AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION, SYMPHONY NO.

1,
AND
THE REALIZATION OF WESTERN AND JAPANESE INFLUENCES IN
TAKEMITSUS NOVEMBER STEPS

A Dissertation
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the
Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in
The School of Music

by
Charles Douglas Haarhues
B.M., Eastern Illinois University, 1996
M.M., Eastern Illinois University, 1999
August 2005

DEDICATION
I would like to dedicate this dissertation to my wife, Mayumi Yotsumoto. It is only through her
inspiration, love, and support that the completion of this project has been possible.

ii

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to thank my wife Mayumi Yotsumoto (for everything) and her family, who assisted
me in my research on Japanese music and culture; Yoshihide Shimazu and Satoru Iwakiri, for
agreeing to be interviewed and for demonstrating their instruments; my mother and father, Arleen
and Cal Haarhues; my brother Mike Haarhues; my sisters, Karen Follon and Michelle Haarhues;
my advisor, Boyd Professor Dinos Constantinides for his guidance and advise during my years
here at LSU; and the other members of my doctoral committee, Dr. Robert Peck, Dr. Stephen
David Beck, Dr. William Grimes, and Dr. Kimberly Arp.
Reproduction of Portions of Tru Takemitsus score for November Steps are Copyright
1969 by C.F. Peters Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Used by Permission.

iii

PERSONAL REFLECTION
In June 2004 I traveled with my wife and her father to Tochigi prefecture in north-central Japan
to stay for a week at the Aryuveda clinic outside the small town of Takabayashi. The clinic is
located in the Aomori woods and is isolated from the noises of modern civilization. Because I had
brought with me several books, dissertations, and articles dealing with Takemitsu and Japanese
music, I spent much of my time during our stay doing research relevant to my analysis of
November Steps. I also had time to take many walks through the surrounding woods. Because of
the absence of man-made noise, the atmosphere was one of tranquil solitude, and I was able to hear
clearly the sounds of nature, such as the ebb and flow of the wind in the trees and the gentle
shaking of the leaves in the breeze. During one of these walks I suddenly understood what is truly
meant by a phrase I had read numerous times during my research: the ultimate achievement the
shakuhachi master strives for in his performance is the re-creation of the sound of wind blowing
through an old bamboo grove.1

Toru Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, translated and edited by Yoshiko Kakudo and Glenn Glasow (Berkeley:
Fallen Leaf Press, 1995), 88.

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEDICATION .............................................................................................................................ii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...........................................................................................................iii
PERSONAL REFLECTION......................................................................................................iv
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................vii
PART I: AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION, SYMPHONY NO. 1............................................1
I: RASHMON ..........................................................................................................................2
II: FOR A PERSON OF A FLOATING WORLD................................................................31
III: THE DARKENING SKY..................................................................................................55
IV: THE GREAT WAVE OFF KANAGAWA.....................................................................70
PART II: THE REALIZATION OF WESTERN AND JAPANESE INFLUENCES IN
TAKEMITSUS NOVEMBER STEPS .....................................................................................97
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................98
CHAPTER 2: BIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................101
CHAPTER 3: WESTERN INFLUENCES.........................................................................113
Introduction ........................................................................................................................113
Debussy................................................................................................................................113
Messiaen ..............................................................................................................................114
Cage......................................................................................................................................116
Webern.................................................................................................................................118
Ligeti, Penderecki, and Lutoslawski................................................................................119
Xenakis................................................................................................................................120
Jazz ......................................................................................................................................121
CHAPTER 4: JAPANESE AESTHETICS.........................................................................123
Introduction ........................................................................................................................123
Nature ..................................................................................................................................123
Sawari...................................................................................................................................126
Zen Buddhism ....................................................................................................................128
Japanese Conceptions of Time..........................................................................................130
Ma.........................................................................................................................................134
CHAPTER 5: THE SHAKUHACHI AND BIWA...............................................................138
Introduction ........................................................................................................................138
Biwa: The Instrument and Its History..............................................................................139
Shakuhachi: The Instrument and Its History..................................................................142
CHAPTER 6: ANALYSIS OF NOVEMBER STEPS.........................................................146
Introduction ........................................................................................................................146
Previous Analyses of November Steps...............................................................................148
The Notation of the Biwa and Shakuhachi as Used in November Steps........................150
Orchestral Seating Plan.....................................................................................................158
General Principles of Construction..................................................................................160
Major Sections within November Steps ............................................................................173
v

Ma and Cyclical Temporality in November Steps...........................................................196

CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION.............................................................................................200
BIBLIOGRAPHY......................................................................................................................204
APPENDIX A: OUTLINE OF NOVEMBER STEPS ANALYSIS ......................................208
APPENDIX B: LETTERS OF PERMISSION.......................................................................210
VITA ..........................................................................................................................................212

vi

ABSTRACT
This dissertation is in two parts. Part one is an original composition, Symphony No. 1 and is
inspired by different aspects of Japanese culture. Part two is an analysis of Tru Takemitsus
November Steps, which is scored for orchestra and the traditional Japanese instruments, biwa and
shakuhachi.
The first movement of Symphony No. 1 is entitled Rashmon and is based on the structure of
the 1951 Akira Kurosawa film. The harmonic language is primarily polytonal and is based on the
octatonic scale. The second movement is entitled For a Person of a Floating World. Its form is
derived from the 5-7-5 syllabic structure of haiku poetry. The harmonic language consists of
contrasting pentatonic and whole-tone derived sonorities. The third and fourth movements are
inspired by Katsushika Hokusais woodblock print The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. The third
movement serves as a prelude and is entitled The Darkening Sky. The last movement is entitled The
Great Wave Off Kanagawa and utilizes the percussion section to emulate a Japanese taiko drum
ensemble. Both movements utilize transpositions of a symmetrical scale consisting of two [025]
trichords (C-D-F / F#-G#-B).
Part two is an analysis of November Steps and emphasizes the realization of Japanese and
Western influences in the composition. It is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter is an
introduction. The second chapter is a biography of the composer. The third chapter deals with the
Western composers who have had the most profound influence on Takemitsu. The fourth chapter
explores Japanese aesthetic concepts which are central to Takemitsus music. The fifth chapter
discusses the biwa and shakuhachi.
The sixth chapter analyzes November Steps. The introduction explains Takemitsus aesthetic
approach. Next, previous analyses are described. The third section deals with Takemitsus notation
for the biwa and shakuhachi. Next, Takemitsus orchestral seating plan is discussed. The next two
sections analyze how November Steps form is generated from stratified gestures which
accumulate and dissipate over time. The last section explores how the Japanese aesthetic concepts
of ma and cyclical time are realized in the composition. The seventh chapter is a conclusion.

vii

PART I: AN ORIGINAL COMPOSITION, SYMPHONY NO. 1

Symphony No. 1
I. RASHMON
II: FOR A PERSON OF A FLOATING WORLD
III: THE DARKENING SKY
IV: THE GREAT WAVE OFF KANAGAWA
2 Flutes (flute 1 doubles piccolo)
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets in B-flat
1 Bass Clarinet
2 Bassoons
1 Contrabassoon
4 Horns in F
3 Trumpets in C
3 Trombones
1 Tuba
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Percussion 4 (small tam-tam, tam-tam, pair of small Japanese cymbals,
wind-chimes, bass drum)
Harp
Violin 1
Violin 2
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Cello
Double bass

Score in C.
All instruments sound as written except for the piccolo
which sounds one octave higher than written, the glockenspiel
which sounds two octaves higher than written, and the
contrabassoon and double bass which sound one octave lower
than written.

q 112

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Hp.

? 64

Vln. 1

& 64

Vln. 2

& 64

Vla.

B 64

38

Vlc.

Cb.

bell of china cymbal

>
Gliss. # #
b

unis.

Div. >
# # n

>
b
b # # #
b
# # # # J
J

? 64 # j n # #

#
J

? 64 # n # #

#
J

>

>

n
>

#
J

b
J

j
b
#
J

Vib.

>

#
J

?6
4

j
#
J

Tba.

#
J

24

b #

Db

> b

b b
J

24

24

unis. pizz.

j
# # n #

24

unis. pizz.

#
J

24

c #
J J
P
c

24

24

j j
c # #
P

b c > b
J
p
c

>

b
J

j
##
J

j
#

j>
b ..
b

.
.
F
b

>

b
c
64

64 # j # #
#
J J
J
64 #
J
64

j
#
J

64
64

j
# n #
J
J

b > b
J

arco unis.

# .
J

#
J

c # #

 #
J

&
P

44

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

a2

&
a2
#
& J
P

6
4

6
4

# #

.
# #
J
c
F

#
b c ## b .
J
J
F

.
J
.
F

j
b
#
J

# 6 # #
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

b b j

J
F J.

Hn.
1&2

&

64

Hn.
3&4

&

64

C Tpt.
1&2

&

64

C Tpt.
3

&

64

64

64

# J #

6
4

j .
#

44

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

# 6 # #
4

Vib.

#
& J
P

Glk.

&

6
4

6
4

44

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

b b

1.

## .
J

64

64

64

Vla.

64

>

b
J b

64 b

c j

>
? b

64
64

b > b b
J

#
J
F
arco unis. b
J
F

## .
J
F
c # # #
F
.
c

# J
F

unis.

#
J
f
#
J
f

b.

b
J
f

j
j
b

a2

j
b j j
#
J
a2

# . b j b j
f

j
#
f

.
Div. #
# n
J
f
.
Div.
J #
f

j j
b

sus. cymbal with hard mallet

J J
f

. .
gliss.
b b # ..
J b .

j j
j j
bb
b
b
J
b
# #
J J
J

# . b b .
J
J
f

# J J
f

2.

j
j
# . #
f
a2. # .
#
b
J
J
f

&

Vln. 2

44

# #
J J
f

#
J
f.
.j
#

f
.
b #
J
f

& b

Cb.

.
b # # # n
F

.
c # # J
F

Vln. 1

Vlc.

j
#
J

j>
b ..
b
.
.
p
F
b b b b
b b

?
64
c

44

&
Hp.

j
#

#
J # J J

b
J J
J

# #
J J
f

Div.

b.
f

b
J
f

j
b j


# # n n #

& J
51

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

# j
&

& #
J

b 1. 6

J 4
n

6
4

#
n #
? J

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

b b b

6
4

7
4

6
4

7 #
4
J

6
4

7
4

64

74

64

74

& # # n #
J

64

74

& # j

64

74

64

74

? b b

64

74 J #

6
4

7
4

b b

& j
#
&

# #

b b

? b

b
b

Glk.

&

6
4

6
4

64

.
64 b .
# .. b # ...
.

.
b ..
.

&

51

Hp.

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

51
# # n #
& J
b
& J

p@

# >
J

>
#

j
>

j

# n
J

#
J

a2

#
J

>

# n

# # n

>

b b b

7
4

74 tam tam with med. mallets

f

64

74

64

74

b
J
>

#
f

Gliss.

# # #

74

64

74

? b b

64

74 J #

64

74 #
J

# # #

# n

# # n n
n

#
J

# >

>

b
J

.
J

>

b
J

# J n
J

# J

unis.

c U .

@
@
f >

b U
c J
tam-tam with med. mallets

.
J

#
J

c U .
@

>

bass drum

10

#w

U
c bw

b >

U
w

# Uw
#
c# w

U
b c #w

U
c

www
w

# 7
4

b Uw
b #
w

U
c b ww

U
b # c b w

# Uw
c

U
c w
#w

U
c
#w

U
c
#
b ww

U
c
#w
b b
w
#

b
c b b ww

7
4

b b

# # n

# # #

#
J

b b b

64

n n #
# #
B J

b 64 b b 74 #
P

&
51

Perc. 4

j
# 74 b #b n # ..

#
J
J

b b

# # n

7
4

Vib.

Perc. 3

7
4

51

Hn.
1&2

6
4

Gliss.

b #
J

c
c

U
b w@
w

U
b w@
# b
#

J
c w

U
Div. @

c b ww

U
b
c #w
@

U
b
c # j

3
4

&

3
4

&

Fl.
1&2

&

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

q 112

56

1.

3
4

3
4

3
4

34

Hn.
3&4

&

34

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Vib.

&

Glk.

&

bw
p

56

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

& b b
p
b
?
b J
56Eb

Hp.

Fn

straight mute

a2

n ..

b.
p

j
b b

..

3 b
J

b .

P
b b .

c
c

3
4

b . 3
4
3

1. b
J

a2

b b . 3
4
p 3

c
c

a2

b pb .
3

3
4

a2

&

Tbn.
1&2

c n b
J

Hn.
1&2

56

b b b . 34 b
J

b b
P

#
b b b c b
J
P
3

1.

b b n n 3 b b b n n b c
4

3
4

j
b
b

34

34

34

34

34

34

34

34

34

34

3
4

ww
ww

3
4

3
4

3
4

bw
bw

3
4

c #
# b b

3
4

b
b b
pJ

3
4

34

b
J b b .
b .
P

b b
b

sus. cymbal with soft mallets

c
J

b
3

3
4
34

34

Gb

34

34

34 b J

34

n 3b

34 .

b b b 3b
J
P 3

34 b

c
c

Vln. 1

&

34

Vln. 2

&

34

Vla.

b w

34 .

n .

b w
p

34 .

c w

34 .

34 .

c w

34 .

56

Vlc.

Cb.

? bw
p

unis.

11

unis.

b
J

n 3b
J

c
c

&c
64

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

&c

& c .
?c

Hn.
3&4

3
4

3
4

3
4

b b 3 #
4
3
P 3

#
J
p

6 w.
4

j 64
w.
p

6 w.
4

# J
p

6 w.
4

6
4

j
c .
#
.

64

c .

64

64

?c

3
4

&c

43

43

&c

straight mute

j j
b ..

43

&c

43

?c

43

?c

43

?c

3
4

Vib.

&c

3
4

Glk.

&c

3
4

j c

3
4

F J

43

c
@

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

&c

64

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Hp.

c
?c

tam tam with med. mallets

64
b b
&c
P

?c

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

#
J
f

&c

&c

unis.
# J
f

64

Vln. 1

Bc

?c
? c bw

n
J
3

b.
J

n b b

C Tpt.
1&2

p
p

# ..
b .
.

64

64

64

6
4

b
J

c .

#
#

p J

6 www ...
4 w.

# j 64 w
p

64

43

64

43 #

43

c
c

# # #
J

J # # #

64
64

> # .
# . # # . #
J
c

3
# . # J # . # c > # .
3

64

b n

64

43

64

12

43 #

64
J

6
4

straight mute

1.

43

43

# b .
b J
P

6 w.
4

#
J
p

3
? c2. b j b n n # b n 3 b n b b
4

64

Hn.
1&2

C. Bn.

>
c # .
c b . .
f p
c b . .
f p

6
4

&

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

6 J
4

69

Fl.
1&2

B.Cl.

# b

rit.

q 96
# 3
J # ..
p

..
1.

3
# .
.
J
p
3
b .
J
p

b.

6
4
6
4

1.

.
#

..

# #
p

#
J

b
J

# .

6
4
6
4
6
4
6
4

Hn.
1&2

&

64

Hn.
3&4

&

64

C Tpt.
1&2

&

64

C Tpt.
3

&

64

64

64

64

64

64

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

69

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

69

Vib.

Glk.

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

&

& #

Vla.

# b
p
3

64
64

6
4

6
4

64

64

64

64

64

64

64

64

64

b
b 64

# > 3
J #
f p
3
Div. >
#
&
J
f p
3
j
B
b
>
f p
&
69

Vln. 2

straight mute

69

Vln. 1

3
64
#
J b b
p

&
Hp.

straight mute

Vlc.

? w

Cb.

? w

Div.

64

# . # # . #
>
b #
unis.
b b b 3
J
64
c
#
3
3
3
3
3
f
p
f 3p
3
>
3
3
3
64

c
b n b b n #
p
f 3p
3
j
j
6

c
#

4
b
J
J
J
J
>
p
f
f p
j
j
64
j
b
.
c
b
b b j b j
b
J
# b
J
J
p
f
j
j
j
64

c
b
b J
b b
J
p
3

13

6
&4

a2

75

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

6
&4

a2

6
&4
?6
4
a2

& 64 ww

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

& 64

ww

& 64

b
P

#
p
P

c # #
P

b n #
R

3
4

# n
b
P
# b

3
4

3
4

# b

3
4

# b n

# b
P

3
4

r
b

34

# b n
p
P

r
#

34

34

b b
P
b

n
p
b

j
#
P
b 3
# # J
P
a2

# b b

34

? 64

34

Tbn. 3

? 64

34

Tba.

?6
4

Vib.

6
&4

3
j 4
>

Glk.

6
&4

75

# #
f

Perc. 3

64

Perc. 4

? 64

j
>

Hp.

3
4

3
4

34

Vln. 2

& 64

b >
R
f
>
b R

Vla.

B 64

>
b R

Vlc.

? 64

& 64

Cb.

# #
f
? 64 # #
f

3
4

En Gn

75

Vln. 1

# #

? 64

& 64
75

triangle

J
F
j

b
J
f

#
R

>
#

c ww
c

c J

j
b c ...
b

p
b
J

b
b b
n
J

34

34

>
>
bb . 3 # .

b b
Jb
3

34 > # .

> #
r
c J
#

>
b b . 34 # .

# #
f
c # #
f

34

n
P
#

34

14

>
bb

>
r
# c
#
J

# b

Tbn.
1&2

c ..

& 64

C Tpt.
3

b > .

?6
4

3
4

?6
4

75

Hn.
1&2

b b b
F
3

j
b

b > .

b .
>
F
.
>

b b
F
b .
J
F

Ob.
1&2

#
& b

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&

f
> .

Bb Cl.
1&2

> # .

# # .

&
80

Fl.
1&2

# .
b # #
>
f
> # .
b

?
#
J
3
f
b
# > # .
?
3

f
> .
#

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

80

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

&
&

# .

b
# .
F

> # .

b b
p

b #
J

1.

# .

#
J

6
4

6
4

b n

6
4

6
4

6
4

64

64

ww

# n

ww

6
4

b b
p
p

b
b b
p

#
> .

> # .

Glk.

&

&

F#

Perc. 4

80

Hp.

&
80

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

& b #

Vla.

B b #

Vlc.

? b

Cb.

? b #
3

> # .

> # .
f
> # .
f

b b b # n # n
F 3
# # n #

> # . # n # #
f
P
> .
#

b #
# #

Bass Drum with med. mallets

b #
J
F

># .

sus. cymbal with med.mallets

b # b

f
> # .

> .
n
f

f

f

15

#
p

b # n # #
P
# b
P
.

64

# # 64
J
P
64

6
j
# # 4
P
6

64

b
J

6
4

6
4

64

straight mute

2.
#

&

Perc. 3

straight mute

Vib.

