UDC: 78.071.1 Такемицу Т. COBISS.SR-ID 59639049 CIP - 6 _________________
Received: Dec 25, 2021
Reviewed: Jan 05, 2022
Accepted: Jan 15, 2022
#7
Comparing Toru Takemitsu’s Musical Language
to Messiaen and Debussy
Citation: Jin, Hai. 2022. "Comparing Toru Takemitsu’s Musical Language to Messiaen and Debussy." Accelerando: Belgrade Journal of Music and Dance 7:7
Acknowledgement: This paper was a lecture-recital proposal submitted to The CCM Graduate Thesis and Research Committee in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTSin the Performance Studies Division of the College-Conservatory of Music PianoDepartment, University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music. Special thanks to Professor Christopher M. Segall, Ph. D., and the rest of Committee members.
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Abstract
This paper examines how Toru Takemitsu’s musical language in his piano music shows influence from Messiaen and Debussy. Takemitsu has acknowledged that Messiaen and Debussy have both influenced his music, but the full extent of his influence has not been examined in detail. Through analysis of pitch, rhythm, and texture, the author will explore how Takemitsu finds Japanese elements in the French music of Messiaen and Debussy. The author will compare Takemitsu and Messiaen’s music, focusing on Takemitsu’s Rain Tree Sketches I & II, dedicated to Messiaen, Messiaen’s “Première Communion de la Vièrge” from Vingt regards sur L’Enfant-Jésus, and Debussy’s “Ondine,” from Preludes, Book 2. Further, the author will examine these three composers’ musical language for use of the octatonic collection, rhythmic patterns and ostinatos, and contrasting textural patterns, and formal structure, to explore how Takemitsu absorbed Messiaen’s and Debussy’s musical styles. In conclusion, the study not only observes similarities in musical language between Messiaen and Debussy, but also shows how Takemitsu draws on the language of these composers to create his own style.
Keywords: musical language, analyses, Takemitsu, Debussy, Messiaen, musical style Introduction
Statement of Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore how Takemitsu uses elements of musical language from Messiaen and Debussy to inform his own music and aesthetics. As his piece Rain Tree Sketch II was dedicated to Messiaen, Takemitsu admires Messiaen. He is also an admirer of Debussy and French music more broadly (Isshiki 2001, 57). Takemitsu first encountered Messiaen’s music in the latter’s Preludes for Piano, written in 1929. Takemitsu realized that this music was perfectly suited his concept of “ideal sound.” He struggled to write his first piece for piano, but after he heard Messiaen, he found his way out from the tunnel (Ibid., 57-58). Takemitsu has also acknowledged an appreciation for Debussy’s orchestration style. In his essay, “Dream and Number,” he wrote, “Unlike the orchestration of German composers, that of Debussy has many musical focuses. Debussy’s music is unique in that, rather than emphasizing one principal theme, it displays multiple aspects of timbre. This may have something to do with French music, which shows special attention to color” (Takemitsu 1995, 97). He also said that he learned not only from its sonority, but also the concept of form and color, especially in Debussy’s Preludes, Book 2, which fit his sense completely (Ibid.) From Takemitsu’s documented admiration of these composers, we can explore what features of Takemitsu’s pieces show influence from the earlier French composers. To explore influential musical language from Messiaen and Debussy, the author will examine three features in order to focus on the associations between three composers: the use of octatonic scales, ostinatos, and a texture created by using two contrasting patterns. These comparisons will show that Takemitsu did not follow Messiaen’s and Debussy’s musical language exactly; rather, he studied their musical concepts to create his own musical style. The author will show how he creates his own characteristics differently from Messiaen and Debussy. I
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References
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Belgrade Center for Music and Dance is the publisher of Accelerando: BJMD
Belgrade Center for Music and Dance is the publisher of Accelerando: BJMD