Fwd: Library of Congress Presents Toru Takemitsu Tribute

[Aaron Gerow]

>
> Editor's note:  This arrived too late to post in time for the 
> September 26
> event, but there's plenty more!
>
> Library of Congress Presents Toru Takemitsu Tribute
>
> The Library of Congress will present a special autumn minifestival, in
> tribute to the eminent Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, between 
> September
> 26 and October 8. Masatoshi Mitsumoto is the conductor and artistic
> director for the project, Mirror of Tree, Mirror of Field: the Life and
> Music of Toru Takemitsu. Presented in cooperation with the Japan
> Foundation, the tribute will open the 80th anniversary season of the
> historic Concerts from the Library of Congress series, founded in 1925.
>
> The Library's celebration marks the 75th anniversary of Toru 
> Takemitsu's
> birth with a chamber music concert, screenings of ten films with 
> scores by
> the composer, and a roundtable discussion of his music with scholars,
> composers, and film experts.
>
> The artists' roster for the concert includes noted interpreters of
> Takemitsu???s work, among them flutist Paula Robison; harpist Naoko
> Yoshino, for whom the trio, And then I knew ???twas Wind, was written;
> violinist Shoko Aki; violist Maria Lambros; cellist Evelyn Elsing; the
> Potomac String Quartet; and pianist Audrey Andrist. Mrs. Asaka 
> Takemitsu,
> widow of the composer, and her daughter, Maki Takemitsu, will attend as
> special guests of the Library.  All Library of Congress concerts and 
> other
> public events are presented free of charge, but require tickets for
> admission. See below for ticket information.
> 	
> Works to be performed include: Distance de Fe??, for violin and piano; 
> And
> then I knew 'twas Wind, for flute, viola, and harp; A way a Lone, for
> string quartet; Stanza II for harp and strings; Air for flute; Son
> Caligraphie, for strings; Scene, for cello and strings; Voice, for solo
> flute; A Bird came down the walk, for viola and piano; Hika, for solo
> violin, and Air, for solo flute.
>
> A seminal figure in 20th century music, Toru Takemitsu created a bridge
> between Eastern and Western music, blending traditional Japanese
> aesthetics and contemporary Western compositional techniques.  His
> prodigious output includes works for orchestra, choir, chamber 
> ensemble,
> and traditional Japanese gagaku orchestra. His string ensemble
> composition, Dorian Horizon, was commissioned in 1965 by the Library's
> Koussevitzky Music Foundation, and a trombone concerto, 
> Fantasma/CantosII,
> was written as a co-commission from the Library and the St. Paul 
> Chamber
> Orchestra. Takemitsu composed scores for more than ninety films, many 
> now
> considered classics of the Japanese cinema. Ran and Woman of the Dunes 
> are
> among the Takemitsu-scored films to be screened in the Library???s
> Pickford Theater.
>
> Mark Swed, music critic of the Los Angeles Times, will moderate a
> roundtable discussion on Toru Takemitsu???s music, offered as a
> pre-concert presentation at 5:00 p.m. on October 8. The discussion 
> will be
> held in the Library???s Whittall Pavilion, Thomas Jefferson Building.
> Panelists are Peter Grilli, film producer and president, Japan Society 
> of
> Boston; Masatoshi Mitsumoto, conductor; Jon Newsom, former Chief, Music
> Division, Library of Congress; Roger Reynolds, Pulitzer Prize-winning
> composer; Paula Robison, flutist and noted interpreter of Takemitsu???s
> music. No tickets are required for the roundtable discussion.
> 	
> The Library???s Music Division and Motion Picture, Broadcasting and
> Recorded Sound Division will present screenings of the following films 
> in
> the 90-seat Mary Pickford Theater between September 26 and October 8. 
> From
> his first film in 1956 to his death in 1996, Takemitsu was closely 
> linked
> to a generation of directors who have forcefully challenged both the
> established norms of Japanese society and the traditional modes of
> filmmaking. Showcasing some of the composer???s best film work, this
> series is made possible through the generous support of the Japan
> Foundation, Janus Films, Kino International, and the American
> Cinematheque.
>
> Mary Pickford Theater, 3rd Floor, James Madison Building
>
> No tickets required, but seating is limited.  Reservations may be made 
> by
> phone, beginning one week before each screening. Call (202) 707-5677
> during business hours.  Reserved seats must be claimed at least 10 
> minutes
> before show time, after which standbys will be admitted.  Programs 
> subject
> to change without notice.
>
> September 26  6:30 ??? Harakiri (1962)  Directed by Masaki Kobayashi
> September 27 7:00 ??? Woman of the Dunes (1964)  Directed by Hiroshi
> Teshigahara
> September 28  6:30 ??? Kwaidan (1964)  Directed by Masaki Kobayashi
> September 29  7:00 ??? Empire of Passion (1978) Directed by Nagisa 
> Oshima
> September 30 7:00 ??? Toru Takemitsu: Music for the Movies (1994)
> Directed by Charlotte Zwerin; Antonio Gaudi (1984) Directed by Hiroshi
> Teshigahara
> October 3  7:00 ??? Fire Festival (1984)  Directed by Mitsuo 
> Yanagimachi
> October 4	  6:30 ??? Ran (1985)  Directed by Akira Kurosawa
> October 5	  6:30 ??? Onimaru (1988) Directed by Yoshishige Yoshida
> October 6	  6:30 ??? Black Rain  (1989)  Directed by Shohei Imamura
> October 7	  7:00  ??? The Assassin  (1964) Directed by Masahiro Shinoda
>
>
> Ticket Information for concerts:  Tickets for Library of Congress 
> concerts
> are distributed by TicketMaster at (301) 808-6900, (410) 752-1200 or, 
> for
> out-of-state residents, 1-800-551-7328.  Each ticket will carry a 
> nominal
> service charge of $2.75, with additional charges for phone orders and
> handling.  Tickets are also available at TicketMaster outlets and 
> online
> at www.TicketMaster.com.  Although the supply of tickets may be 
> exhausted,
> there are often empty seats at concert time.  Interested patrons are
> encouraged to come to the Library by 6:30 p.m. on concert nights to 
> wait
> in the standby line for no-show tickets. Unless otherwise noted, all
> concerts will be held in the Coolidge Auditorium, located on the ground
> floor of the Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First Street, S.E. For 
> further
> information about Concerts from the Library of Congress, please call 
> the
> Concert Information Line, at (202) 707-5502, or visit the Web site at
> www.loc.gov/concerts.
>
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