80

b b
# J
P

64

64

64

64

64

#
p
#
p

.
.

# # 64
J
P
# # 64
J
P

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

6
&4

6
&4

?6
4

j
# b #
f

?6
4

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

#
f
a2

?6
4
& 64
85

Hn.
1&2

remove mute

& 64

b b c j
#

b ..
remove mute

& 64
& 64
? 64

? 64

Tba.

?6
4

Vib.

6 b b .
& 4 b ...

Glk.

6
&4

Perc. 3

64

Perc. 4

? 64

85

Hp.

>
85
b
& 64 b
J
f
? 64

& 64
85

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

b #
J
f
a2
#
J

#
f
#

# n #
J
f
# b

#
J
f

6
&4
85

Fl.
1&2

& 64
B 64
? 64
? 64

>
b . b

>
b . b

>
b . b

# > .

b b

# b

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

r
b

64

r
#

64

remove mute

remove mute

64

j
#

64
64

#
J

64

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

# #

b #

Gliss.

b b n .
3

b
# # . c # n #

b b
c # J
3
b b
c # J
3

b b .
.
n

# # n

16

J
j
b
#

# #
J

# > #

unis.

> # .

# 3#
J

Div. >

b #

unis.

> # .

# 3#
J

Div.
>
b
b

# # n

sus. cymbal with med.mallets

> # .

Div.

b b

Div.
b
# > . c # b b n n # ..

f
#

b b
f
b

a2

a2

b b

b b

>
n # #

64
64
64
64

>
n # # 64
>
# n # 64

64
64

6 # .. # n b
& 4 #
P
P
F
89

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

6
&4

a2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

6
& 4 # # .. n b
P
F
? 6 b . # #
4
P
F
?6
4

R
P

a2

F
a2

>
b .
#

f
>
.
f

>

# # ..
#
F
f
>
b .

f
F

b b b

F
b b

a2

? 6 #.
4

> # .

#
# R

# # #
J

> .

> # .
n .
> b .

# #
f

J
f

& 64

& 64

& 64

& 64

? 64

Tbn. 3

? 64

Tba.

?6
4

Vib.

6
&4

Glk.

6
&4

Perc. 3

64

Perc. 4

? 64

89

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

89

& 64

89

Hp.

Vln. 1

& 64

Vln. 2

& 64

Vla.

B 64

Vlc.

? 64

89

Cb.

? 64 # w
p

>
b b n # .

f
> # .
b

b b
F
f
unis.
>
b b n # .
#
f
F
unis.

b
P

b b .
f

b b
f

b
b

#
f

> # .
# J

b b b ....
p

# #

17

Div.

p
p

c
c

c
b
# #
c
f

unis.

#
b b # # n # c
Div.

Div.
# b n c
b # n # #

unis.

c
c

Bass Drum with med. mallets

c
c

a2

# #

Div.
#

J
F

# R #

> # . b .

#
f

b .
>

# #

#
# # n b c
J
F

> # .

b c
# # n # # n
P
# n b

c
f

sus. cymbal with med.mallets

b > .

b .
>

a2

b
f

# # n # # c

a2

? 64

#
# #

# b
#
c
f

# J

# # n b c

&c
92

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

# > n . > # .

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

? c r r
#

&c
#

&c

& c #

&c

#
?c

?c

?c

Glk.

&c

92

Hp.

c
f

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

3
4

a2

3
4

1.

3
4

43

43

43

43

43

j
# #

p
b

Bell of China cymbal

with med. mallet

pJ

G#

# > n . > # .

.. ..

&c

# .. ..
Bc

# b . Bn
# .
P

b #

b #

a2

# #
p

3
4
3
4

3
3
3
3
3
4
# # n #
p

3
4

3
4

3
4

j
#
p

j
n

43

.
.

43

43

43

43

43

43

3
4

3
4

# n ...
b .

3
4

3
4

3
4

43

43

3
4

3
4

ww
ww

straight mute

n # n . a2# #

# # #
J

3
4

3
4

# # # #
#
p

? c r b r

? c r b r

# #

? c .
f

b
92

& c b

&c

3
4

92

Vln. 1

# #
J

?c

1.

? c r r
#

&c

Perc. 4

& c # .. ..

? c .

Vib.

Perc. 3

.. ..
c

&

92

Hn.
1&2

q 112

43
43

43

# b #

43

43

43

43

43

j
p

43 .

c
# # # # b #
3

#w

43 .

#w

43 .

18

j
n
3

43

43

43

43

3
&4
99

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

# # # ..
#

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

a2

5
4

?3
4

5
4

45

45

& 43 j

& 43

? 43

Tbn. 3

? 43

Tba.

?3
4

Vib.

3
&4

Glk.

3
&4

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

.
# .
J J
P

#
P .

# j 45
#
#
P
j 45
#

45
45

n
#
#

5
4

5
4

5
4

43

5
4

? 43

45

& 43

45

? 43

45

Vln. 1

& 43

Vln. 2

& 43

99

Hp.

99

45

j j
.

45

Vla.

B 43
.

Vlc.

? 43

Cb.

? 43

5
4

6
4

5
4

6
4

5
4

6
4

5
4

64

b b
>f
3

64

64

64

64

6
4

6
4

c
c

j
# #

sus. cymbal with med.mallets

gliss.

#
F

F
b

#
6

>
c J
f
c
c

>

45

45

j
#
P

45
5
4

6
4

5
4

64

45

64

45

64

45

# > 3
J #
p3
#

# n
> p
3

c b b
>
f

# J
P

c # # j b
> p
3
f 3
3
c b b
j
>
> p
f

45

5
4

45

45

19

45

6
4

45

5
4

>

45

j
b
b
P
j
# # b
P

64

c b b
>
f

6
4

5
4

5
4

c
>
f
3
c

c b b
>
f

b .

1.
6 #
4
P

6
4

c b b
>
f

remove mute

99

& 43

Tbn.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

5
#
4 # #

C Tpt.
1&2

5
4

& 43

Hn.
3&4

j
n #

?3
4

99

Hn.
1&2

5
4

# #
3

n #
J

? 3 # # c
4

# n

n
#

3
& 4 ## # . c # .
3

B.Cl.

5
4

q 124
c

n #
# n
J

# # . c # .

3
&4
3

Bb Cl.
1&2

# # ..

64 w .

45

64 w .
w.

45

64 w .

45

64 .

45

64

45

5
&4

6
4

5
&4

6
4

5
&4

6
4

?5
4

6
4

?5
4

6
4

?5
4

6
4

& 45

64

& 45

64

104

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

104

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

#
J
f
a2
b
J
f
a2
# j
a2

b
b
F

64

#
F

64

& 45 #
> #
f p
3
& 45
>
f p
? 45

64

Tbn. 3

? 45

64 # #
J

Tba.

?5
4

6
4

Vib.

5
&4

6
4

Glk.

5
&4

6
4

Perc. 3

45

6
4

Perc. 4

? 45

64

& 45

Bb Gn

? 45

64

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

104

104

Hp.

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

# > 3
104

& 45 J
f p
> 3

& 45 J #
f p

j
# #

64

#
J

n j b
F

j
n b
F

.
p

gliss.

# R #
F
f

20

5
4

..

b
J

5
4

5
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

c b b
f >

6
4

c #
b
>
f
3
c

b b b
> 3
c
f>

64

54

64

54

64

54

64

54

f
>
f
>

f
> b
3

f>
> b 2.. .
c b #
f 3 F
3
.
c b b # n .
f
F
3

5
4

6
4

64

#
J

>

f
>


3

b ..
b b ..
p

5
4

5
4

w
p

5
4

64 #
J
P
64

j
b
b
# J

54
54

54

64

54

64

54

f
. . . b . . 6
>
c # #
4
f 33 F
. .
.
c b b # n . . 64
>
f
F
3
. b . .
. .
c b b # 64
>
f
F
3

5
4

54

sus. cymbal with med.mallets

5
4

6
4

# 54
P

. . . . 64 #
J

54

3
6 j

. b . . 4 #
b b # . .
F
f
6
c

c
f

1.

. . b . . 6 #
4 J

b b
p

3
. b . .
. .
c b b # 64 # J
>
p
F

b b
J

..

c
f

b bb

b
p

c
Bass Drum with hard mallets

>

j
b
F
P

64 # # # b # n
J
F
f
# #
3
B 45 b

J # 64
#

J
F
f
f p
3
b

? 45 b b j b n b 64

P
f p
3

? 45 b b
64

f p
F
..

b
J

j
b
F

j
# #

P
F

64

a2

#
J

#w
p
#w
p
#w
p

54

j
#

54

54

5
&4

5
&4

5
&4

108

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

C. Bn.

? 5 b # # j
4

b . . . #
J
F

?5
4

?5
4

& 45

5 #
4
f
3
5

4 b
b
f
3
5
4 b b
f
p

& 45

& 45

5
4 b b
f
p

b # # b
F
# #

& 45

? 45

Tbn. 3

? 45

Tba.

?5
4

. .
c # . #
J
F
p

Vib.

5
&4

Glk.

5
&4

Perc. 3

45

Perc. 4

? 45

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

108

Hp.

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

? 45

& 45
& 45
B 45
? 45 .
? 45 w

b
b
F

> .

>
b b .
f

b > .
# b
3
F
f
3
# # b
b .
f
F 3
b n .
f

c b
j
. . . #
F
p

& 45

108

Vln. 1

b . . . #
J
p
F

108

1.

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

1.
b 6
#
4

b b #
J

.
F
f
f

b . . . #

p
F
. # . .

c
#
F
p
b . . . #
c
p
F

f
Div.

b
J
# b
f
F
Div.
# b

#
J
f
w
w

64

64

64

64

64

6
4

b b b
pJ

6
4

6
4

45

64

3
45
>
f
b
45
3
f 3
45 b b
f
3

5
4

6
4

45

64

45

64

# unis.

45

64

#
45

64

b
45 b

unis.

64

f 3
45 b b
f
p
3

45 b b
f
p
3

21

6
4
64

Div.

5
4

#
#

b b
f
p
5
4

45

f
45
#
f
54 #
>
f

5
4

Bass Drum with hard mallets

#
F

5
4 b b
f
p
3

Hn.
3&4

a2

108

Hn.
1&2

Bsn.
1&2

5
4

a2

#
J

b 6
#
4
64

6
&4

..

#
J

..

.
.

#
J

112

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

6
&4

6
&4
?6
4

?6
4 b

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

6
4

6
4

6
4

b
c b b

6
4

c b b

6
4

c j .
b b

a2
. 64 # j
. .

b
c b
3

3b

& 64

& 64

& 64

& 64

112

Hn.
1&2

? 6 # # j
4

6
4

C. Bn.

n 3

c j .
b b
3

c
>

c
>

b n

5
4

5
4

5
4

5
4

b
b c

5
4

5
4

a2

6 j
. 4 #
. .
#

j 45

45

64

45

64

# . .
n
b
c b b . . # . 64 n J

45

45

? 64

Tbn. 3

? 64

c b b . # . # . . n . . 64 n . j

45

Tba.

?6
4

5
4

Vib.

6
&4

6
3

4 j
n .
b b . # . # . . n . .

Tbn.
1&2

112

Glk.

6
&4

Perc. 3

64

Perc. 4

? 64
112

Hp.

? 64

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

? 64

#.

6
4

6
4

64

j
n

6
4

j
b
b
# J

Cb.

J
f

#
# R #
F
f
#

#
b #
& 64
F
f
#

B 64 # # #
P
f
j
? 64 # b
n
# .
n
& 64
112

Vln. 1

c
c

5
4

5
4

5
4

45

>

64

45

64

45

64

45

# R #

64

# b # n
45 # J #

> 3

>

c
&

w
b c www
J

w
P

j
b b #
J

& 64

>
c b

64 b w

b c

c b b . # . # . . n . . 64 n w

b c

c b b . # . # . . n . . 64 n w

b c

22

# # 45 # # #
J

b b 5
4

45

&c
117

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

3
3 3
b J 5

J 4

3
3 3
# J 5
c

&
J 4
3
b 5 b

# J
& c b
J 4 b

?c

b b

3
b 3
J 5
J

4
3
3

?c

C. Bn.

?c

& c j j

J
3.
a2
j 3 j
& c j j

117

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

1.

j
b

5
4

Glk.

&c

5
4

3
J

?c

&c

D# C#

?c

45

Vlc.

Cb.

Div.
B c b b b

? c b

? c b

j
r
c b b

c b

# #
b
b # # #

c b # J

# #
# b b #
b # #
b

c b # J

# #
b
b # # #

j j
# n b
# n b

j
#
#

n #
n #

# j j

# # #
# # n b # #
J J

# j
#
# #
J

n #

# j j
# j
# # #
#
# #
#
J J # J

# j j n

# j

n #

#
# J

n n #

# # #
J J
J

c b J
c

c
c

# J

j
b #

j 3

b b

j 3
b
b
3

# #

# n b
#
# # n # J

#
b

# #
b
b # # #

b
# #
b # # #

>
j
#
b
#
J
f

# #
J J

#
# J J

unis.
# c b j

n
J

b J 45 b b # c b # J
3

j
b J 45 b b
3

3
3
j
45 b b
J

a2

b 3

Div.
J 45
J
J

Div. #

J J 45

J
3

j j
j
# n b #
# n b
#

b
J

45

3
b

45

# J

a2

5
4

Vla.

b
b

b
J

& c b b

b

J

5
4

Vln. 2

j
j
b J 45 b b

45

?c

117

&c

45

&c

Vln. 1

117

Hp.

b b
J

#
J

45

117

&c

Perc. 4

Vib.

Perc. 3

j
j
j
45 b
#
b

?c

3
3
j
j
j
45 b

&c

? c b

a2

5
4

5 b
4 b b

c b # J

23

# #
J

n #

#
# J

# #
J J
#
J J

# #
J J

#
J J
Div.
# b j

# #
b
b # # #

# #
b
b # # #

b b b

b #

b
3

b b b

b b
b b

123

Fl.
1&2

&

3
b

# #

b
b
b # n

#
J

b b

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

B.Cl.

b
? # #

Bsn.
1&2

? # # b b

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

? # #
123
j
& #
#

n #
n #

& # j
#

C. Bn.

j 3
j 3
b
b b b

j 3
j 3
b b

b
3

5
4

5
4

# J

3
j j
# n b j
# n b b b

b
J
b
J

3
j
# j j
j

b
#

# # b b
3
# # # #

J
J J

n #

j
& #

n #

#
? # J

n #

? # #

# # n # n
J J
J

# J

b
J

j
#

# #

j
j j
# #

b
3
4 b

3
4

3 b
4 b b

3b

5 #
4

3
4 b b

j
43 b b
b b

45

#
& # J

b #

n 3

5 #
4

j
j 45

# #

3
4
3
4

5
4

# J

#
# R

5
4

b
b # #

j
43 b
b # #
3
# #
43

43

a2
b
43
J

b
J

b
b

45

# #

45

45

#
#

#
45

j 5
b 4 #

43 b b

3
4

Vib.

&

5
4

3
4

Glk.

&

5
4

3
4

5
4

3
4

123

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

c
c

45

43

45

43

45

43

#
123 #
& J

n #

# #
& J
B

3
b

b b

&

b
b
3

b
? # # b b
3

Cb.

&

123

Hp.

b
? # # b b
3

# #
J J
#
J J

# #

#

J

b
3

b b n

Div.

unis.
# b # 3 b
45 #

4
J

b b

#
# R #

unis.

unis.
#
b

# # 45 # # # & 43 b
J
Div.

# b b b .

# b b

#
45

#
45

24

43

Div.

3
b

J

45

c
c

#
n # # c

43 b b

43 b b

j
n

&c
129

Fl.
1&2

3
3
b b

Bb Cl.
1&2

b
n

& c b n #

Bsn.
1&2

?c

#
3

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

?c

b b n n

j
j
& c b # n

b n

b b j
b b

j 3
j 3
& c b # n

b
n
3

&c

? c b b n n b

b b

?c

Glk.

&c

129

6
4

6
4

b #

6
4

# # c

6
4

n # c

6
4

n # c

j 3

j
#

64

b b # n #

# #
J

64

64

64

64

64

6
4

6
4

6
4

6
4

64

c
c

.
# .

j 3

..

j
c

# # c

n b b c

n b b

c
c
c

&c

64

?c

64

64

unis.
j # 64

&c

3
3
b b

b b

&c

3
b n b b

b b 3

3
b b b b

b b b b

3

b
n
# #

& c b n # b n

# # # # n #

Vlc.

? c b b n n

Cb.

? c b b n n

Vla.

?c

129

Vln. 2

129

Vln. 1

3
3

j j
b
n
#

Hp.

b
b

&c

Perc. 4

j 3
b j

? c b b b n # n n

Vib.

Perc. 3

&c

Tba.

6
4

# 3

Tbn. 3

? c b b # n n
b
n

Hn.
3&4

b b # n #

b b

129

Hn.
1&2

C. Bn.

b 3b

&c

B.Cl.

b b

Ob.
1&2

b b # n #
R

unis.

b b # n #
R

b b b

j
b n # # 64
#

unis.

c
&

b
# n #

b # 64 #

j
n # #

64 #

n # c

n # c

25

# #

b 3

c
&
134

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

b
#
n
& c b

&c

Bsn.
1&2

?c

b
3

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tba.

3
4

3
4

b
b

#
3

3
4

b
b b

3
4

b
3

1.

j
& c # n
# #

j
# b
b

j 3
j 3
# n #

j 3

b b

43

43

3
J

43

b 3
J

43

43

3
j 3
& c # n
#

#
3

3
3
& c b J J
3

3
3
& c J b J

? c b b b b
3

?c
?c

3
j 3
# b

j3

3 # 3 n 3

J
J
J
3

n 3 j b 3
J
J
3

# b
n b b
3

3
3

# n
#
n n

j 3
j 3
# n #

b
J
b
J

3
3

3
b J
3

3
J

b b
#
b b
3

b
b b
3

b b

43

j 3

3
j 3
j 3

n
b
b

j 3
b

j 3

j 3
#

3
4

?c

134

b 3

b b

tam-tam with a
pair of medium mallets

3
# b # # n

#
3
n # b b
#

b b

b # n n
# b n b
Div.
b

n #
& c b # # n # b n
3

?c

b b

?c

b b

3
4

3
4

c
n .
p

#
c
43 b b
p J
P

43

43

43

b
3

b b

43

n n

b b

43

n b b

26

n n

Dn Bn

43

c
pJ

ww
ww

43

Db Cn

j


p

n b b
3

3 .
4 #
.

>

b b
b b b b

b b b

&c

suspended cymbal

Div.

