Musica che affronta il silenzio - Scritti su Toru Takemitsu - Pavia ...

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Mitsuko Ono
taught that Japan was the supreme country, and did not acknowledge the value of other
countries’ cultures. When the war ended with Japan’s defeat, the boy Takemitsu, who was
then fourteen years old, is said to have felt that the war was foolish. I suppose that
Takemitsu might have had the desire to open the windows of Japanese culture, in order to
avoid a situation in which information was shut out, as during the war, and to perform this
task of ventilation thoroughly. He observed the reality of Japan, understanding the situation
overseas while maintaining friendships with creative individuals, for example musicians,
novelists and painters who express something by means of their art. He did not live abroad
and communicate from the outside, but lived in Japan, as though he accepted it as his fate to
be born in that nation. And I think that he set a high value on the chance to communicate
with various people, crossing the boundaries between artists and scholars, transcending
national borders, and believing in the expression of man’s intellect and feelings through a
wonderful common property of human beings: music.
Whatever score material still remains in Tru Takemitsu’s studio will soon be donated
by his family to the Documentation Centre for Modern Japanese Music in Tokyo.
This foundation had preserved a lot of material relating to Japanese composers. However
they have announced that all the material will be transferred to “Meiji Gakuin” University,
because they have management difficulties this summer.
Since the beginning of the 21 st century, there has been a growing tendency to see the
history of the 20 th century from an objective point of view. From now on, research based on
this historical view will advance too. To conclude my speech, I would like to introduce the
concept that Takemitsu was preparing for the Tokyo Opera City, which he passed away without
seeing completed. It was: Prayer, Hope, Peace. Thank you very much.
Bibliography
Nomura, Noriko (2007), Production Note: Teshigahara Hiroshi Eiga Kotohajime, Studio
246, Tokyo.
Ozawa, Seiji – Takemitsu, Tru (1984), Ongaku, Shinchshosa, Tokyo.
Takemitsu, Asaka (2006), Talks about Tru Takemitsu, Shgakukan, Tokyo.
Takemitsu, Tru (1995), Confronting Silence: Selected Writings, Fallen Leaf Press,
Berkeley.
––––– (2003), Complete Takemitsu Edition, Shgakukan, Tokyo, vol. 3.
Takemitsu, Tru – Ozawa, Seiji (1981), Ongaku, Ningen, Nihon ni tsuite: Ongaku no
Niwa, Shinchsha, Tokyo.