a sufficient air pressure, causing it to vibrate with the air column. The distinctive tone is versatile and has been described as "bright". When the word oboe is used alone, it is generally taken to mean the soprano member rather than other instruments of the family, such as the bass oboe, the cor anglais (English horn), or oboe d'amore. Today, the oboe is commonly used as orchestral or solo instrument in symphony orchestras, concert bands and chamber ensembles. The oboe is especially used in classical music, film music, some genres of folk music, and is occasionally heard in jazz, rock, pop, and popular music. The oboe is widely recognized as the instrument that tunes the orchestra with its distinctive A. A musician who plays the oboe is called an oboist. |
|
| Eclipse, for shakuhachi and biwa |
Eclipse (Japanese: エクリプス) is a composition for shakuhachi and biwa by Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu. It was composed in 1966. |
|
| Elegy, for violin and piano |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Equinox, for guitar |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Eucalypts 2, for flute, oboe, and harp |
The following is a non-exhaustive list of notable compositions for the harp. |
|
| Folios, for guitar |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Garden Rain, for 10 brass instruments |
Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹; pronounced [takeꜜmitsɯ̥ toːɾɯ]; 8 October 1930 – 20 February 1996) was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for his subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental philosophy and for fusing sound with silence and tradition with innovation. Takemitsu composed several hundred independent works of music, scored more than ninety films and published twenty books. He was also a founding member of the Jikken Kōbō (実験工房, experimental workshop) in Japan, a group of avant-garde artists who distanced themselves from academia and whose collaborative work is often regarded among the most influential of the 20th century. His 1957 Requiem for string orchestra attracted international attention, led to several commissions from across the world and established his reputation as the leading 20th-century Japanese composer. He was the recipient of numerous awards and honours and the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award is named after him. |
|
| In an Autumn Garden, for gagaku ensemble |
Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹; pronounced [takeꜜmitsɯ̥ toːɾɯ]; 8 October 1930 – 20 February 1996) was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for his subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental philosophy and for fusing sound with silence and tradition with innovation. Takemitsu composed several hundred independent works of music, scored more than ninety films and published twenty books. He was also a founding member of the Jikken Kōbō (実験工房, experimental workshop) in Japan, a group of avant-garde artists who distanced themselves from academia and whose collaborative work is often regarded among the most influential of the 20th century. His 1957 Requiem for string orchestra attracted international attention, led to several commissions from across the world and established his reputation as the leading 20th-century Japanese composer. He was the recipient of numerous awards and honours and the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award is named after him. |
|
| In the Woods, 3 pieces for guitar |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Itinerant, for flute |
Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹; pronounced [takeꜜmitsɯ̥ toːɾɯ]; 8 October 1930 – 20 February 1996) was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for his subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental philosophy and for fusing sound with silence and tradition with innovation. Takemitsu composed several hundred independent works of music, scored more than ninety films and published twenty books. He was also a founding member of the Jikken Kōbō (実験工房, experimental workshop) in Japan, a group of avant-garde artists who distanced themselves from academia and whose collaborative work is often regarded among the most influential of the 20th century. His 1957 Requiem for string orchestra attracted international attention, led to several commissions from across the world and established his reputation as the leading 20th-century Japanese composer. He was the recipient of numerous awards and honours and the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award is named after him. |
|
| Landscape, for string quartet |
This is a list of compositions by the Cuban composer and guitarist Leo Brouwer. Given the prominence of the instrument in Brouwer's oeuvre, his works for guitar solo, guitar ensembles, as well as guitar concertos, are all placed in a separate category. However, pieces which include guitar as part of a mixed ensemble, and ones for guitar and tape, are placed into the chamber music category. |
|
| Le son calligraphié, for string octet | ||