? c with med. mallets

&c

b b

Div.

j 3
b
b

1.

134

n b b

&c

b b

Perc. 3

Cb.

b b

3
4

b b

Vlc.

&c

Vla.

3
4

b b

Glk.

Vln. 2

b
#
n

134

Vln. 1

b b

q 112

n b b

&c

Hp.

# # b

Vib.

Perc. 4

b b

?c

Tbn. 3

b
# b n

C Tpt.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

b b

# b b

134

Hn.
1&2

# n
#

? c # # # n b

#
3

C. Bn.

B.Cl.

# n
#

c w
p
c w
p

w
w

p
unis.

&

3
4

&

3
4

c #

141

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

j
& #
?
?

C. Bn.

3
4

3
4

3
4

Bsn.
1&2

1.

3
. 4 #
3

#
J

2.
J
P

a2

#
P

3
4

# ..

# . # 3
4

# .

a2

#.
.

b n

.
c #

b
J

3
4

43

43

Hn.
3&4

&

43

43

&

43

43

straight mute

C Tpt.
1&2

&

43

43

straight mute

C Tpt.
3

43

43

43

43

3
4

3
4

3
4

Tbn. 3

Tba.

j
#
#

3
4

j j
b .
# .

43

3
4

3
4

straight mute

3
4

&

Tbn.
1&2

3
4

3
3
3
3
b n
# . c #.
b n # b n 4
J
3
P
3 # c # b

4
3
3
3
3
3
3
P 3
3
3
3
3
j
3
3
1.
b
3
b b # n 43 b b # n b c # n # #
J
J

a2

Hn.
1&2

141

3
4

43

43

# j

43

.
P

43

3
4

3
4

straight mute

2.

43

P .

straight mute

Vib.

&

3
4

Glk.

&

3
4

3
4

3
4

3
4

3
4

3
4

43

141

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

&
141

Hp.

141

Vln. 1

&

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

43

43

43 .

# #

unis.

43

Eb
j


J

Dn

b 3
J

En

Db Bb

43
43

gliss.

43

43

43

43

b c #
#

j
b
3

43 .

43

43 .

cw

43 .

c w

43

43 .

cw

43 .

c w

43

43 .

cw

43 .

c w

43

Bw
?

D#

43
j
n

J 43

27


3
&4

147

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

3
&4
3
&4

C. Bn.

? 3 # b
4

? 3 #
4
3

?3
4

Bsn.
1&2

& 43

147

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

b n

j c w

w
p

& 43

& 43

b J
p

6
b n # # # # c b r
4
b

p #

5
4

5
4

6 w.
4

b
c R

5
4

64

64

54

54

64

6
4

c bw
p

c
J

Bell of China cymbal

Suspended cymbal with

a pair of soft mallets

.
# ..

5
4
5
4

c bw

6
4

64

64

5
4

# j 64 w
p

J
j
b
# b
J c b b
P

j
# # 64 www

w
p

54

remove mute

b # b
J
p

b
c # b
b
PJ

64

64

64

gliss.

Div.

Vla.

B 43 # b

64

Vlc.

? 43

64

Cb.

? 43

64

54
ww

remove mute

b ww
p

b J
P

b
c R

64

c w

6 w.
4

54

3
&4

& 43

Glk.

Vln. 2

5
4

147

64

& 43

6 w.
4 w.

3
&4

Vln. 1

r
c

5
4

Vib.

? 43

6 w ..
4 w

54

147
#
& 43
# .

r
c n b

5
4

?3
4
147

64

Tba.

Hp.

1.
b J
p

#
# b b #

c R

? 43

? 43

j
#
p
j
#

# 3
J # # # n .

Tbn. 3

Perc. 4

6
4

j
b c w
p

? 43

43

straight mute

& 43

Perc. 3

1.

28

b w

5
4

54

remove mute

w
P

remove mute

a2

remove mute

b
F

c
c

#
F

c
c
c

c
suspended cymbal with
a pair of hard mallets

54
Dn

54

gliss.

c
c

b
#

c
c

# b

b b 5
b # b b #

c
4
F
3
54 Div. j

b # c
# b
F
3
3
3
b b
5

c
b b # n # 4 #
3
3
3
3
P
3
54

# b c
F

b
54
#

c
b

&c
152

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

& c n
f
&c
#
f
?c

? c
1.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

?c

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Glk.

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Hp.

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

# #
J

.
.

# # ..

& c j

f
& c # j

# #

?c

?c

?c

>

152
#

&c
f
?c

152
#
&c
f
& c n
f
B c #

#

J

.
.

#
#

# # ..

..

.
# .

# .
.

# # J

.
.

# # .

# .

# # ..

3
# # .. 4
3

# . 3
4

1.

# #

29

.
3

.
.

3
# 4

.
.

43

#
#
R

#
J

# # ..

r
43

# # ..

43

# ..

c
c

43

#
J

3
4

j
#

3
4

3
4

3
4

43 .

c
c

43

43

# #

. #

# .

43

# .
.

. # # 3
.
4

# # ..

# # . 3
4

c
c

# .
3

# ..

r
43

3
4

43 c
R

# # ..

. # 3
. # 4

tam-tam with hard mallets

# .
.

. #

# .
3
4

# ..

# #

#
#

a2

f
? c
?c

# # ..

c
f

?c

&c
f

&c

& c
J
f
j
&c

# .
.

2.
r

152

Vib.

.
# .

152

Hn.
1&2

#

J

43 c

43

#
J

#.
.

# .
& c # .

&c

&c
158

Fl.
1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

?c
?c

2.

?c

&c

158

Hn.
1&2

..

&c

# #

& c # #

r
J

&c

#
a2
?c #
R
J

?c

?c

158

Vib.

&c

Glk.

&c

Perc. 3

?c

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Perc. 4

C# Bn

&c
158

Hp.

?c

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

a2

.
# # .

j
c

64

# .

c
J

64

# .

#
#

.
.

43

43

43

j
J

3
4

# #

cw
w

gliss.

c # #

# #

..

# .

3
4

43

43

?c

?c

43

.
.

6
4

6 w.
4 w.

# .

c j

c
J

c
J

c
J

c j
c
c

6
4

c
J

64 .

64

choke

64
.

gliss.

c J
c

# # ..

64

.
# # .

c J

64

c
J

64

choke

c J

6 c J
4

30

# .
# .

64

6
4

64

43

43
43

3
4

64

Bc

# ..

# .
& c # .

64

# ..

3 .
4

#
c J

6
4

43

#.

#
c J

6 c J
4

3
4

6
4

43 .
gliss.

43

j
c #

# ..

43

# ..

#.
.

&c
158

Vln. 1

6
4

..

3
4

c J

# #

3
4

3
4

.
# # .

6
4

6
4

3
4

.
.

3
4

# # ..

3
4

64

c j

Flute1&2

4
&8

Oboe 1&2

e 72

II: FOR A PERSON OF A FLOATING WORLD

4
&8

4
&8

Bass Clarinet

?4
8

Bassoon 1&2

?4
8

Contrabassoon

?4
8

& 48

& 48

& 48

Trumpet in C 3

& 48

Trombone 1&2

Clarinet 1&2
in Bb

# j
P

? 48

Trombone3

? 48

?4
8

straight mute

Tuba

4
&8

4
&8

Percussion 3

48

Percussion 4

48

Horn in F
1&2

Horn in F
3&4

Trumpet in C
1&2

Percussion 1
(Vibraphone)

Percussion 2
(Glockenspiel)

j


P

Db C B / Eb F G A

j j j
. #
p
P
#

#
J

tam tam
with wire brushes

& 48

? 48

Violin 1

& 48

Violin 2

& 48

Harp

Viola

Cello

Contrabass

B 48

divisi

J
p

j
.

r
divisi
? 48 J

#
? 48

b ..
P
# # # ..

#
J

b b
J J
#
J J

# . #
J J

bb

31

play on bell

>. .
b b b
p

gliss.

J # # b b b b
F

b b
F

.
pJ

b b
J
F
## ## ##
O divisi

J
F

suspended cymbal

# # O
p

.
.

b
b

b
b

..

..

A
Fl. 1&2

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

11

r
b
b bn
R

p
6

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

11

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

11

Tuba

Vib.

Glk.

j
b

1. straight mute

straight mute

Perc. 4

&

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

Dn

gliss.

triangle

b b

P R

&

b
R

K
n
r
b

R
P
b
solo
R
P
solo

b
R

b n b

32

j 3

b


b

R
p

1.

r j
b
p

B .. b b b b R

p
? .. b b b # #

p
?

&

11

Vln. 2

b
J

straight mute

Vln. 1

Hp.

straight mute

straight mute

b
b

R
6
6
p 6
6
3
b b
b

Perc. 3

11

11
&

&

b
# #
p

b j

triangle

Cb gliss.

b b
p
10

tutti

j


J

divisi

#
#

tutti divisi

unison

# #

17

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

&
&

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

&
?

b #
J

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

1.

##
b j
p

#
#

j
#

6

a2

3
8

3
b

8
P

# b
J

a2

38

6
P
6
b # b 3
#
8
p
P
6
6
3

3
8

j
b
J

38

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

3
8

3
8

17

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

17

Tuba

17

Vib.

&

Glk.

&

p
sus. cymbal

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

&

17

Hp.

R
P
triangle

p R J
j

sus. cymbal with 2 soft mallets

Bb En FI

r
b
# b
P R

r
b

r
b
P
b
R

straight mute

P
P

38
38
38
38

j
b

38

3
8
3
8

38

38

38

17
&

&

38

38

# #

?
?

33

38

38

38

#
b

b
3 #
4
&8
8
3
3
6
F

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

3
# 4 # #
& 8 b
8

Bb Cl.
1&2

b
3 #
4
&8
8
F
? 3 # b
8
3
F
3
a2
b
?3
#

8
b
3

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

?3
8

Hn.
1&2

& 38
21

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

& 38

& 38
& 38
? 38

Tbn. 3

? 38

Tuba

?3
8

b
R

#
R

3
&8

Glk.

3
&8

21

38
& 38

? 38

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

21

& 38

& 38

Vla.

B 38

Vlc.

? 38

Cb.

? 38

b
3

..

..
.

j

J

.
.

..

b
J

#
3

b #
p

..

n #

..

b
p

34

..
..

#
PR

P
P

b
b b # # b
#
p
P R

gliss.

# b
b
48 #
3
3
F
#

48 b b

..

48
3
p
48

F
3 48
R
F
b 48
3
F
3
4
# b 8
F

48

4
8

Hp.

Perc. 4

F
3
3
48 # #

F
3
j 3

b # 48 # b
F
3
4 j
#
8 #
F
3
4
j
8 j
#

F
4 # b
8
F 3
#

4
b
8

38

3
3
4
# 8 #
b
b b
F
3
3
48
b
b
b
F
#

b # b 48 b b

Perc. 3

21

4
8

3
4
# b 8
F

21

Vib.

4
8

21

..

..

b #

b#

25

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

&

b b
b b

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&
?

25

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

j
#

Glk.

Perc. 4

&

25

25

Vln. 2

&

b #

Vlc.

b
3

B #
?
?

# ..

b
R

j
b #

p

a2

j
.

.
.

..
J

b #

.
.

.
.

.
.
..

b #
R
p

GI

r
b
b

#
R

.
.

#
b
P

b#
3

Cb.

#
b

b ##

..
..

.
.

.
.

#
#

.
.

#
#

.
.

.
..
.

.
.

..

Vla.

&

Vln. 1

.
.

# # .
J

Perc. 3

Hp.

a2

&

b #

&

&

#
&#

25

Vib.

25

Tuba

a2

?
&

Hn.
1&2

#
b b
p

b#
3

35

b#

pizz.

#
J

b
J

28

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&
&

b #

3
b

?
J

Hn.
3&4

&

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tuba

.
& .

Glk.

&

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

..

..

#
3

Vlc.

Cb.

B #
?
? J

b #

b
# R
P
b #

3
8

3
8

3
8

b
R

..

..

b
3

b #
#

.
.

..

b
3

36

b b b
3

4
8

38

48

38

48

48

3
r
38 #
# # #
p 3

3
8

48
4
8

3
8

n
n

4
8

3
8

#
#

4
8

3
8

4
8

38

48

38

38

48

n #
R

r
#

48

38

48

# b b b j
b
divisi # #
r

b
p 3
divisi
#
# # # #
R
#
J

4
8

b # #
b b b
J

38

4
8

b # b #

4
8

48

# b
#

# # b

n
#

b ##

gliss.

38

4
8

#
n

3
8

b
b

4
8

# b
b # # 3
8
p 3

b b
# #

b #

.
.

..

3
8

# b
# #
b
p

#
n

3
8

b
R

#
R

b
R
p

..

..
..

p
#
b

R
p

#
b

r
#

# b

3
b #
b b
b b
P
3

pR

Vla.

..

28

&

&

Vln. 2

28

..

28

&

Vln. 1

..

b
#

.
28
..
& .

b
b

b
b

Vib.

Hp.

28

&

&

C Tpt.
3

b
R
P

j
b
#
P

a2

a2

b #
3

#
b
J
P 3

a2

Hn.
1&2

C Tpt.
1&2

b b

# b

&

arco

38

J
j

n
R

38 b #
J

38 # b b r
b

38 # # # #
3
3

DICI

48

48
48
48
48

4 #
& 8 R

r
4 #
& 8 # #

r
4
&8
#

32

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

?4
8

Bsn.
1&2

? 4 b n
8
R

C. Bn.

?4
8
& 48
32

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

& 48
& 48

# #
J

solo 1

# #

# #

al niente

& 48

? 48

Tbn. 3

? 48

Tuba

?4
8

Vib.

Glk.

32
4 #
& 8 #

4
&8

Perc. 3

48

Perc. 4

48

p R R

sus. cymbal

tam-tam with
metal beater

#
& 48 # ## #
J
p
32

Hp.

China cymbal

Bn

med. mallet

r
# #

? 48

& 48

32

Vln. 1

# #

#
p

al niente

32

Tbn.
1&2

b b b
J

C Tpt.
3

C Tpt.
1&2

# n

ggg # # ...
gg # .

triangle

#
# # ...

unison
# # OR

r j
#

O bdivisi
# # #
#

& 48

Vla.

B 48

Vlc.

? 48 unison#

Cb.

? 48

China cymbal

3
j
#
#
J
p

Bb

F 3
3
# # #
# n # b n b
F

# # # #

P

37

# # #
P

divisi

#
# R J
F

Vln. 2

#
#
p

Dn

#
# J

r j
#
p

r
b
b
p
r
#
p
#
p

38

Fl. 1&2

&

#
# #
3

6
3

5
8

Ob.
1&2

&

5
8

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

5
8

5
8

5
8

5
8

85

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

38

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

85

85

Glk.

r j

P
# r
p

# n R
3
F

F

85

5
8

5
8

cresc.

?
j

&

&

Perc. 4

cresc.

b
#

cresc.

b
P

38
b
& # #
?

b
J

# b
J

85

J
3

j
b

J
F

# #
85 b b b
3
3
3
3
F
P cresc.

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

Vlc.

?
#

#
# #
P cresc.
3
#
b b b
3
P cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

85 # #
85 b
85 #
85

# n
3
F

# # #b n

3
3
3
F
3

38

F
3

5
8

5
8

5
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

48

85

48

85

48

85

48

85

48

85

48

85

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

j
n
J

5
8

4
8

4
8

5
8

#
#

5
8

48

85

48

85

48

85

48

48

48

48

48

Gn

&

85 #
J

Vln. 1

85

38

5
8
5
8

#
b
b

cresc.

Cb.

n
F3

Perc. 3

Hp.

j 4
8

j 4
8

r

p
3

4
8

j
48

85

38

Vib.

38

Tuba

j
#
pR J

85

&

J J

F
F

85

# j

85

# #

85

3
p
# n 5
# 8
3

J
p

85

5 J
&8
42

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

B.Cl.

n 3

5
&8

4
8

5
& 8 #

#
p
#
? 5 R

8
6

Bb Cl.
1&2

4 #
8

3
4
j
8
#

..

4
8

5
8

5
8

5
8

5
8

?5
8

4
8

5
8

?5
8

4
8

5
8

& 85

48

& 85

48

& 85

48

& 85

48

? 85

Tbn. 3

? 85

Tuba

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

42

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

#
J cresc.

85

b
p cresc.

85

85

85

48

85

48

85

?5
8

4
8

Vib.

5
&8

4
8

Glk.

5
&8

4
8

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

42

42

j
#
#

Perc. 3

85

4
8

Perc. 4

85

48

& 85

? 85

42

Hp.

& 85

& 85

42

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

B 85

..

Vlc.

? 85

Cb.

? 85

triangle

GI AI

48

#
J
p
#
J
p

48
48
48

R J
p

cresc.

#
# #

gliss.

5
8

5
8

5
8

85

85

85

# # #
# # #
P 33 cresc.
# # #
P

cresc.

..

.
.

48

.
.

48

#
b

r
#

pizz.

5
8

j
#

48

39

r
p #

5
8

85

b # # # # 85
3

b
b # # 85
3

cresc.

cresc.

cresc.

#
J

85

5
&8

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

5
&8

5
&8

?5
8

?5
8

?5
8

& 85 j

45

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

& 85 j

& 85

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

? 85

Tuba

?5 j
8 #

Vib.

5
&8

Glk.

5
&8

Perc. 3

85

Perc. 4

85
45

Cb.

r
#

p
r
#

p
p

r
#
#
p

p
#

p
#

p
#
p
n
#
p

#
p

#
#

.
.

p
#

.
.

##
R J

triangle

Dn BI

R J

? 85

45
# # #
& 85 #
3
3
3
F

# # # n
& 85 # #

F#
#
B 85 # #
3
3
3
F
3

? 85 # # # # b
b
3
3
F
3
? 85 # J

# #
J
F
3

4 #
8 #
4
8

r
#

4
8

2
8

4
8

2
8

48

28

48

28

48

48

48

48

4
8

4
8

28

28

2
8
2
8
2
8

4
8

2
8

48

28

#
48 # # R

48

48

48

48

b
p

48

48

40

28

28

4
8

..

..

#
pJ

2
8

.
.

.
.

2
8

2
8

4
8

F # # # #
#
4 #
2
8
8
p

gliss.
# # # # # # #

Vlc.

.
.

F # #
3
#
3
F

Vla.

& 85

Vln. 2

.
.

b b
F

45

Vln. 1

..

J
P

45

Hp.

..

& 85 b b b
P
F 3
b
? 85

F 3
3

C Tpt.
3

# #
# #
F 3
3
# b #
F
3
# ##

F
3

# # #
R
3
3
3
P
F
j

solo 1

45

#
J
P

r
#

b
R J
p

Bn

28
28
28
28
28
28

28


2
& 8 .
48

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

2
& 8 ..
2
&8

? 2 .
8 .

