"ASOBIBA TAKEMITSU ~The Untold Toru Takemitsu~," a performance commemorating 30 years since the death of Toru Takemitsu, opens a new musical playground for contemporary artists.
A new stage event, featuring artists from diverse genres engaging with Toru Takemitsu's music, will be held to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his death.Summary
To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of Toru Takemitsu, one of Japan's most representative composers, "ASOBIBA TAKEMITSU ~The Untold Toru Takemitsu~" will be held on October 26 at NHK Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo, as part of the NHK Music Festival. With the concept of "Playing with Takemitsu's music," this event features contemporary artists from various genres engaging with Takemitsu's work to depict a new image of the composer for the present day. The core of the performance consists of six poems and recitations by poet Shuntaro Tanikawa, alongside Takemitsu's late masterpiece "Family Tree" for orchestra. Songs and film music are woven between these pieces, forming a cohesive 90-minute narrative. Classical DJ, composer, and conductor Aoi Mizuno serves as music director, with the Aoi Denki Symphony Orchestra providing the performance. Director Ryo Oguri creates an integrated stage work where music, song, recitation, direction, and stage design intersect, aiming to immerse the audience in Takemitsu's music. The event gathers a diverse array of artists, including Erika Ikuta, Ichika Nito, Shigeru Kishida (Quruli), The Voices of Japan, and Masaya Mitsufuji (ROTH BART BARON), with Ryo Sakaguchi handling narration and recitation. Beyond his reputation as an avant-garde composer, the event highlights Takemitsu's role as a "melody maker" who left behind many accessible melodies, weaving new expressions that respect the original works while reinterpreting them through each artist's sensibility.
(Source：美術手帖)