Toru Takemitsu and the Films of the Japanese New Wave

[Peter Grilli]

Angelo & Asako:

The 5-volume set called "The Complete Toru Takemitsu" (Takemitsu Zenshu),
referred to by Asako Yoshida, is a superb compilation of music, books,
letters, essays, film materials, and other information about Takemitsu.
It's beautifully packaged in five boxes, published by Shogakkan, and it
includes 55 CDs of Takemitsu music and five books.

Unfortunately, however, it's almost totally in Japanese.  (There are some
concert reviews and incidental writings in English -- but everything else is
in Japanese.)

Angelo, if you read Japanese this is a gold mine!
If you don't, you should find someone who does read Japanese, first to help
you select the material directly relevant to your research.  Then, beg that
person to translate that material for you.

I can send you a catalogue describing the contents of the 5-volume "Complete
Takemitsu" -- but the catalogue itself is also completely in Japanese.
Here's a rough breakdown of the contents of the 5 boxed volumes:

I.  Orchestral Works (includes 12 CDs)
II. Instrumental Works, Chamber Music, and Choral Music (includes 11 CDs)
III. Music for the Movies, 1  (10 CDs) -- This box includes music from about
60 films, composed between 1952 and 1969.  Since you're working on
Takemitsu's music for New Wave movies, this is the material most relevant to
your needs.)
IV. Music for the Movies, 2 (10 CDs) -- includes music from Toru's last 39
film scores (1970-95)
V. Popular Music, Tape Music, Incidental Music for Theater Works, TV, and
Radio, Addenda. (12 CDs)

I was a member of the editorial advisory group for this project, and I
lobbied hard for an English version -- or, at least, English translations of
some of the key written materials.  But unfortunately I was overruled by
budgetary considerations.
Still, this is an extremely valuable compilation of Takemitsu music and
information about him and his work (both his musical works and his
theoretical and philosophical writings).  It should be part of every serious
academic music library.

Good luck with your research!

Peter Grilli


  -----Original Message-----
  From: owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
[mailto:owner-KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu]On Behalf Of
Asako_Yoshida at Umanitoba.ca
  Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:27 AM
  To: KineJapan at lists.acs.ohio-state.edu
  Subject: Re: Toru Takemitsu and the Films of the Japanese New Wave


  Hi Angelo,

  I'm a great fun of his music myself. When I Googled, I found an
interesting 5-volume publication about Takemitsu and his art which came out
in 2002: Takemitsu Toru Zenshu from Shogakkan
(http://www.shogakukan.co.jp/takemitsu/all/05.html).

  The publication tries to gather many unpublished or not well noted among
Japanese audiences in one collection. It, for example, includes an essay by
Shinoda, if you can read Japanese. The page above includes Table of Contents
and indicates that the materials written by Donald Richie, Daniel Shmid, and
Peter Grilli gathered in the collection might be related to his movie music.
Unfortunately, worldcat does not include this publication, but you can draw
some hints from the page and search worldcat to see what might be available
and accessible here. For example, I found a collection of interviews
including Takemitsu himself in this DVD through worldcat:

  http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/174128399&referer=brief_results,

  or VHS:
  http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/222789680&referer=brief_results

  Cheers,


  Asako



  At Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:19:49 -0400, Angelo Masucci wrote:

  > Hi, my name is Angelo Masucci and I just signed on. I'm a graduate
student
  > at the New School University here in New York City and am now taking a
class
  > on Japanese New Wave Film.
  >
  > I'm about to begin a research paper on the role of Toru Takemitsu's
music in
  > a few of the films of the Japanese New Wave (Crazed Fruit, Double
Suicide,
  > and probably Woman in the Dunes). Unfortunately, in doing my research
I'm
  > discovering that there is little out there on Takemitsu's film work. The

  > majority of the books and articles I cam across focus primarily on his
  > orchestra pieces which are outside the scope of what I'm looking to do.
I
  > know there's a short documentary on his film work which is useful, but
I'm
  > very much in need of some deeper material.
  >
  > I'm wondering if anyone could point me in the direction of some
materials
  > that might be useful.
  >
  > Thank you in advance,
  >
  > Angelo Masucci
  >


  Asako Yoshida
  Reference Services
  Elizabeth Dafoe Library
  University of Manitoba
  Asako_Yoshida at Umanitoba.ca
  (204) 474-6591

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