& 28

Hn.
3&4

& 28

C Tpt.
1&2

j
& 28
P

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

& 28

? 28
J
P
? 28

?2
8

48

Tuba

2
&8

Glk.

2
&8

Perc. 3

28

Perc. 4

28

48

Vib.

Hp.

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

& 28 J

b
B 28 J

? 28
J

? 28

b b bb #
#
3

5
8

5
#
8
r
# #

# # # n # n n # # bn bb #
#

5
8

4
8

4
8

4
8

# #
b b
p
3

4
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

48

48

4
8

r
b
p

4
8

b
P

48

85

85

85

48

85

48

b 3

48

85

48

48

85

48

4
8

5
8

4
8

r
b
p
r
b
p

48

#
R
F

4 # #
8
3

R
F

4
8 J

China Cymbal

# ^
48
gliss.
# # #
& 28 # # #
F
p
? 28

48
#
& 28 J

b b b
P

4
8

#
# .

48

Hn.
1&2

a2

4
8

5
8

4
8

# n .
p

? 2 .
8

?2
8

4
8

b # n

j
#

j
#
P

4
8

j
#

5
8
5
8 #
p

85

48

85

85
85

b 4 #
b 8 b b b #
decresc.
F 3
b 3
4

8 b b b
decresc.
F
#
48
R

# b

n b

unis.

unis.

4
8

4
8

BI

j
85

gliss.

85 j

85 R

41

48

48

b
p

4
8

85

F 3
3
b 4 #
n b 8 b b b b b b

48

b b

48

5
8

48

48

# n

P3
P

# n

48

# #

# n

r
b
P

48
48

# n

48

b
R
P

6
>
# #
# # # #

R
P

48

48
3

48

4
&8

51

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

4
&8

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

n b b #
J
6
F

b
R
P

?4
8

?4
8 .

b
b

1.

& 48

& 48

& 48

? 48

?4
8

Vib.

4
&8

Glk.

4
&8

51

51

Perc. 3

48

Perc. 4

48

Cn

..
& 48 ..
51

? 48

.
& 48

? 48

div.

..

..

#
#

#
# #

..
..

b b

..

..

# #

B 48 # n
? 48

51

..
..

#
#

& 48

r
#
P

..
.
.

# #
#

#
R
P
r

b .

& 48

Tuba

Cb.

Vlc.

b
J

Vla.

Vln. 2

? 48

Vln. 1

bb

Tbn. 3

Hp.

6
6
6
41.

Kr
&8
# #
rK
# # #
# # #

# #
n # #

b b b b b
b
#

P
6
6
6

? 4 R
b b b b # # R
b b

8
b

51

Hn.
1&2

1.

Bb Cl.
1&2

# n

# #

# n

div.

# n

# n

# n

# #

# n

42

# n

# n

# n

# #

# n

# n

b .

54

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&

&

b
R

b .

# # #

b b

a2

f
a2
3
# b b

b # #
b

b # #
b
b

3
3
cresc.
f
3

cresc.

6
# # n # #
# #
b b b
#
b b b # b n
b
f
cresc.
b

b
? # # R
#

3
3
F cresc.
f
6
3
b
a2
b
?
# b

b
R
3
3
f
F cresc.

&

? .

a2

#.

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

?
54

54

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tuba

Vib.

&

Glk.

&

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

..
& ..
54

Hp.

?
54

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

# #
#

&

..
.
.

#
#

..

# #

..

..
..

..

#
#

.p

# # b

b
J
f

#
J

J
P

5
8

85

P J cresc.

b
P cresc.

43

#
n # # J
3
f

5
8

85

85

85

a2

# #

85

# 85
b b
3
3
P cresc.
3

P cresc.

5
8

j
#

5
8

3
j
# #

#
P
3

5
8
5
8

Bn

5
8

85

cresc.

#
#
J

85
85

# # # 5
# # # 8

F cresc. 3
3

..
b
b

b # # # b
b
& ..
J
3
F
F cresc.
3
# n
# n
# n
# n
# n
# n b div. b b # # b b # # #
B # n
b

#
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
P 3 cresc. 3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
?
# #



##

div. b # # b # # b
b

b
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
P cresc. 3
pizz.
? .
#
#.
j
#

b
J
J
P
cresc.
..

5
8

5
8

P J

b b r
p

Tam-Tam with a pair of

hard mallets

# >

b b

5
8

solo 1

# b b
# P
p

b b
b

b
3
F

#
b

Hn.
1&2

54

85

5
8

5
8
3

85

5
&8
58

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

5
&8

5
&8

?5
8

?5
8

? 5 #
8 J

& 85 j

58

Hn.
1&2

>
#

3
# # >

# #
f

# #
# #
f

& 85 j

# b #
f
3
#
5

&8
# #
b
P
f 3
3
3
3
5
& 8 b b b
P
f 3
#

? 85
# b
3
3
f 3
3

3
? 85 # b
b
3
f
3

Tbn. 3

?5 j
8 #
58

Tuba

Vib.

5
&8

Glk.

5
&8

Perc. 3

85

Hp.

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

r
b
p
r

p
r

p
b

R
p

n
b
p

..

n
p

n
p

.
.
.
.
.

3
#
3
f

sus. cymbal with hard mallets

85

? 85

58
# # #
& 85 #
3
3
3
f

# # # n
& 85 # #

f
#
#
B 85 # #
3
3
3
f
3

? 85 # # # # b
b
3
3
f
3
? 85 # J

# #
J
f
3

3
3
3
#

58
#
#

J
& 85 #
J
J
f

..

f # #

58

Perc. 4

p
b
R
P

..
.
.

# b n b
J
3
F3

# # b b
3

..

b
R

4
8

.
.

4
8

4
8

.
.

b

R

#
#
R

4
8

48

48

48

48

48

48

4
8

j
b

p b

4
8

R
p

4
8

48

China cymbal

p
n
p
n b

..

p
b

4
8

4
8

Choke
.
+

p
F
#

.
.

b
4 J
8
3
3
P

48

J
P

Bell of China cymbal

# #

tam-tam with 2 soft mallets

48

48

48

48

48

48

44

b b b b #
F 3
P
3

# # # #

# n # b
F

# # # # # j
P
3

b b
P

b b
P

p R

j
b b
p
b
P

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

Fl. 1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

?
62

& #

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

&

& b R
P

?
PR

Glk.

b
P

&

&

Vlc.

Cb.

&
B
?

r
#
b .
p

# #
b b b b

b b
p

b
p

f
#
3

62

Kr

b b

1.

#
J
F 3

unis.

sus. cymbal with hard mallet

62

&

# .
R

#
b

b
b

r 3
b

#.
& b b

Perc. 4

Vla.

b b
F

Vln. 2

b b

Vln. 1

Perc. 3

Hp.

# b
b

b.
P

b b
f

62

Vib.

3
r
b

# j b #

3
3
F
f
3

62

Tuba

#
b b

Hn.
1&2

C Tpt.
1&2

#
J
F

62

# #
3

f
b b
3

unis.

#
#

b #

b
3

div.
# b b

b # # #
6

div.

# # #b # # #
6

45

b b

65

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

&
&

1.

b b # #
b
R
3

& b
?

C. Bn.

b b # # #
3
3

b b b

b b r
b

3
b b

a2

Bsn.
1&2

b
b
R
3

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tuba

bb
P
&
&

?
?

b F
3
# b

decresc.

remove mute

b
PR

j
b b

b b

remove mute

b b

f
3
#

b
b

r
b

# #

#
b

remove mute

remove mute

C Tpt.
3

& #

P
&

65 remove mute

Hn.
1&2

3
> # > #

b b b

3
3
3
3
3
3

3
#

b
b
3

3
3
f
3
a2
#

b b #
b b
b

6
F cresc. 3

b b
# #
R

6
Kr
b b
f

j
b
P b
r 3
b
# .
R
3
Kr

#
F

b
b

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

tam-tam with 2 hard mallets

&

65

&
65

&

j
b b

#
3

b b

f
# #
B # # #
6

b b
3

Cb.

b
3

#
b

b
3

r 3

R

bass drum with 2 med. mallets

cresc.

p cresc.

#
#
J

#
#
J

#
b b b b

3
3

#
3

# # # # # # # # # #
3

J
P

b b

b b

65

&

Vlc.

PR

Glk.

Vla.

b
R
P

f b b 3
3
b b

Vln. 2

Vln. 1

b b

65

&

3.

..

#
b b b
F
3

Vib.

Hp.

b b

b
3

46

b b
3

b
3

Ob.
1&2

# 3

& R b R

b b b
3 # 3
R R b

& b b b

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

?
?

3
r
b b b b

3
3
b b

b b b j
3
3

Tbn.
1&2

3
& 3
b b b

# #
b b #
&
3

& b b b

Tbn. 3

? j
J

remove mute

?
68

Tuba

remove mute

68

Vib.

&

Glk.

&

Perc. 4

Hp.

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

3
b b b b r

3
3

3
r
b b b

#
68 #
& J

5
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4 r 3
8 b
p

5
8

5
8

4 r 3
8 b
p

5
8

5
8

b b b

b b b
J
3
3
3

# # #

Perc. 3

3
3
3
5
.
8 b r
3
3
3
F
3
b .
#

# # b b 85
.
3
3
P
F
3

C Tpt.
3

4
8

3
3
.
b b b
85 r

b b b # #

F
3.
3
3
3
3
3

r
85
b b
b b b
P
b b b 3
3
3
3
b b b 85 #
r

b b
3
3
3
P

& # # #
b b

?
3

5
8

3
3
3
3
b b b n b # 85

# b b r
b

3
3
3
P
3
5
#

8
b
P 3
3

68

Hn.
1&2

b b
3 # 3
b
R
R

# 3
b
R
R
&
68

Fl. 1&2

#
#
J

85

5
8

5
8
5
8

5
8

J
# >
#
J

85

85

J
F

b
J

4
8

48

48

48

48

48
p

R
F

85
J

straight mute

85

j
b

85

85

85

85

straight mute

48

85

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

5
8

b
4 b
8
p

5
8

48

85

48

48

85

# # # # b b

b b b # #

68
b b
5 b unis.
48
b #
&
8
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
p
b b b b b b
3
5 b b
4

&
8
b
# 8
3
3
3
3
3
>
>
>
>
3
p
3
# # # # # # # b b b # 5 # unis.

b b
b
b
8
8
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
p
3

3
? b b ## # b b 3
5
48
j
8
b
b b

b
3
6
p
3
b b
?
48

b b b j
85
b
3
p

47

4
8

DI CI Fn

85
85

# div. # # 3 j
b b b
6

85

85
85

j
b

85

j
b

85

5
&8

5
&8

5
&8

?5
8

4
8

?5
8

4
8

74

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

?5
8
74
r j
& 85 b
p
& 85

& 85

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

& 85
? 85

?5
8

Glk.

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Hp.

straight mute

5
&8
74

Vib.

85

? 85

Vln. 1

& 85

Vln. 2

& 85

Vla.

B 85

Vlc.

? 85

Cb.

? 85

74

5
.
& 8 b b
p
85

j
74

& 85

48

b
J
p

..

48
48
48
48
48
4
8

b .

r
.

48
48

3
# # #b b
b # # 48 # r

6
p.
P
48 .
..
R

div.

#
.

.
.

# # .

.
.

tam-tam with 2 soft mallets

Gn An

#
R
p

r
#

straight mute

# R

sus. cymbal with hard mallet

# r

#
p R

r
#
#
R

# #
J
R
F

.
R

..

r
.

# 4
8

# .
J

.
R

4
8

48

r

.

r
n
.

triangle

4 #
8#

4
8

4
8

..

# ##

# #

# #

4 #
8#
p
4
8

mute
? 85 straight

.
R J
p
74

Tuba

solo 1

straight mute

C Tpt.
3

4 #
8 J
p

j
#

j
#
p

J
p

#
J
p

#
J

j
#

j
#
#
p

>

~ .
J
j
j
..

.
#

# #
R

FI

# j
#

48

r
.

48

r
.

48

#
R
p

r
p

#
J

#
J

79

Fl. 1&2

&

# #

# > .

# # # #
J
3

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

79

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

&

straight mute

j
#

# #

..
F
..

# #

#
#

.
F

Vib.

Glk.

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

.
F

.
F
.

79
b
& R J

#
& #
P J

79

#
#

..

sus. cymbal with soft mallets

&
Hp.

r
#
#
p
# R
p
r
##
p

..
F

&

r
# #
p

79

Tuba

5
8

5
8

5
8

5
8

#
j
#
3

GI AI

b #

4
8

4
8

n .

4
8

4
8

4
8

#
R
p

5
8

n # #

r
n
# .

# .
R

5
8

4
8

85

48

85

85

85

85

85

5
8

5
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

85

48

# ..
p

.
p

85

Vln. 1

&

85

Vln. 2

&

85

79

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

B
?
?

#
J
p

..

# #

# #

F
..
.
F

unis.

49

48

48
48
48
4
8

85

# ..
p

Cn

# # #
J

48

#
R

48

48

# # # 48
#
p 6
6

#
#
p 6

# # 85 # # n # n n # # b
p

85
85

4
8

unis.

48
48

# b b b 4
8
6
6
6
cresc.
p
48

unis.

cresc.

4
&8

5
8

4
&8

5
8

4
&8

5
8

?4
8

?4
8

5
8

?4
8

& 48

& 48

# ..

83

Fl. 1&2

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

83

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

& 48
& 48
P

.
..

Tbn. 3

? 48

Tuba

?4
8

..

..

al niente

..

b
f

b
f

al niente

4
&8

Glk.

4
&8

Perc. 3

48

Perc. 4

48

& 48

? 48

83

83

Hp.

K
& 48 r
F
83

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

div.

#
R
f
# n

div. b .
.
& 48 rK
F
B 48 #

6
6
6
3
f

? 48 # b b b
6
6
6
6
f
? 48
# b
b
f
F 3

4
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

85

48

5
# 8

48

85

48

85

48

# 85

48

48

5
8

4
8

4
8

4
8

5
8

b b
b
6

b b
p
3

5
b 8

r
b b

p
r

..
..

5
8

.
.

5
8

4
8

85

48

85

85

b b b #
J

50

Dn

r
# #
R
p
r
# n
p R
.

85

85

85
85

58

.
# .

# # 4
R 8

48

.
# # 48
.
.
4
# n 8
.
48

48

48

1.

5
8

4
8

Vib.

b .
b

4
8

n
f

#
f

83

#
F

r
#
f
#
f
#

b ..

? 48

Tbn.
1&2

b
b 48
P 3

&R
88

Fl. 1&2

# >
.
J

&

b b

1.

5
8

5
8

5
8

5
8

58

b #
3

b .

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

58

C Tpt.
1&2

&

58

C Tpt.
3

&

58

58

58

?
88

5
8

88

5
8

5
8

5
8

88

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tuba

5
8

# .
p

> . #
5 b b b
8
J

1.

# # b .
R
p
3

Bb Cl.
1&2

C. Bn.

#
J

&

Bsn.
1&2

#
b n # #

Ob.
1&2

B.Cl.

b .

b b b

&

Glk.

&

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

&
88

Hp.

Vln. 1

&

Vln. 2

&

88

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

r
#
#
R

R
P

pizz.

# r
P

pizz.

R
P

pizz.

# J

#
J

# #

#
R

R
p

Vib.

B I Gn An

p R
# #

tam-tam with wire brushes

gliss.

arco

arco

arco

arco

arco

51

p
p

Db Eb

58 .

58

58

58

al niente

58

al niente

58

..

58

..

58

R
p

b
R
p

b
R
p

al niente

al niente

al niente

j
&
93

Fl. 1&2

#
#
b b n n #
3

b b
4J
8
3

Ob.
1&2

&

4
8

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

4
8

?
?

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

6
8

4
8

4
8

6
8

4
8

4
8

6
8

4
8

4
8

6
8

4
8

68

48

48

C Tpt.
1&2

&

48

C Tpt.
3

&

48

48

48

93

4
8

93

4
8

&

4
8

Perc. 3

4
8

Perc. 4

Glk.

Hp.

&

j
93
b
& b
p J
?

Bn Fn Gn

r 68

p
68

r 6
# 8
p
6
8

# #

al niente

##

6 # #
8
b j

4
8

6
8

4
8

68

Vln. 2

&

48

68

Vla.

48

68

48

68

48

48

48

b b
F
F
F
F

68

52

4
8

48

# R
p

48

68

4
8

Cb.

&

Vlc.

al niente

48

48

48

68 .

b

b
68
R J

al niente

48

with wire brushes

48tam-tam

R
p

b b
J

6
8
R
p

48

r 68
p

48

68

Vln. 1

93

#
J
P

Vib.

&

Hn.
3&4

Tuba

4
8

48

4
8

Tbn. 3

&

Tbn.
1&2

6
8

6
8

Hn.
1&2

93

> .

48

pR

sus-cymbal with soft mallet

pR

>.
b b b
p

gliss.

Dn FI GI

## 4 ## ##

.
.

# # b 48 b b b b

..

b 48 b

..
b

b 48

48

# .
R

99

Fl. 1&2

&

#
b
J
J
3

5
8

5
8

#
R
p

4 #
8
P 3

# #
J
5
8
3
3

b
b
R
4 b b #
8
3
3

4
8

5
8

4
8

#

P

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
1&2

&

58

48

85

48

Hn.
3&4

&

58

48

85

48

C Tpt.
1&2

&

58

48

85

48

C Tpt.
3

&

58

48

85

48

58

48

85

48

58

48

85

48

?
99

5
8

4
8

5
8

4
8

99

4
8

4
8

4
8

99

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tuba

# #

Vib.

&

5
8

4
8

5
8

Glk.

&

5
8

4
8

5
8

Perc. 3

5
8

4
8

5
8

Perc. 4

58

48

85

48

&

58

48

85

48

58

48

85

&

58

48

85

&

58

48

48

r

#
R J
P
j

85 b b
P
58

48

48

85
85

99

Hp.

99

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

B .
.

Vlc.

? ..

Cb.

rK
b 58 b
P

b b # 58 # # # # b b r
b
P
58
.
3

48 r

53

48

48 b

al niente

al niente

48

48

48

105

Fl. 1&2

&

# .
b

3
b # b n .
b b
#
p
P 3

# # #
J
3

n n
J
3

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

&

105

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tuba

&
&

harmon mute

&

?
?

105

105

r
#

r
#

al niente

&

C. Bn.

Ob.
1&2

Bsn.
1&2

B.Cl.

# #

..

al niente

..

al niente

al niente

Vib.

&

Glk.

