A Study On The Works Of Toru TaKemitsu During 1958-77

Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996) is famous contemporary Japanese composer who has the greatest effect all over the world. This thesis focuses on Toru Takemitsu's music of his middle period from 1959 to 1977. These twenty-years was a prosperous period of avant-garde style when western music has experienced its revival and introspection for ten years after the War II, kinds of composition concept and technique greatly influenced Japanese music. At this time, Toru Takemitsu has gained public recognition as a composer. Through frequent and deep communication with western music, Toru Takemitsu created his own unique music style. Also, the strong influence of "John Cage's shock" and the "afresh discovery" and cognition of his self-culture promote composer to actively and deeply think about aesthetic of traditional Japanese music and absorb it to his own music language.In view of there have been abundant research achievements on Toru Takemitsu's general music style and concept character aboard, also frequently on one work or relative works. But there have little research of his works on certain phase, especially less on his music technique. This thesis is trying to deeply research on Takemitsu's music technique, to understand modern music concept and technique comprehensively. On the other hand, the research also reflects the influence of western modern composition concept and technique on Japanese music. It's useful to further research on present situation of Japanese contemporary composition generally. It's helpful for us to realize how Japan—the same Oriental nation as China, to preserve, permeate and integrate national culture elements through research. Practically, we could get much good experience through studying on Takemitsu's music concept and technique of his middle period.The main purpose of this thesis is to describe, analyze, collect, conclude and summarize through studying on Toru Takemitsu's music of his middle period from different aspects (Pitch, Timbre, Texture, Rhythm and Time Structure, etc), to explore the music style and tendency from the technical aspects, to explore the western elements, avant-garde elements, oriental elements on his music concept and their integration basically on the whole background of western avant-garde music's development.This thesis includes introduction, five chapters and conclusion. Introduction part studies on brief introduce to present research on Toru Takemitsu's music aboard and in China, concluding and exploring how to phase his composition period through general characters. First chapter studies on how western music influence on Japanese modern music composition and basic situation of Japanese composition circle in the first-half twentieth century. This offers historical background for exploring Takemitsu's music composition. Meanwhile, it reviews the works in composer's early period. Second chapter expounds composer's composition under multiple influences, including attempt to serial-music, affect of Cage's music, introspection on Japanese music culture and affect of "avant-garde"' music concept and technique. Third chapter explores on the technique of pitch organization. Fourth chapter explores the basic character on music color and texture. Fifth chapter focuses on character of rhythm, meter and music timing organization and structure. Conclusion part explores the relationship between composer's music concept, shape, technique, and make conclusion and extension to the whole thesis.