Credits:

Robert Aitken

Description:

Toru Takemitsu was born in Tokyo on October 8, 1930. As he himself recounted, his interest in music was first sparked in his early teens, shortly before the end of the war, when he was conscripted into labor service and heard a friends SP record at their dormitory. Enchanted by the famous chanson Parle-moi damour (Speak to Me of Love), Takemitsu resolved to make music his lifes work and devoted himself to honing his talent from that point on. In 1950, he made his debut as a composer at a recital held by the New Composition School Association, organized by his mentor, Hoji Kiyose, and the following year, he formed the Experimental Workshop with artists gathered around the poet Shuzo Takiguchi. Having solidified his position as an avant-garde composer, he gained worldwide attention in 1959 with his Requiem for Strings. This album features chamber music works ranging from Voice from the early 197