&

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

&

105

Hp.

r
#
#
R
p

Vln. 1

&

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

105

Vlc.

Cb.

54

Flute
1& 2

Oboe
1& 2

Clarinet
1& 2 in Bb

Bass Clarinet

Bassoon
1& 2

80

3
&4
3
&4
& 43
?3
4

b 2
J
4
p
b b 42
pJ

?3
4

2
4

b 2
J
4
p

2
4

3
&4

2
4

& 43

42

& 43

42

?3
4

2
4

Trombone 3

? 43

Tuba

?3
4

Horn in F
1&2

Horn in F
3&4

Trumpet in C
1&2

Trombone
1&2

Percussion 1
(Vibraphone)

Percussion 2
(Glockenspeil)

Percussion 3
(Marimba)

Percussion 4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

43 b j b b 42
p

43 .

42

2
4

2
4

2
4

J 43 .
p

2
4

3 b
2
4 J
4
p

3
4
3
4

3
4

b 2
43 b b
4
P
3
4

2 .
4

b
3
2
4
4
P

3
4

2
4

p
.

2
4

.
43
p

42

#
3
4
p
.
3
4
p

2
4
2
4

3 .
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

j
j
b b 43 .
.

2
4

3
4

2 b j .
4 b b b .

3 j
4 b b

2
4

43

42

42

43

42

43 b j
b

42

43

24 j
b b b b ..

j 43 j

.
b b
.

42

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

42

43

2
4

3
4

& 43

42

3
&4

2
4

& 43

42

b J
p

43

2
4

42

42

? 43

Violin 1

& 43

Violin 2

& 43

Viola

& 43

Cello

? 43

Contrabass

? 43

D C Bb / Eb F G Ab

42

p
.

42

p
b.
p

42

j
b b ..
p

straight mute

j
.
b b .
p

straight mute

3
4

2
4
P

b
3
2
4
4
P

3 .
4

3
4

& 43
Harp

2
4

2
4

3
4

a2

Contrabassoon

?3
4

a2

b
3
4 J
p
3 b b
4 J
p

a2

j b 42
b
p

III: THE DARKENING SKY

a2

2
4

24 1. b J b .
p

2
4

43

42

43

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

42

43

42

43

24

43

42

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

42

43

b
b

..

42 J

43

.
43 .

42

2
4

b J

3 .
4 J

24 b b b b ..
J
2 b b.
4 J

3 .
4

2
4

43 .
J
p
3 .
J 4

2
4

.
J 43

straight mute

43 b J

43

42

43

42

43

24

43

42

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

24

43

24

43

b b
b J
p

..
.

b
43

43

43

43

43

42

43

42

43

42

b b
b J

42

42

42

b .

42

42

42

.
..
43 J
43
43

43

43

55

b
J 43

42

42 J

b
42 J

42 J

43

43

42

42 J

42 J

43

.
J 43

.
J 43

b.
J 43

b.
J 43

.
J 43

D# Bn En F#

24
24
24
24
24

43
43
43
43
43

.
.
.
.
.

b 2
4
42
42
42
42
42
42

2
&4

3
4

2
&4

3
4

43
3
4

11

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

& 42
?2
4
?2
4

3
4

?2
4

2
4

42

2
4

3
4

2 #
4 J
P

b 2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

3
4

b
2
4 bnb
P
3
3
#
34 b 42 ..
b
#
b

J
P
3
4

3
4

3 .
4

2
4

3
b
2
4
3
F
3
2
4
4
F
3
3

b b
43 n
42
F
3
2

4
4

2
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

b J
P

3
4

2
4

& 42

43

42

& 42

43

42

43

42

?2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

Tbn. 3

? 42

43

42

43

42

Tba.

?2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

Vib.

& 42

.
34 .

Glk.

2
&4

3
4 b

2
4

3
4

2
4

Mrb.

& 42

43

42

43

42

43

Perc. 4

42

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

42

11

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

Tbn.
1&2

& 42
11

Hp.

? 42
& 42
11

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

& 42

Vla.

& 42

Vlc.

? 42

Cb.

? 42

# b

42
3

b b

b b

j3
43

43

34 #

# b ##
42 # # # 43

43

42

43

C#

43

42

3
43 b
3
43 b

b b

42

43

42

43
43

43

42 ..

42

43 .

42

43 .

j
b b
P
j
b .

43

43

3
4

b J
P

43

b
b J

.
43 J .

3
4

b
b
b

F
3
1.
3
b
42 b
F
2

j
43 b
p
b
34 J
p
3
4

42
F

43

3
4

.
34 .
p
3
4

42

2
4

42

3
4

2
4

43

42

3sus. cymbal with med. mallet

4 .
pb .
.
# ..
43

42

43

42

43

42

43

43

43

43

42

43 .

42

43 .

56

3 .
4J

42

3
4 #
P
3
4

43

1.

1.

3
b 42

b
J

3
4

1.

b n #
J
P

3
4

2
4

F
42

43

3
4

3
4

2
4

42

43

3
4

b 2
4
3
P
F
3
2
4
4
F

2
&4

Hn.
1&2

3
b
2
4
3
F
3
b 2
b
4
3
F
3
b

2
b b
4
3
F
42
F
24

.
#.
43
p

43

b
p

43 . b #
p
43 . b #
p

r
p #

&

1.

20

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

# . .
p

&

& #
p

?
?
?

J
p

2
4

# . . . . . .
3

2
4

42

.
43

2
4

3 .
4

2
4

3
4

C Tpt.
1&2

&

2
4 j #
#
42

42

2
4

42

Vib.

&

Glk.

& .

Mrb.

&

43

3
4 .

j
b n #

42

2
4

b #
2
4 #
p
P
2

.
J

f
a2
f
f

42

2
4

42

2
4

2
4

3
4

42

43

42

2
4

3
4

2
4

42

43

42

2
4

3
4

&

42

43

42

43

42

&
& .
p

42

#
3

.
43
P
43 .

Vla.

B .

42

43 b .

Vlc.

? b n b 42 .

.
43

? b n b 42

.
43

Fn A#

b n #

# #
tam-tam with
metal beater

b n #
f

b n #
F
f

#

F
f

.
b n #
J
F
f

57

42

j j b .
b

b b.
J J

b #
#

a2

#
b n
F
f

b J b .
J

without mute

1.

a2

2
4

b n #
f
F

j
#
b n
f
F

a2

without mute

a2

2
4

a2

43

20

Cb.

2
4

a2

1.

43

20

Vln. 2

3
j 4

b
b

a2

n b

Vln. 1

&

Hp.

n #

3
4

Hn.
3&4

Perc. 4

b
J

20

Tba.

3
4

2
4

&

Tbn. 3

# . . b

Hn.
1&2

Tbn.
1&2

3
4

2
4

straight mute

#
b
P

#
P

42

42

42

42

42

42

42

triangle

straight mute

# .

# .
# .

29

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

3
4

&

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

2
4

43

24

3
4

3
4
3
4

& b
b

&
&

straight mute

C Tpt.
1&2

3 # .
4 J

straight mute 3.

Hn.
3&4

?
?
?

# .

j
b
p
j
b b
p

j
b.

j
bb .

a2

2
4

straight mute

#.

2
4

straight mute

#.

2
4

3
4

2
4

43

24

42

43

24

42

24

42

24

42

42

b b

b b

b b
R
43
P
p

43 #
.
.
43 #

Cn F# An

24 b b
R
24
# .
24 # .

58

3
4 J
43

..

42

b b 43 b b
R
R

Div.

b b
43

3
4

42

3
4

? # .

42

Cb.

43 # .

b b ..

..

&

3
4

#
J
p

# .

2
4

#
43

43

Vlc.

j 42

42

straight mute

24
# .

43

2
4

43

B O

J
p 3

24

Div.

2
4

Vla.

2
4

3
4

&

2
4

3
4

Mrb.

& O

3
4

Vln. 2

..

42

Div.

j
b b
b

2
4

2
4

2
4

&

1.

Glk.

29

3
4

2
4

24

43

&

..
43

Vln. 1

b
b
J

2.

2
4

24

Hp.

2.

3
4

3
4

&

29

3
4

43 b

3
4

24

43 #
.

2
4

3
4

b
J
p

1.
6
43
j
b
b #
b b
#

p
6
6
3
r
2 b # # #
3

4
b
4
p 6

43

Vib.

Perc. 4

2 b
4
3
p
P

? # # # # .
J

29

Hn.
1&2

3
4

1.

43
43 # .

43 #
.

b b
p

b b b b
R

p
#

42
2
4

b b
R
43
p
P
43

42

#.

42

2
&4
37

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

2
&4
& 42

a2

p
a2

b
p

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

Tbn.
1&2

?2
4
?2
4

?2
4

2
&4

& 42 b .

p
?2
4
? 42

F
F
F
F

Tba.

?2
4

Vib.

& 42

Glk.

2
&4

Mrb.

& 42

Perc. 4

42

& 42

? 42

37

Hp.

Vln. 1

& 42

Vln. 2

& 42

Vla.

B 42

Vlc.

? 42

Cb.

? 42

37

Unis.

3
4

43 j
.

43
3
4

43

b N #
F
b

N
# b
b
b
p

# .

.
.
p

43

.
43 J
p
Div.

..

2
4

24

J
J

# .

# .

# .

59

24

2
4 J
p

2 j
4

rim of sus. cymbal

with med. mallet

..

R
p
P p

R
p
p

b .

2
4

2
4

24

j

.

# .

24 j
b
.
2

# .

1.

2
4

24

b #
b b n b b
#
p

# b j
#
p

2
4

2
4

..

# .

.
.
p

R
p
P p

p
43
R

p
34

# .

Div.

b
b b # n b
j
b b
# .
p

.
.

# .

.
43 #
p

43

43

bell of sus. cymbal

3with med. mallet

4 J J
p

b N #

43 #
.
3
4 #
.
p

.
# 43 J
p
F
.
#
# J 43 J
F
p

b b

1.

Unis.

b J N # 43 N J
p

3
4 ..

& 42

b N # 43 N .

Tbn. 3

3 J
4
p
E

b 3
# b # b N 4 N ..

p
F
3

37

Hn.
1&2

b N #

24

2
4

2
4 R
24

24

24

24
R
p

p
24

#.

# .
24 j

# .

Fl.

&

3
4

2
4

Ob.
1&2

&

3
4

2
4

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

43

42

3
4

2
4

# 43 b ..
b

p
3

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4 j b .
b .

46

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

?
?

3
4

3
4

Hn.
1&2

&

3
4

Hn.
3&4

&

43

C Tpt.
1&2

&

43

42

3
4

43

Vib.

&

Glk.

Mrb.

46

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Perc. 4

3
4

43 b

3
4

2
4

3
4

42

2
4

2
4
2
4

b
# 3
4
p
P

2
4

43

42

# 43 b
p
P

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

a2

2
4 .

2
4

j b
b

2
4

3
4

2
4

42

43

42

# 43 b
b n b
p
P
3

b
p

2
4

2
4

42

b n 42
p

3
4 b b

3
4

2
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

43

42

43

42

3
4

2
4

42

43

42

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

42

43

42

43

42

43

42

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

43

42

43

42

43

42

&

3
4

2
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

&

43

42

43

42

43

3
4

2with med. mallet

4

3
4

2
4

3
4

&

43

42

43

42

43

42

43

42

43

Vln. 2

&

46

Cb.

&

Vlc.

3
43 b .
p

2
4

43

Vln. 1

Vla.

42

a2

46

Hp.

3
4

Unis.

?
?

b b n b 2
4
R
b
b n b 2
R
4

43 .

43 j

43 b

sus. cymbal

b 3 b
b n b 2
4 R
4
F

b 43
F
Unis. b
B
43
F
Unis.

b b

R 42

P
Div. b
b 2

43
4
P
Div. b
b

b 43 b
42

42
42

Div.

b b

43 j

p
43

Unis.

b
b

43

b J

42

3
4

42

43

42

2
4

3
4

2
4

43

42

43

42

43

42

43

42

43

43

b 3 b
b n b 2
4 R
4
F

Unis.
3 b
n b 42
R b 4 R b
F

60

b 43 b R b n b 42
F

42 j

b b

Unis.

42

.
p
j

p

43 .

43 j
p

42

42 j

R 42
P

Div. b
b R 42
P

b b
42
p
Div.

b b 43

Div.

b b

2
4

43 j
43

42

42

2
&4

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

3
4 .

55

. . . . . . b

P 3 3 F
.
. . . . . . . . b
2
. J 43
&4
3
3
P
F

b . 43 .
& 42
#
p #
? 2 #
4 R

3
4

2
4

2
4

b
b 3
4 R
F

2
4

a2
b
b
42 b n b 43 R

42

2
4

b 43 b R
F

b
# b 2 R
4
F

?2
4

3
4

?2
4

3
4

2 mute off
4

42

42

43

55
2
& 4 r
p J.

& 42 # j
p #
j
2
# .
&4
p

3
4 .
.
43 .
.

#
F

2
4

3
4

3
4

a2

b
F

b
# # 42
R
p

b b n
. #

3
4 b r
43

mute off

b b.
F

b r N # b b .
F
P
b . b

# #
P
F
b #

2
4

2
4

2
4

#
b R N
P

r
42 b #
# b

P
a2

b N #
R
P

b b.

b r N # b b .
P
F

F
b b .

?2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

Tbn. 3

? 42

43

42

43

42

Tba.

?2
4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

Vib.

& 42

43

42

43

42

Glk.

2
&4

3
4

2
4

3
4

2
4

Mrb.

& 42

43

42

43

42

2
4

3
4

2
4

42

43

42

42

43

42

b
b R N #
P

Tbn.
1&2

Perc. 4

42

3
4

& 42

43

? 42

43

Vln. 1

& 42

43

Vln. 2

& 42

43

55

Hp.

55

Vla.

b
B 42 b 43

Vlc.

? 42

Cb.

? 42

43 #

b.

j
43

b b

R
F

b b

R 42
F

P
P
b

b R
b R
F
P
P
b b
b b

p
P
.

.
j

Unis.

42
42

b 3 b
4 R
F

b 43 b R
F
Unis.

43

42
42

61

mute off

a2

42

43 . # b b n
p
43 j

42
42

b
42 # # b
P
Unis.
r # b 42 b #
#
F
p

42 # #
P
2

C Tpt.
1&2

43 ..

a2

2
4

3
4

b.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

3
4

&

43

# .
3
4 b
P

3
4

3
4

3
4

&

?
?

Hn.
3&4

&

Tba.

&

# # #
f

43

43

# #
p
#

Bass drum
with med. mallet

63

&
?

63
&

Vla.

Vlc.

sus. cymbal

& b

3
4

#
p

#
p

b #
F
#
b
F

a2

2
4
2
4

#
#
P

j
43
P

43

b # 24

Perc. 4

3
4

Mrb.

b #
f
a2

3
4

2 # # #
4
f

2
4

&

2
4

2
4

3
4

&

Cb.

Glk.

Vln. 2

&

Vln. 1

Vib.

Hp.

?
63

Tbn. 3

&

&

Tbn.
1&2

3
4

Hn.
1&2

C Tpt.
1&2

63

Fl.

3
4 # .
P
b
3 R
4
P

3
4 b R
>
P
3

24

43

24

43

2
4

3
4

24

43

2
4

3
4 r
b

43

..

24

43

3
4

2
4

j j

3
4
P

3
4
F

43

24

3
4

2
4

43

43

43

43

43

.
43 b #
P
34 # .

b
b #

b
b #
F
.
# .

b #
f
f

b #
f

b #
f

# .

# .

62

Db Eb An

b #

b
b #

43

bass drum
with med. mallet

b #
b #

24
24

b b # 43
F
9

b#

24

43
43

24

>
#
P

43

24

R
# #
P

Div.

# #
R
P
Div.
43 # #
P
43

24
24

sus. cymbal

gliss.

Div.

43 b R
>
P

71

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

..

..

Hn.
3&4

& .

? b
R

71

Hn.
1&2

&
?

# #

R

Vib.

&

Glk.

&

Mrb.

&

Tba.

Perc. 4

.
p

# # .

b.
f

# .
b
f # #

J J

.
J

.
J

J J

.
# # .

.
J

J J

Vln. 2

#
& # R

b b

b #

# # #
F
Unis.
#

b #
B#
R
# #
#

Unis.

? # # # #
R
? b
R

Div.

# # # #
R
P

# #
R
P
Div.
# # n #
Div.

b b

# #
R

63

# # # #
R

&

71

Cb.

&

Vlc.

Vln. 1

Vla.

J J

71

Hp.

. . . b .

# # .

#
f

# #

#
#
.
p

# #
R

f #

&

#
R

.
J

j
#

Tbn. 3

b #
# # #

#.

Tbn.
1&2

. . . b

C Tpt.
1&2

&

.
J
F

a2

b b

b.
b #

Unis.

b.
b #
#
#

f
Unis.
b # .
#
f

Unis.

77

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&

b .
.

n
#

# #

&

b
F

& .
? .

.
? #
F
? b

# # #
P

b
F

R
F

b
F

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

Vib.

&

Glk.

&

Mrb.

&

&

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Perc. 4

# b.

77

Hp.

77

Vln. 1

&

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

? b
P

# # #
P

b
F

#
2 J
4

3
4

2 #
4 J

3
4

#
42 J

43

3
4

#
2 #
4
P
2
4
2
4

#
2 J
4

&

b
b

43

#
42 J

43

2
4

#
R

42

2
4

42

# # #
P

b
F

f
b

# # #
P

# # #
P

R

64

b #

b #

&

b #

3
4

42

3
4

3
4

42 # j

R
F

2
4

a2

Hn.
1&2

77

mute off

mute off

#
42 J
#
42 J
#
42 J
#
42 J
42 # J

3
4

43
43

43
43

3
4
43

3
4

43

43

2
f 4

#
42 J
f
24

3
4

43

43

43

3
&4

3
&4

81

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

#
#
P

R
P

n
R
P

.
b
f
F

# R
?3

# #
4
f
P
F
b b
? 3 #

b b
4
#
f
F
b
?3

#
4 #
f
81
b b
3
?

R
#

&4
&
F
P
b
?

#
& 43
.
b

f
P #
F
.
3

&4
b # b

j
?3

4
P
f
j
? 43 #

F
f
& 43

?3
4 #

b b

#
f

Mrb.

& 43

Perc. 4

43

& 43

? 43

Glk.

81

Hp.

& 43
81

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

# .

Cb Bb En Fn

&

r

P

R
P

R
P

b
R R R

Tam-tam with med. mallet

R R
R

r

P

b b R
b

65

b b

.
b b
f

n
R
P
r
n
R
P
r

R
P

b.