| Mori no naka de, for guitar |
Rosedale is a neighbourhood in central Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was formerly the estate of William Botsford Jarvis, and so named by his wife, granddaughter of William Dummer Powell, for the wild roses that grew there in abundance. It is located north of Downtown Toronto and is one of its oldest suburbs. In 2013, Rosedale was ranked the best neighbourhood in Toronto to live in by Toronto Life. According to Today’s Senior Magazine, it is known as the area where the city's 'old money' lives, and is home to some of Canada's richest and most famous citizens including Gerry Schwartz, founder of Onex Corporation, Adrienne Clarkson, the 26th Governor General of Canada, and her husband, the author John Ralston Saul, as well as David Thomson, 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet of the Thomson Corporation, the latter of whom is the richest man in Canada. Rosedale's boundaries consist of the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks to the north, Yonge Street to the west, Aylmer Avenue and Rosedale Valley Road to the south, and Bayview Avenue to the east. The neighbourhood is within the City of Toronto's Rosedale-Moore Park neighbourhood. The neighbourhood is divided into a north and south portion by the Park Drive Ravine. |
|
| Paths, for solo trumpet |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Rain Spell, for flute, clarinet, harp, piano, and vibraphone |
The following is a non-exhaustive list of notable compositions for the harp. |
|
| Rain-Tree, for 3 percussionists |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Rain-Tree, for 3 percussionists |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Ring, for flute, terzguitar, and lute | ||
| Rocking Mirror Daybreak, for 2 violins |
This is a list of classical repertoire for two violins – either unaccompanied, with orchestra, or with piano. |
|
| Sacrifice, for alto flute, lute, vibraphone, and cymbals | ||
| Seasons, for percussion ensemble |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Signals from Heaven, 2 antiphonal fantasies for brass ensemble |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Stanza 2, for harp and tape |
Tōru Takemitsu (武満 徹; pronounced [takeꜜmitsɯ̥ toːɾɯ]; 8 October 1930 – 20 February 1996) was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for his subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental philosophy and for fusing sound with silence and tradition with innovation. Takemitsu composed several hundred independent works of music, scored more than ninety films and published twenty books. He was also a founding member of the Jikken Kōbō (実験工房, experimental workshop) in Japan, a group of avant-garde artists who distanced themselves from academia and whose collaborative work is often regarded among the most influential of the 20th century. His 1957 Requiem for string orchestra attracted international attention, led to several commissions from across the world and established his reputation as the leading 20th-century Japanese composer. He was the recipient of numerous awards and honours and the Toru Takemitsu Composition Award is named after him. |
|
| Tabi, for 3 biwa |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| The Dorian Horizon, for 17 Strings |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| The Last Waltz |
Below is a sortable list of compositions by Tōru Takemitsu. The works are categorized by genre, date of composition, titles and scoring. Scores by Takemitsu are published by Ongaku No Tomo Sha, C.F. Peters, Éditions Salabert, Schott Japan, and Universal Edition. |
|
| Toward the Sea I, for alto flute and guitar |
Toward the Sea (海へ, Umi e) is a work by Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu, commissioned by Greenpeace for the Save the Whales campaign. |
|
| Toward the Sea III, for alto flute and harp |
Toward the Sea (海へ, Umi e) is a work by Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu, commissioned by Greenpeace for the Save the Whales campaign. |
|
| Valeria, for 2 piccolos, violin, cello, guitar, and electric organ |
Valeria (Japanese: ヴァレリア) is a 1965 chamber music composition by Toru Takemitsu, recomposed from an earlier work, Sonant. Takemitsu wrote the piece for the 6th Modern Music Festival in Tokyo in 1965 for an ensemble comprising violin, cello, guitar, two bandoneons and two flutes. Four years later, he adjusted its scoring, replacing the bandoneons with an electric organ and the flutes with piccolos, and applying the title Valeria. Hiroshi Wakasugi conducted the premiere in September 1969, and a recording at Polydor Studio 2 in Tokyo was produced at the end of that month. |
|
| Voice, for solo flute |
Voice is a 1971 composition for solo flute by Tōru Takemitsu. The piece was composed on April 8, 1971, finished in one day, and it was premiered two months later by in Tokyo by Swiss flautist Aurèle Nicolet, by whom the piece was commissioned. A performance of the piece typically lasts around six minutes. It is divided into three sections: "Encounter", "Active", and "Calm". |