.
.
#
b b
f
F

B 4 # #

b
# b R
#
f #
P
F

? 43
b b
#

#
#
f
P
F
b
? 43

#
#
f
& 43 # j
P

b
b R
#

f
P

#
& 43 # J
F
3 J
&4

Vib.

b
R R R

R R
R

j
n

R R

R R

#
# b
#
#
#
#

P
r

P
n
R
P

.
& n.

87

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&
&
?

b
P

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

Vib.

&

Glk.

Mrb.

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Perc. 4

# b n
P

b
J
P

b.

straight mute

..
p

straight mute

.
.

&

&

?
87

Vln. 2

& R

? j

Cb.

.
.
p

&

Vlc.

straight mute

Vln. 1

Vla.

b
P

87 b
& R

Hp.

Hn.
1&2

87

b
R R R

b
R R R

b
R R R

R R b
R

b
R R

R R

#
B #

j
n

R R

#
#

R R

#
#

#
#

j
n

66

R R

R R

#
#

&

92

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&

& j

.
J
P

Hn.
3&4

Vib.

&

Glk.

Mrb.

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

. . .

r
n

j
.

b ..

..
p

.
.

&

&

& b R

b
R R b
R

& R

R R

#
B #

b
R R b
R

b
R

b
R R b
R

R R

R R

b
R R

& #

? n j

#
#
#

92

Vln. 1

J
F

92

Hp.

n
R

j
b

..
p

Perc. 4

Tba.

Tbn. 3

Tbn.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

b ..
p
& j
b

92

Hn.
1&2

b
R R

R R

#
#

R R

#
#

#
#
#
#

#
#

#
#

j
n

67

j
n

j
n

97

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&

b
.
& # #
F

&

#
F

?
?
R

# #
F

j
n

# n #

j
n

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

&

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Vib.

Glk.

&

Mrb.

&

Perc. 4

& b R
97

Hp.

b
P
P

J #

j

F

j
b

# #

j
b
#
F
j
j

j
n

F
j

j
n

j
n

j
n

b n #

&

Tbn.
1&2

Hn.
1&2

97

? j

mute off

b
b

r r r r r r r r r r r
R
R
R
R
R
R

F
P
n

b
b
b

b

N

N

N
P

b
b
b
b
b
b
b
R R b R R b R R b R R b R R b R R b R R
R
R
R
R
R
R
F

R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
R
R
R
R
R
R
F
#
# # # # #

#
#
#
#
#
#
& #
& R
97

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

F
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
B #
#
#
#
#
#
#
? n j
? n j

b
b

j
n
j
n

j

j

b
b

j
n
j
n

68

#
F
j

F

#
#
#
#
#
b

j
n

&
104

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&

?
J

&

Vib.

Glk.

Mrb.

Perc. 4

mute off

&
F

& b R
104

Hp.

?
& R
104

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

n
J

b
n
J

j
#

j
n

j
n

j
#

j
n

n
n

b
n

b
J

b
J

j
#

b
J

n >
J
j

>
j

>
# >
J

b
J

j
n

j
#

j
b

r r
R

b n
N

.

r r
R

b n
N

.
.

C#

R R
R R
R
f

f
# # # #
#

#
#
#
#
& #
f
#
#
#
#
#
B #
#
#
#
#
f
? # # # #
#
#
#
#
#
#
f
b
j
j
j
j

? n j

j
J

b
n
#
J
J

b n

f

69

n >
J
n >
J

>
J
>
J

>
f J
# >
J

#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#

n >
n
J

>
J

b >
J

n >
J

j
#

>

j
n

>
J

n >
J

R R
R

j
n

n
J

r r
R

b n
N

j
n

n
f
j

f

b
Bn

R R
R
f

b

J

R R

f
r r
R

f
b n
N

.

j

f

f
n
f

& r

b n

&

f
b

&

j
#

? n j
j
n

? j
n

Hn.
3&4

Tba.

? J

104

Tbn. 3

& #

&

Tbn.
1&2

Hn.
1&2

C Tpt.
1&2

>
J
>
J
>
J

n >
J
n >
J

IV: THE GREAT WAVE OFF KANAGAWA

4-5 second pause after movement 3

Piccolo

&= 68

Flute

q k 104

6
&8

6
&8

6
&8

j .
# .

Bass Clarinet

? 68 .

# .
J

. .
J

Bassoon
1&2

? 61. b .
8
p

Oboe
1&2

Clarinet in Bb
1&2

1.

# .

# .
J
.

.
.

.
b
# J
J

2.

b
.

P
.
J
P
.

b .

# .

..

..

..

.
.

b.

b .
J .

.
J
P

& 68

& 68

& 68

& 68

? 68

Trombone 3

? 68

Tuba

? 68

Trombone
1& 2

2.

. .

Percussion 2

68

Percussion 3

68

Percussion 4

68

? 68

Violin 1

& 68

Violin 2

& 68

Viola

B 68

Cello

Contrabass

Harp

.
#
J #
J
.
b

Set of 4 Concert Toms

68

D# C Bb / E F# G A

. # .
p

Percussion 1

& 68

Trumpet in C 3

Trumpet in C
1& 2

Horn in F
3&4

Horn in F
1&2

? 68

Contrabassoon

b.
p

# .
J

tam-tam with
a metal beater

..
b
#

.. b j
.
.
.

.
.

.
.

.
.

? 68

? 68

70

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

13

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

? #

b
J J

? .
?

j
b .

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Tba.

13

13

& .
13

Hp.

Hn.
3&4

Tbn. 3

1.

..

J #

.
J
f

b

42 #
f
b
2 #
4
f

a2
b
2
4 b
f

2a2
4 # b
f
b
42 #
f
2a2
4
b
#
2
4

a2
42 # b
f

b
2
4

3
4

43

3
4

42

68

6
8

b 6
2
4 b
8

3
4

2
4

b 68

43

b
42

68

3
4

2
4

b 68

3
4

2
4

68

43

42

43

42

6
b 8
b b

43

6
b 8
b b

b 6
42 b
8

43

b 6
42 b
8

43

b b 6
42
8

43

b
#
f
42

43

42 b b 68

43

42 68

42

43

42

68

j

J
j
J ##

..
..

j
#
j
J ##

.
.

j
.

b J #
f

a2
42 # b
f
b
24a2 #
f

b
42 b
f
24a2 # b
f
24 # b
f

42

43

42

68

42

43

42

68

42

43

42

42

43

42

68

43

43

43

# b
# b

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

Cb.

# b

j
b b # .# b
f
.
.

b
.
b #
f

.
#
f
2.
1.
b j b
j b b #
#
f

&

Vlc.

1.

1.

Vln. 1

13

Tbn.
1&2

b #
J

b J
f
j
.
b ##
b # b n b J

.
.

b #
f

&

13

j
b .
p

Hn.
1&2

13

j
.
f

#
# b J

f
b #
J
b #
f
# b #
b
J

j
b b #
f
b
j
# b J #
b b #
f
b
j
# b J
b b #
f

71

.
.
.

42

b
42 #
f
24 b b
f

42 # b
f
42 b
#
f
b
42 #
f

43 #

43 #

42 b b 68

b .
68 . # ...
P

b
b
68
42
b
b
68
42
b b 6
42
8

.
b b 6
42
8
P
b
.
24 b
68
P

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

25

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

? b
?

b b b.
P
1.

b.

.
J

b
J

b .
J

b
b b b b
P

b.
b .

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

25

25

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

25

25

25 .
. #.
& .. .

Hp.

b # ..
.

68

68

68

68

68

68

43 b b b j
f b
34 j

43

68

68

&

Vla.

..

b b b b b

.
b b .

J b
J

b b

..

b
# b
b #
b n
P
b # # b b
b n
P
.. Unis. b b
.. b b ..
#

b.

#.

#.

72

68

68

68

43

68

Vln. 2

Cb.

6
8

68

b.

68

43

b. .

6
8

68

&

Vlc.

6
8

1.

P
b

b
P

43

Div.

6
8

68

68

25

a2
43 b n b b
b
f
a2
43 b b
b
f
a2
b
43 b b
b
f
43 n b n b b
b
f
a2
b b
43 b b
f
b b
43 b b
f

C
J

43

Vln. 1

..

b b
b

43 b
f
>
b b n

#
3 J
b

4
b n
f
F
a2
b 3 n >

4 J
# #
f
F
3 a2
.

4 n b n b b
..
.. b b ..
b
f
p
b
b

43 b b
f
b
a2
b
3

4 b b
f
b
34 b b b

n >
43 J
f

bb
34 n b b
J
f
b
43 n b b n b J
f
b
34 b b b J

f
bb
J
43 b b
f

68

68

68

68

Pic.

& 68

Fl.

6
&8

37

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

6 .
&8

.
.

6
&8

? 68

? 6 .
8

j
b .
p
.

p
.

. n
J

j
. n

b J .

b b

a2

.
J

b.

b b b b

.
J

#.

b b

# #

b.

b.

? 68

& 68

& 68

& 68

& 68

? 68

n
f
a2
b n

Tbn. 3

? 68

Tba.

? 68

Perc. 1

68

Perc. 2

68

j
P

Perc. 3

68

Perc. 4

68 .
p

C. Bn.

37

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

37

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

37

37

triangle

& 68
37

Hp.

Cb Fn

b
b

a pair of
Japanese cymbals

b.
.

.
.

.
.

bass drum with a pair

of heavy wooden sticks

b ..
b ..

.
p

#
#

Bn G#

wind chimes

.
p

pair of small
Japanese cymbals

Vln. 2

& 68

Vla.

B 68

Vlc.

? 68

Cb.

? 68

J .
P

# #
#

Div.

b.

b.

73

# ..
p

b
f

n
n

b

f

& 68

b
f

Vln. 1

#.

n
b
f
n
a2
b
a2

j j b
P

? 68
37

b
f

b n
f
b n
f
b n
Unis.

50

Pic.

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&
& .
&

# #

J

& .

a2

? a2 J .
P

& b
P

#
F f
a2

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

&

50

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Perc. 4

50

50

tam-tam with
medium mallet

50

Hp.

&

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

50

Vlc.

Cb.

P

P

f
f

b n b

j
b ..
P

j
b
#
F
f

b
P

# b
F
P

b

f
E

..

b ..

..

b n
f

j
b
f
j b

#
n

j
f
J
f
a2

J
f

b
b

j
f

74

b
P
b
P

j
b
j
b

n #

b
b b

j
b b

#
#
F
P
# b
b n #
# j .
n
.
P
F
#
b

j
j

J b b
n # #
f

j
b b b

b
n #
f

b
b # n b
f

b
#
J
F
f

J
f
F
b

j
#
f
b

j
b b b

f

a2

n # b

.
f

#.

P
b b
b
J

J
f
b
j

#
F
f

Vln. 1

b b b

.
J
f
b b b

.
J
P
f

j
b

b
.
# #

#
b n b # .

# ..

..

#.
P

50 with mute

Hn.
1&2

b
b b

f
b
b b
f
b

b b
f

b b b

f
F

60

Pic.

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&
&

# n

j
b n #

# # #
f
b n #
.

f
b

n b

#
J
f

j
j
b n # b #
F
? b .

&

?
?

j
J b

& b ..
P

..

C Tpt.
1&2

&

&

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

60

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

60

60

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

j
b n
f

j
b n
f
J
f

Japanese cymbals

j
b

J J

b n b
b
F

j
j
b J n .
J

j
#

&

&

B .
?
?

j

P

b n b
J
F

j
b n b
F
b n b

n b
J

n b
J

j
.
F

1.

..

..

#
F

#
F

j .

.
J

a2

#
F

j .

..

small Japanese cymbals

.
J

a2

J J

#
f

b n
J .
J
b J n J .

# b J

# #

Div.

Unis.

J .

75

#
J
#
J

j
b

b # n b # n # # #

# n
# J
J

f
F

b # J

f
F

#
b J
J .

.
F

..

# n
J n .
J

#
.
#
# # # # # #
J
F

a2
j
j
j
j
j
j .
.
b J n # # #

J
b

# .
J

b
#
#

.
# j # #
b

j
.
J b J b J

&

b b.
J

a2

#
b n
f

#
b n
f
b #

b b

b
#
F

b n# b
J
F
# b

J .
J

j remove mute
b .
j
b n
f
b n #
f

b n #
f
j
b n

J .

60

Vln. 1

b
J J

60

Hp.

&

Tbn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
3

f
.
J

# b
#
F

& b j .
b

60

Hn.
1&2

b b.
J

b b

# #

a2

j
# j

# b n
b n

b n b n

a2

J J

.
J

Div.
# # #

J
J

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

& J

&

70

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Perc. 2

Perc. 4

b .
J

1.
b j b
P

70
j
& #

&

? J J

? J
J

? J J

j


j
& b J n J

& J

? b n J
J

? J J
? j
J

. b.
b .
p

with mute

.
p

?
&

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

70

Cn Eb

#
J

? J

? J

gliss.

b #
p

..

..

b b

b b

b
P

1.

.
p

2.

..

..

..

j
b b

j .

remove mute

j
..
p

Japanese cymbals

J
p
f

Vln. 1

Cb.

b J

70 Dn

Vlc.

&
Hp.

j
#
# J

70

Perc. 3

70

Perc. 1

b
P

70

C Tpt.
3

b
8

.
@
p
.
@
p

Unis.

b.
@
p

.
@
.
@
b.
@

.
@
.
@
b.
@

.
@

.
@

.
@

.
@

b.
@

b.
@

76

.
@

.
@

b.
@

b.
@

with mute

..

..

.
F

.
Div.
b b .
J
p

b
J

j
.

b
J

.
J

b.
@

b.
@

b.
@

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

82

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

& .

j
.

#
J

b n b
b
F
f

a2

b.
b
b
P
f
F
.
b b

b
F
f P
.
n
J

j
b b n n b b b b n b n b b ..
b

f
F
f P
F

&

#

P
p

82

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

& .
.

a2

1.
. J b
P

#.
#.
P
# .
P
b b ..

.
.
.

#
J
J
P

b
J
J

J
J
P

b
b
J
J

b
#
p
j
#
b
#
p

1.

j
b b ..
P

with mute

..

..

&

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

C Tpt.
3

82

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

82

82

?
82

Vln. 1

&

Vln. 2

&

Vlc.

Cb.

#
gliss

..

..

b b ...

..
..

B .

? .

? b.
@

b.
@

b # ..

..
.

b b ..

#
P

b.
@

. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

b #
p

b b.
Unis.
b
F
f P
b.
b

b
f P
F
.
Div.
n b n # .
#

j j remove. mute
b n

f P
b
P

b .
J
P

b
f
F

b # b ...

..

tam-tam with
medium beater

82

Vla.

& .
Hp.

1.

n b
b

&

C Tpt.
1&2

remove mute

.
J J

#
b # #
F 1.
f
.
#
f
F
a2
b b n

b
F
f

j .
b b

. #

77

f P
b b.
b

f P
b
b b n
b
b
b b n

f
P
F

.
P

b.
b.

b b n b

b b n b

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

&

93

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&
b b n
?

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

b b ..
p

b. .
P
b. .
P

a2

b b

b b

a2

b
b b n J .
b b n n
f
b

J .
f

b
# # J .

f
b # # J
J
f
.

j .
b b b n
f
j .
b b n
b b
f
a2
b b b n .

J
b n
F
f

j
b
#
F
> > > #
b

# # b

b
j
b
# #

F
> > > #
b

F
> > > #
b
F

b #
P
F

&

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

P
f

.
p
f

.
f

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

93

93

93

&

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

?
93

Vln. 1

&

Hp.

.
p

a2

.
p
#.

.
b #

# #
b n
f

. b.

j # #
f
# #
b n

b n

? n b b .

? n b b b b

n .
J

Unis.

. b.

.
J

b
b b

b ...
f

gliss. 8

. .
F

f
# #
f

# #

J .

78

b
> > > b n J
b J

.
.

Div.

# b # b
F

> >
J .

.
b
F

> >
J .

.
b
F
b.
b
.
#.
b
F

93

93

a2
. J b
P

b n. b.
b
b n
f
F
b b J .

b n
F
f
b b J .

b n
F
f

J #

#
>
J b
#
>
J

n.

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

104

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&
j
&

# #
J

#
J b

#
# b #
J

> > >

b #

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

> > >

b #

?
?

& j .

& # b

F
j
&

b
&
F
b
? #

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

? b
F

j
.

b b n
F

Hp.

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

?
104

& J

> > >

b J

Unis.

> Div.
b > > # b #
& #

Div.

b b n
J J
b n b
J J

b
> > >
B # b J #
? .

b
J

small Japanese cymbals

Japanese cymbals

b n b
J

j
b b n

Perc. 3

104

j b j

b
F
j
j
b
b
F
b
J
F
b
J
F

&

Perc. 2

j
b j

Perc. 4

b.

f
P

104

Perc. 1

b.

f F
P

P
#

b n
b n

j
J

..
f
.
.
f
.
f

.
.
f

j
j
.

f
j
j
b ..
f

j
#
#
j
#

b
#
F
f

f
P

>
>
#
f

F
.

#
J

> >#
f
> > #

b
b
J
F

b n

j
b >
F
>
b
J
F
>
b
J
F

> > > #

J b
f
F
> #
>
>

J b
f
F

b b n

F
# b
F

b n

b
J

b
F

J J

b .
.
F

F

J J

b n

104

..

Tba.

a2

> > > # .

b

f
>
b > > # .

#
b > > > f
> > >
b #
f
> #
>
>

b
f

b b
b
.
J

J b
J

.
J

b J n
J

b b

104

C Tpt.
3

J b
J

104

Hn.
1&2

>
b # b > > #
Unis.
..
> > > # #
b

f F
f
..
Unis.
# > #
> > >
> >
b # # b # b
f
f F
# b > > > #
> > > # #
b

J .

f
> > > # b # b > > > #
b

J J J
J J J
f

79

b.

b.

f
> > > # #
b

f
j b # .

J J
f

j b . b J b > >
& #
F
f

>
#
>
J

. b
&
115

Pic.

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

? .

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

? #

j
& # .
#
F
j
& # .
F
j b
& # b
F
115
j
&
#
b.
? # J .
F

>
>
>
b #
#

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

115

?
&

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

..

f
j
.

..
.

b
J

b
?

f
.

b
f
b

b J J
J

j
b

..
.

j
b

..

..

b.

>

J #

b.

80

b .
#

b .
#
f

#
p

b .

b.

b.

b.

j
j
b

j
b

.
J

>
>
>

>
b #
#

> n > # b > b >

b

>
> n > # > b

> b > > > #

.
p
f

#.

j
b

j
b

a2
j
j
b n n j b # >
>
>

> #
>
b
b

J
J

n
J
j
b > # >

b
a2
#
J b J J

> b >
b
b > n > #

> b >

b #
> >

>
>
> #
b J

J J

> #
>
>

b

>

#
J

# b

> #

b b

b > >
#

>
b >
J J

>
>
b > > #

>
b > >

#
J #

>
# > # b > b #

>
b > >
#
J

.
.

#.

..

J
F

..

b b

#
J

#.

#
j
b

f .

b.

b
f

n
J J

.
.

j b J J J

tam-tam with
med. beater

j
j
j
b
f
.
b

? #

115

Vln. 1

115

115

&
Hp.

? b.
J
F
?

>
>
J # # b b
>

> #

b > #
# > >
> b > b >
#
#

115

Hn.
1&2

> #

b J

p

p

p

p

.
f

.
f
.
.
f

b .
# @

f
b .

f
b .

f
b .
# @

b.
@
b.
@
b.
@
b.
@

125

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

?
?

J .
F

b.

b.

j .

b.

#.

#.

#.

. #.

# ..

..
p

b.
b.

.
.
p

j .

#.

. #.

..

.. # j

.
#.

. .
. #.

a2

.
.

Hn.
1&2

&

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

Perc. 1

Japanese cymbals

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

&

125

125

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

125

125

125

Hp.

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

125 .
&@

&

.
@

.
B@

.
@
F
.
.
@
@
.
@

.
?@

.
@

b.
@

.
@

b.
@

.
@

b.
@

. .
@
@
P
.
@

@.

.
@

@.

.
p
C# En F# Gn gliss.
.
. # # #.
.
p

small Japanese cymbals

.
@
P

b.
@

.
@

@.

.
@

b.
@

@.

.
@
P

.
@

b.
@

.
@

@.

@.
p
@.
p

.
.

.
p

#
#
J

.
J

#.
. #.
p

with mute

#.
#.
J

.
.

. .

Fn

#.
. # ..

.
#.
.

#.
.
.

#
#

D# F#

#.

. #.
p

#
J

#
J

.
.

@. # @.

@. # @.

@.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

@. # @.

@. # @.

@. # @.

@.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

.
.

@. # @.

.
.

# @.

81

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

139

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

#
&#

# #

#
#

# j # # #
p

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

139

139

#.
? #.

# #
# #
p

with mute

with mute

#
p #

&

#
J

#
J

Hn.
1&2

Tbn.
1&2

j
# #
#
p

a2

#
p

# #

.
J

#
#

#
#

..

J J

# # .
J
J

#
J .

#
a2

j
#

# #
p #

..

..

# # #
p # #

.
.

.
.

..

j
#

.
.

..

#
#
J

..

.. # .
.

j
# #

#
#

#
# # #

..

..

remove mute

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Tbn. 3

Tba.

139

139

#.
139 # . .
#.
&
Hp.

?
139

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

&

#.
@

#.
& @
B
?
?

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#.
@

#
J

#
J

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

# @.

82

&

&

151

Pic.

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&

a2

#
#

# #.

& # j .

& #.
# .
p

..

..

#.
.

.
.
.
.

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Tba.

P
#

#
P

#

# # #
P

P
a2 # .
J
P

.
# # #

j
#
# # #
p
P

.
.

.
.

&

151

151

151

#.
@

Vln. 2

& #@ .

Cb.

&

Vlc.

Vln. 1

Vla.

151

Hp.

.
.

Tbn. 3

&

Tbn.
1&2

#
.

Hn.
3&4

151

B
?
?

#.
@

151

Hn.
1&2

#.
@

#.
@

# #.
J

j
# # ..

..

..

#.

#.
@

Div.

Db Cn

#.

@.

# @.

# @.

j
# .

# @

#.

@.

# @.

# @.

j
# .

.
.

Unis.
# .
# J
# # # #
P

.
# J #
P

# J .
.
P

Div.

# @

83

b
b # J #
p
P

# j # j
J

#
P
# j # j
J

#
P

163

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

# .
P
.

Hn.
3&4

& ..

.
.

C Tpt.
1&2

&

.
J
P

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

163

163

# #
# n #
F

# J
F

# J
J

1.

#
f
F

# 2.b

J

#
J
P

j

P

P
.

163

b .

# .

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

Vlc.

? #
J
?

.
.
.

#
J

#
f

#
f
#
f

j
#
f

j
#
f

.
P

#.
P

.
#

b.

j

P

P

84

j
b b #

b j

j
b b #

j
b

j
# #

J
P

&

&

Japanese cymbals

b .
J

#
J

# .

b #
J
..
#
#
J
f P

#
J

#
P
j

b #

#
F
f P
..
#
J
f P

#
J

# .

Vln. 1

Cb.

163

Hp.

Tba.

Tbn. 3

Tbn.
1&2

j # # n # #
# #
F
F

163

&

C Tpt.
3

& ..
&

163

Hn.
1&2

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

175

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

#
& #
&

#.
?J

# n #

# #.

.
.

a2
j b j

#
P

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

&

175

175

175

Hp.

Vln. 1

& #

b
J

b.

Vln. 2

& .

? j

j
b b

? j

j
b

175

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

b #

Tba.

j
b #
P

#
J

#
J

J

b
#

85

j
# b
P #

b #
P
with mute

a2

with mute

j
b #

a2

a2

# .
J
b #
b #

# .

j

F

j
#

with mute

J
F

# J

# #
J

.

J

Japanese cymbals

#
J

#
J

j
#
p

b # b ...
.

#
J

# .

.
#
F
# .

j

F

.
F

# #
j
J

j

F

with mute

b j

p
F

.
J
b #

J .

Tbn. 3

Tbn.
1&2

j
#

#
J

&

#
J

Hn.
3&4

175

j
#
#
# n

& #

Hn.
1&2

175

b
J

j
#
j
# # # .
F
#
# # j # .
J
#
F

F
j

F

186

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
3&4

b b

.
J

j .

# j b

& .
&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

186

186

Hn.
1&2

#
#
J # #
F

F
F

j
#

j
#

#
#

#.
J J
F

j
#

# n #

j
b

b
# b

J J

# #.

? b

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

&

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

186

186

186

Hp.

a2

Vln. 1

&

Vln. 2

& .

b.

B .

? b j
#

? b j

186

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

a2

b
# b

b .

j
b b

j
b

# #

b j j #

j j #
b

86

b b
b b

Pic.

197
& J J J

# .

#
J

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

&

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

?
?

&

197

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

&

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

Tbn. 3

remove mute

b >

j
#

j
#
#

.
.

j
# #

remove mute

# #
F

a2

b b > #
#

>
b
b # > #
F >
>
# b
F >

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Hp.

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

197

Vln. 1

&

.
& #
.
B #
?
?

#
J
#
J

#
J

D# C# B#

&

gliss.

# # # #

# #
gliss.

# #
J

j

F

F

87

j
b

j
b

b
#
F

b #

b
#

b
F
b

j
b

p
F

p
F

b j

j
b

j
b #

j
b

b
J

Div.

b
#

b
J

j
b #

b #
F
#

# #
# #
J
J
F
P

# # #

P
F

b >
b
b #

#
b >
j
#

b # b

# # n #
p
# # #

Japanese cymbals

# # # #

# .

&

197

>

b >
b #

# #
J

j
#

197

197

# #

# #

Tba.

# # #
F
P

# #

# n
.
P
F
b >
#

b # b

F
b >

j
#

b # b
F
.
.

?
?

197

Tbn.
1&2

#
J J

& .

# #

&

# #

208

Pic.

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

? .

# J .

? j j #
b

&

# #

C Tpt.
3

&

j
#

208

? b
?

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

> #
#

# >
b

b
>

b
>

j
b

>

b
#
>

b >
#

>
b n

b
b >

>

.
.

j
# #

b
>

j j #

# #
J

# #
J

# j #
J
J
Unis.

>

b b

b b

Div.

j
b b #

j
b

88

>

Db Cn Ab

b j j #

f>

b
>
f
b
>
f

>

b >
b

b >

j #
j
b

j
# #

..

b
>
f
>
b #
f

b
> #
f

>

b
>
f
b
#
f>

remove mute

.
.

p
F

b # >

>

# #

? j j #
b

? j j #
b

j
b

#
# # n #

B ..

&

Vla.

f
>
# # # #

#
# # #
f

# #
n b >
# #
f
j
j
# n # #
#
f
# n
>

# n #
#
f

>

# #

>#

f
b >

& .

Vln. 2

j
b

b >

>
b n

208

>
b

&

j
b b #

Vln. 1

208

> #
#

208

b
b

b
> #

208

b b

b >
#

? j j
#
b

Perc. 1

Cb.

&

Vlc.

C Tpt.
1&2

Hp.

Tba.

? j j #

&

Tbn. 3

j .

j
#
# # # #
#
# # # #

#
# #
J .

& .
.

Hn.
3&4

Tbn.
1&2

# #
J

j
#

& .

208

Hn.
1&2

# #
J

f
> #

f
>
b Unis.

b
>
f

b
>
f

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

> #

218

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

> #

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

#
? # J
?

# # n

?
&

# n #
>

&

&
?
?

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

218

> #
#

> >
# # # #
#

>
b b

> #

b >

b b
>

>
# n #

b b
>
b > b

> #
# > # n

b
>
> b
b

b
>

b
>

# n # # #

#
# # #

# # b
> >
# > # b >

# > # >
# > # b >

# > # >

>

f
a2
# # # #

. # # # # n b # #

F
f

# # # # #
#
# #
#

f
F

# > # >

# # #

b
# # >
>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

# > # >
# #

> #
#

?
&

Vln. 2

&

Vla.

> #

218

Div.

b >
b
> #

b >
b

b >

> #
#

b >

E#

# > # >
# #
J

>
Div.
> b
b b # b

Unis.

> #

b >

# >

b >

a2

F
b #

# > # > b
#
# # # # # # # #
# #
F
# > # > b

# # j .

a2

# > # >

# > # >
# # b
# # #
> >
> # # # # #

> b >

b b # b

# # #
f

# # #

Vln. 1

Cb.

218

Vlc.

> >
# # # #

> #

&
Hp.

> #

Perc. 1

# > n #

&

218

b >

# j b
#
>

&

218

C Tpt.
3

b >
b

&

218

Hn.
1&2

b >

n #

# # # n

# # # n

# #

n #

a2

a2

j

f
j


f
. j
. #
f

. j
# . # #
f
j
# .. # #
f
.
f

D# C# Eb An

#
J

.
f

f
Div.
n # # .

b
#

. #
b

. # # # #
J
F
f
Div.

# # .. #
# # # # # # # #
#
J
f
F
n

Unis.

89

j
j
f

#

J
f

tam-tam

b b n
b

# > # > b
# # # # # # n #
F
# > # > b

# # j .
F

# # #

a2

gliss.

# # b #
f
gliss.

# # b #
5

j j

228

Pic.

&

Fl.

&

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

j
n #
b b

j
b

? b

& . # j
. #
& .
j
. # #
j
.
& . # #

Perc. 4

228

228

.
b.

j
b

b ..

j
b

&

Cn

.
228
#
J
&

#
f
gliss.
#
gliss.

b ..

b.
.

.
B . # #
J

? b

Dn

? b .

.
. #
#
&
J

j j n
b b
#
j
b

#
f
gliss.

gliss.

a2

Japanese cymbals

.
.

j
b j

b
b J

..

Unis.

# #
f

j
# n #
f

90

# #

# # # #
f
Unis.

>
# n # n # # n #

>
# b # n

# # n # #

b b
#

Div.

Div.

Div.
# # #
# # # # # # # n
f
Div.
# #

.
P

a2

b
J

.
p

b
b >
#

>
b b #

b.

# # # # # n #
#
>
f
#
# #
# # #
J
f
#
#
# ## # # n # #
J

a2

# n
>
f

j j
b

a2

> #
# #

b
J

#
#
f

# n

# >
J .
f
# >
n
#

#
#
f

.
.

j
b

228

b ..

? b j b j n
b
#
?

& . # j
.

? . #
J

Cb.

# # n n
# # n

Perc. 3

Vlc.

Vla.

Perc. 2

Vln. 2

# # n
# # n

&

b
# # #

Vln. 1

Perc. 1

Hp.

#
# #

228

C Tpt.
3

&

228

Hn.
1&2

>
# # # #

>
b >
& J J
>
b > #
&

>
.
J
f
>
.

f
b b > >
> #

#
..

&
f
>
>
b b b n # > ..
&
f
.
?

#
J

Pic.

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

J
f

238

Hn.
1&2

& b

Hn.
3&4

& b

C Tpt.
1&2

& #
f

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

b
?

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

238

238

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

.
#.
f
# ..
f

j
# #
j
# #

f
j

f

j
#

. j
f
# J #

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#
#

# #

j
.. # j . b b
# .

#
J
#
J

# #
J

f
>
b > # > j

f

J
f

j
b

b # n

#
#

#
#

j
# .

# ..

b
b J # j .
b

j
b j
# .

gliss.

# # b #

b # n

j
b ..

.
.

j
b

..

# # b #

n
J

j
b

j
# .. # j ..

# . # j
.
# .. # # J

b.
J

b ..
J

# #

.
. # # J

.. b b
J

#
#

j
b

b # n

j
b

b # n

91

.
J

b
b J # j .

#.

.
# . #
J

J j b . # j

# . # #
. J

b #

. Unis.
. J
J J #

J j b . # j

.
J
J
f

b
b J # j .

. # # j
#.

Japanese cymbals

# b ..
J

.
.

. # J

j
j
b. #

# .. #
J

# n #

. #
. J

# # #

#. #
J

# n #

.
.

. # b
.
J

# #

j
b . # j

..
J

j
. # b
.

j
j
b . #

# .. #
J

j
b . # j

j
j
b. #

#
. J

j
b

# #

.
J

#.

. b j
. #
j
# .. #

#
#

#.

gliss.

j
b.
# .

j
b ..

# .
J

b
b J # j .

.
.

j
..

n
J

# b ..
J

.
.

D# C#

> > # > Unis.

.
238 b
#

&
f
>
b > b n # > # n #
..
b

&
f
> # > # # # > n

# ..
B

b
b J # j .

Unis.

&

238

Hp.

.
.
f

&
238

C Tpt.
3

.
.

#
# # #

j
# #

..
J

..

# .. #
J

n # # #

j
#
#

# # #

. b b
J

. #
J

# # #

#
J

.
J

b.
J

238

. #
J
# .. #
J

Div.
#. #
# n # b # . # J

Div.
#
# # # n

# n #

Unis.

. J b n . #
J
&
.

.
J
J
&
249

Pic.

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

Hn.
1&2

Hn.
3&4

C Tpt.
1&2

.. b # b
J

n .. #
#
J

.
& . # J

.. #
J

&

? . J b n . # J
? . j
b # b.

j
.

? b.

j
# b.

j
.. b # b n ..
.. b b n ..
& J

#
J

.
& . # J # J
. b .
? . b J b n . # J
249

C Tpt.
3

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

? b.
?

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Vln. 1

Vln. 2

Vla.

#
J

#
J

# ..

b
J

..

b b
J

249

j
b. # b.

. .
J

249

# #

&

#.

.
f

# #

10
f
#
# #

portamento

portamento

# # #

Unis.

j
#
.. # # b
J
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? b.

j
# b.

j
#
# n #

> >
>
> >
>
#
#

>
>
>
>
# # #

b b b
J
J
J
J
J
j
j b .

> >


J J

>

>

>

>
#
#

a2

# # #

j
# # n
# #
>
>

n ..
J J
j j
.
.
n ..
J J

# n # #
> > # > > # > > > #

j
# # # n # n # n
>
> #
> # >> >>
>
# # > n >
# # # # n
J

.
J J

>
# # n #
>
>
>
# > # n >
#

>
>

>> #
#
#

>
> >
> >

>

#
>
>>
>
# #

> >
>
> >
#

>
#

j j
b.

j j j j j j j j j j
b

b

b

b

J
f

#.
#.

.
.

.
.

Fn

b.

b.

b.

.
.

j j
j
j
j j
j
j j
#
b b b b n # #

j
.

# #

#
#
b b n # # #
J
J J

j
.

Cb.

>
>
#

>
> >
> >
>
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>
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portamento

Unis.

>
>
# #

#.

n # >
#

>

j j
j
j
j j
j
j j
j
b b b b

Div.
j
#
# n #

> >
n # # > n # # > # n # # > n # > # > > > #

j
j b .

#.

j
# b.

>
> >
> >
>
#
#

>
#

? b.

>
> >
> >
>
# #

j
.

#.

Vlc.

# >

>
>
#

# n b n #

10

> # >

.
f

# #
J

# #

j
# ..

..
..

j
#

J

j
. # # j .. # # b
.

j
.

# >

# n b n #>

j
# .
b.
J

.
.

Dn En

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B J
J

. b b n. #
249
J
J
&
.
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J
J
&

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

.
p

j
j
.. # .. # # b
#

a2
#

j
# b.

249

Hp.

# #

j
# #

#
J

249
j
j
& .. b b n .. #

&

#
J

#
#

#
#
#

j
.

j
j b .

j j
j
j
j j
j
j j
#
b b b b n # #

j
.

j
j b .

j j
j
j
j j
j
j j
#
b b b b n # #

92

# n
#
# n
#

Pic.

&

b b

Fl.

&

b b

Ob.
1&2

&

b b b #

Bb Cl.
1&2

&

# #

259

B.Cl.

# #
#

C. Bn.

Hn.
3&4

& # n # # # n
# #
& b b

C Tpt.
1&2

&

C Tpt.
3

&

259

# #

# #

# # # n

259

Hn.
1&2

b b

? # # #
?

j
#

b
#

b b

b b

b b

b b b #

# #

b b b

# #

# b
# # n

a2

Bsn.
1&2

b b

b b

# # # n #
#
b b
#
b

# b
b b

# # # n

# #

b b b b

a2
# #

b b

b
# #

b b

b
# #

j
b

b b b

b b b

# #

Perc. 1

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

Tbn. 3

Tba.

259

259

&

259

Hp.

# # #
# # n

b
& b

b b #

&

Div.

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

# # #

b b b

259

Vln. 1

B# F#

b b b n #
#

# #

b b

b b b #

b b

# #

# # # n

Unis.

Tbn.
1&2

b b n

# n # # # # n
#

a2

b b b

# #

b b

Div.

# # #

# # # n

# # #

# #

# # # n

# # #

# #

# # # n

93

Div.

&

Unis.

b b n

b b b
#

# #

# #

# b b
#

Div.

# #

&

265

Pic.

Fl.

Ob.
1&2

Bb Cl.
1&2

B.Cl.

Bsn.
1&2

C. Bn.

&

# # #
&
b
&

b

J

b

b b #
J

b b #
J

b
J

b
J

#
# #
J

b b n

b #

Hn.
3&4

& #

j
#

C Tpt.
1&2

&

Tbn.
1&2

Tbn. 3

Tba.

&

?
?

Perc. 2

Perc. 3

Perc. 4

265

265

#
J

b
J

Vln. 2

Vla.

Vlc.

Cb.

j
#

j
b

@.
p

#

& # #
b
?
?

b
b
b

b
J

b
b b #
J

# # # n b
b #
J

# # #
f

# # #

b
J

b
J

f
n

b b #

b # b

# #
# # #

b
J

b
J

# # # #

b b b

94

Unis.

b
# #

Db Cn Bb Eb

# #

b b

#
# # #
J

Div.
# #

b b n

b n b

&

b #

# #
# # n

b
b b
# # n

# #

&

&

b
J

# n
# # # n

265

Vln. 1

265

Hp.

Perc. 1

265

C Tpt.
3

# n
# # n
f

j
#

b
# #

# # #

265

& #

Hn.
1&2

270

Pic.

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PART II: THE REALIZATION OF WESTERN AND JAPANESE INFLUENCES IN

TAKEMITSUS NOVEMBER STEPS

97

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Tru Takemitsu (1930-1996) was the most internationally recognized Japanese composer of
the twentieth century and November Steps is perhaps his most famous composition. It was
commissioned by the New York Philharmonic as part of the orchestras 125th anniversary
celebration in 1967. The previous year Takemitsu had written the piece Eclipse, a duet for two
traditional Japanese instruments, biwa (a lute-like instrument) and shakuhachi (a five holed
bamboo flute). The Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa heard that piece while in Japan and later
played a tape of the work for Leonard Bernstein. Intrigued by the composition, Bernstein asked
Takemitsu to write a piece in which these two instruments would be combined with a symphony
orchestra. Because the work was to be premiered in New York during November 1967, Takemitsu
titled it November Steps. Its premiere was a resounding success, and Takemitsus reputation was
established as a composer who combined traditional Japanese and Western instruments, despite
the fact that the vast majority of his compositions were written solely for Western instruments.
That view of Takemitsu was vastly oversimplified. He was part of a generation of Japanese
composers who came of age in the post World War II era. In the years following Japans defeat,
these young composers turned their backs on traditional Japanese culture and looked to the West
for inspiration and musical models. Like their European and American counterparts they
considered the old artistic language dead, and in order to develop a modern musical vocabulary,
they adopted the new compositional methods of composers like Anton Webern, Olivier Messiaen,
Pierre Schaeffer, and John Cage. From the early 1950s through the 1960s Takemitsu associated
himself with the international avant-garde, absorbed these new compositional procedures, and
applied them in his own compositions. These included the sound mass and extended instrumental
techniques of Penderecki, the aleatoric-counterpoint of Lutoslawski, and the micropolyphony of
Ligeti.
During this time period, however, Takemitsu and several other of his fellow Japanese
composers rediscovered their Japanese heritage and began to incorporate its elements into their
own works. For example, while still using the Western musical vocabulary they had spent years
mastering, they began to base their temporal models on the Japanese space-time concept of ma, or
their timbral choices on the concept of sawari. The composer Toshiro Mayuzumi, using the
scientific methods of acoustical analysis, selected the pitch materials for his piece Nirvana
Symphony from an analysis of the overtones of a Buddhist temple bell. The resulting music of this
98

blend of East and West was simultaneously modern and traditional. To the Western listener the
devices of avant-garde contemporary composition were evident, but the sensitive Japanese listener
could also perceive the ancient aesthetic sensibilities that had governed the Japanese arts for more
than a millennium. This process of importing foreign culture into Japan and then molding it to
indigenous tastes was in many ways the same procedure the Japanese had followed since they first
imported the Chinese writing system and its associated cultural ideas from mainland Asia in the
sixth century A.D.
In the 1974 essay Mirrors Takemitsu described this transformation from a composer who
looked exclusively to the West to one who used his contemporary Western musical vocabulary in
order to express innately Japanese aesthetic ideas. To do this he employed a metaphor that
described succinctly the dual nature of his musical personality: Once, I believed that to make
music was to project myself onto an enormous mirror that was called the West. Coming into
contact with Japanese traditional music, I became aware of the fact that there was another mirror.1
To be simultaneously both an Eastern and Western composer was a situation that Takemitsu felt
was inherent with contradictions. Not only did he recognize this condition within himself, but he
also saw it present in Japanese society as a whole. Takemitsus compositional solution was not to
blend this yin and yang of East and West. He stated that his goal was to confront these
contradictions, even intensify them. And those contradictions are for me a valid visa to the world.
That is my act of expression.2
Because of its juxtaposition of Eastern and Western instruments, November Steps is in many
ways an ideal composition to use as a vehicle for the exploration of this dual nature of Takemitsus
compositional personality. In this piece, however, did Takemitsu realize his goal of confronting and
intensifying the contradictions between the sound worlds of a symphony orchestra and traditional
Japanese instruments, or is the final result perhaps more complex, and the boundaries between the
two not so rigidly defined?
The purpose of this essay is to investigate the aspects of Takemitsus life and his musical
influences which contributed to the development of his personal aesthetic and its realization in
November Steps. The paper is organized into the following chapters: 1) biography, 2) Western
compositional influences, 3) Japanese aesthetic concepts, 4) characteristics and history of the biwa
1

Tru Takemitsu, Mirrors. Translated by Sumi Adachi with Roger Reynolds, Perspectives of New Music Vol.
30 no. 1 (Winter 1992): 47.
2
Tru Takemitsu. Confronting Silence. Translated and edited by Yoshiko Kakudo and Glenn Glasow (Berkeley:
Fallen Leaf Press, 1995), 93.

99

and shakuhachi, and 5) an analysis of November Steps. The analysis chapter will particularly
emphasize the roles of timbre and texture in the determination of compositions form, the use of
cyclical temporal models, the Japanese concept of ma, the use of both modern and traditional
performance practices by the biwa and shakuhachi, and the notational system Takemitsu developed
for them. By investigating these compositional elements, it is possible to achieve a better
understanding of both the Western and Japanese aesthetic principles underlying November Steps
and their interaction.

100

CHAPTER 2: BIOGRAPHY
Tru Takemitsu was born on October 8, 1930 in Tokyo to Takeo and Reiko Takemitsu. In
November of that year his family moved from Japan to Darien, Manchuria, where his father was a
government official for a Japanese economic development project. In 1937, in order to begin
school, he was sent back to Tokyo to live with his aunt and uncle. Around the time that Takemitsu
was sent back to Japan, his father Takeo became seriously ill with tuberculosis. He was sent to
Kagoshima in southern Japan for recuperation but died there in 1938. His mother then returned to
Tokyo and worked to support her family.1
Takemitsus aunt was a koto teacher so, while he lived with her in Tokyo, he was frequently
surrounded by traditional Japanese music. Years later he recalled how, as a child, this music had
never appealed to him. On the contrary, he always associated it with his bitter memories of World
War II. In contrast, he remembered his family being big fans of American music and movies. His
father had kept a collection of New Orleans-style jazz records,2 and the entire family enjoyed
seeing American films like It Happened One Night and Top Hat. It was through seeing films like
these that he came to realize the great differences between Japanese and American culture.3
During World War II, however, most Western Culture and music was banned in Japan. The
fascist government promoted military type marches, nationalistic songs based on harmonized folk
tunes, and traditional Japanese music. During the last year of the war the teenage Takemitsu was
conscripted to work at a military base deep in a mountainous region of Saitama prefecture.4 Most
of the Japanese soldiers treated the young laborers harshly, but many years later Takemitsu
recalled an exception:
One day, one of the military officers took a number of us to the very back of the
barracks where he had a record player and a number of records. There was no
needle to play the records, but this officer had carefully sharpened a piece of
bamboo, and using it as a needle he was able to play the records for us. One of the
first records he put on was the French Chanson, Parles-moi de lamour. For me,
hearing that music came as a tremendous shock. I was stunned, and for the first
time I suddenly realized the splendid quality of Western music.5
After the war the Japanese economy and infrastructure was devastated so Takemitsu never had a
1

James Siddons, Tru Takemitsu: A Bio-Bibliography (Westport, Ct.: Greenwood Press, 2001), 1.
Noriko Ohtake, Creative Sources for the Music of Tru Takemitsu (Aldershot, England: Scholar Press, 1993),
14.
3
Tru Takemitsu, Contemporary Music in Japan, Perspectives of New Music Vol. 27 no. 2 (Summer 1989):
200.
4
Peter Burt, The Music of Tru Takemitsu (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001), 22.
5
Takemitsu, 199.
2

101

chance to complete middle school, let alone high school or college. He did, however, manage to
find a job as a busboy and waiter at a PX on an American base in Yokohama. Here he was able to
listen to American jazz music on records and pick out tunes on a dance hall piano. At this time he
also began listening to American concert works by composers such as Roy Harris and Aaron
Copland on American Armed Services radio, and studying these and other scores at the library of
the Civil Information and Education department of the U. S. occupation government in Tokyo.6
During this period Takemitsu began to make the acquaintance of other young musicians who
would later go on to have notable musical careers. In 1946 he joined an amateur choral group that
rehearsed at the home the young conductor and composer Noriteru Hamada. There he met
Hiroyoshi Suzuki. Together Takemitsu and Suzuki studied scores of various composers and
Rimsky-Korsakovs orchestration treatise. In 1947 Suzuki and Takemitsu were at a Tokyo used
book store when they discovered a score by Japanese composer Kishio Harao. Some time later
they went to Haraos home hoping to become his students. To their disappointment, he declined to
accept them as pupils. In 1953, however, Harao would again make Takemitsus acquaintance and
give him a a copy of his newly published translation of Messiaens Technique de mon language
musical, a work that Takemitsu, over the years, would often say had a significant impact on his
musical development.7
The years immediately following World War II were a time of radical change for the Japanese
musical scene. From the time Japan reopened contact with the Western world in 1868, the
countrys goal was to convert itself into a modern industrial power. In order to do so they
imported the Western educational system. This included the Western music education system.
Traditional Japanese music was looked upon as inferior. In 1880 Luther Mason arrived from
America and established what would eventually become the Tokyo Music School. The system of
music education he established still survives in Japan to this day. Because Masons two immediate
successors at the Tokyo Music School were Franz Eckert and Rudolph Dietrich, the primary
compositional influence was Germanic. In addition, several Japanese students who were later to
become musically influential in their home country traveled to Germany and France in order to
study composition. Their resulting compositions closely resembled the works of the popular
European composers that were their models. In the 1930s, however, a group of composers sought
to incorporate distinctly Japanese elements into their works. This group included Yasuji Kiyose
6
7

Ibid., 200.
Siddons, p 8.

102

(1900-1981), Yoritsune Matsudaira (1907-2001), and Fumio Hayasaka (1914-1955). In the

postwar years these composers would have a significant impact on the younger generation that
included Takemitsu. The other development that was to influence profoundly the postwar
generation of Japanese composers was the discovery of the European avant-garde.8
In 1948 the seventeen year old Takemitsu saw a poster on a street corner for a concert by the
Toho Symphony Orchestra featuring works by Japanese composers Fumio Hayasaka and Akira
Ifukube. Intrigued as to what kind of music Japanese composers would write he went to the box
office to buy a ticket (at this time he knew nothing of the prewar nationalist composers). At the
ticket office he inquired if there was anyone who could teach him composition. He was given the
name of Yasuji Kiyose, one of Japans foremost composers of the time. For two years Takemitsu
studied with Kiyose, but their lessons consisted mostly of conversations regarding aesthetics, and
not applied compositional studies. The real value in Takemitsus relationship with Kiyose was his
introduction to many important figures in the Nationalist composition movement.9
In the post-war era many collective Japanese composition groups were formed loosely modeled
after European groups in music and the other arts. Each of these groups had no formal
organization, professed an agenda of shared aesthetic beliefs, and pooled their resources to
organize concerts of new music. These groups included the Yagi no Kai (The Goat Group),
Sannin no Kai (The Group of Three), and the Shin Sakkyokuha Kyoukai (New Composers
Association). The last of these groups was formed by Takemitsus teacher Kiyose in 1946, and
included such prominent Japanese composers as Fumio Hayasaka and Yoritsune Matsudaira.
The goal of many of these groups was to develop a truly national style. In order to do so they
often blended contemporary Western musical techniques with a Japanese aesthetic sense.10
Two years after beginning his studies with Kiyose, Takemitsu (along with his friend Suzuki)
was granted membership in Shin Sakkyokuha Kyoukai. As a result, he received his first public
performance on December 7, 1950. The piece performed that day was Lento in Due Movimenti for
solo piano. The critical reception that his work received, however, was less than enthusiastic, and at
the time he even considered giving up music altogether. Despite this, Takemitsu persevered, and in
8

For a more detailed history of the development of the modern Japanese music education system and the countrys
early Western style composers see the first chapter of Timothy Koozins The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu:
A Linear/Set-Theoretic Analysis (Ph.D. diss., University of Cincinnati, 1989), 5-22.
9
Siddons, 4.
10
Judith Ann Herd, The Neonationalist Movement: Origins of Japanese Contemporary Music, Perspectives of
New Music Vol. 27 no. 2 (Summer 1989): 120.

103

May 1951 his second piece to be publicly performed, distance de Fe for violin and piano, was
premiered.11
The membership of Shin Sakkyokuha Kyoukai mainly consisted of older established composers
whose styles had been firmly established in the years preceding World War II. Takemitsu,
however, was now beginning to circulate with a younger group of musicians, artists, and poets who,
like their post-war European and American counterparts, desired to create a new musical language
to replace the styles of the past. The result was the founding of a new artistic organization in
September 1951, the Jikken Kb (Experimental Workshop). In contrast to the music of Shin
Sakkyokuha Kyoukai, which was nationalistic and relatively conservative, the goal of Jikken Kb
was to work in various media in order to create a new artistic synthesis. As a result, the
membership of this new group not only consisted of composers and musicians, but of artists in
many other disciplines including poets, painters, photographers, and stage technicians. From 1951
until 1958 Jikken Kb produced thirteen art exhibitions, stage productions, and music concerts.
The first of which was the ballet, Pleasure for Living, which featured music by both Takemitsu and
his friend Suzuki.12 In addition to producing concerts of its members works, Jikken Kb
premiered the works of important European composers in Japan. These included Messiaens
Quatuor pour la fin du temps in 1952 and Schoenbergs Pierrot Lunaire in 1954.13
In 1952 Takemitsu ended his membership with Shin Sakkyokuha Kyoukai, but he continued his
relationship with Fumio Hayasaka, who became something of a mentor to the young composer.
Where Kiyoses style was based more on formal models and Japanese folk songs, Hayasakas
music was more daring and novel. He was eclectic and often drew on musical styles from
throughout Asia. He was also a noted film composer, working with director Akira Kurosawa on
the classic films Rashmon and The Seven Samurai. This relationship between the two composers
resulted in Takemitsu being hired by Hayasaka as a copyist for his film scores. This job was the
beginning of Takemitsus career in film music, a career that lasted until his death and resulted in
his writing music for dozens of films and television programs.14
Takemitsus interest in working in new media included writing incidental music for radio plays,
and experimenting with musique concrte. In the early 1950s the Japanese composer Toshiro
Mayuzumi (1929-1987), while studying in Paris, became familiar with musique concrte. When he
11

Burt, 26.
Siddons, 6.
13
Burt, 41.
14
Siddons, 6.
12

104

returned to Japan, Mayuzumi began to compose electronic pieces of his own. This led to the
Japanese national broadcasting network NHK in 1955 to set up Japans first electronic music
studio. At this same time Takemitsu was composing incidental music for a radio play to be
broadcast on the rival Shin Nihon Hs broadcast network. In the Shin Nihon Hs studios he
constructed a musique concrte piece that he later revised and titled Relief statique. That same year
he went on to produce four more tape pieces in the Shin Nihon Hs studios. From 1955 until
1972 Takemitsu regularly worked in the electronic medium. Much of this was primarily related to
his film composition, but he produced several concert tape pieces as well.15
Despite his constant compositional activity, Takemitsus personal and financial situation in the
1950s was far from secure. Because Japan was still recovering from the devastation that resulted
from World War II, poverty was commonplace. Nor was Takemitsu considered an especially
promising composer within Japanese music circles. Only his immediate circle of friends from the
Jikken Kb group were enthusiastic supporters. In addition to his financial problems, he
underwent long periods of severe illness in the 1940s and 50s. From June 1953 until March 1954
he was was hospitalized with tuberculosis. After being released from the hospital he married Asaka
Wakayama, an actress with the Shiki theater group he had first met in 1950. The next year
Takemitsu was emotionally devastated when his mentor, Fumio Hayasaka, who had also contracted
tuberculosis, died. In 1957 Takemitsu again underwent another long period of illness. During this
period he was offered a commission from the Tokyo Metropolitan Orchestra. Because of his
depression and illness, Takemitsu was unsure if he could fulfill the commission. Sometimes he
could only compose one or two measures a day. The resulting piece, Requiem for Strings, however,
would eventually be responsible for a reversal of his fortune.16
In the Spring of 1959, Igor Stravinsky was in Japan to conduct concerts of his music in Tokyo,
Kyoto, and Osaka. During this tour, Stravinsky requested to hear some examples of Japanese
contemporary orchestral music. A hearing was organized with the NHK Symphony Orchestra, and
Takemitsu submitted Requiem for Strings. His work was not selected for inclusion but somehow
the score and parts were not removed from the orchestra folders.17 In a 1989 interview Takemitsu
recalled the event:
He (Stravinsky) heard it by accident because, when he was in Tokyo, he asked
to listen to some Japanese music. The radio stations arranged it. My music was not
15
16
17

ibid., 7
ibid., 8
ibid., 8

105

supposed to be played, but by chance someone played some and Stravinsky said,
Please keep going. He listened to my music along with many pieces. After that he
had a press conference and he mentioned only my name. Then he invited me to
lunch.18
In fact Stravinsky had said, This is good music, a very impressive and intense music.19 As a
result of Stravinskys glowing endorsement of his music, Takemitsus reputation was established.
Other events affirmed Stravinskys opinion. In 1958 Takemitsus piece Le Son Calligraphie
received the first prize at the contemporary music festival in Karuizawa. Then in 1959 Takemitsu
received his first American performance when Thor Johnson conducted Le Son Calligraphie II in
Chicago. As a result of Takemitsus newly earned fame in the world of Japanese concert music,
his improving health, and his growing reputation in composing film music, his life changed
dramatically. In the 1960s poverty would be replaced by financial security, he would travel
frequently abroad for performances of his music, and he would begin to make the acquaintance of
notable musicians and other artists from around the world. As a result, his reputation would
expand from national to international.20
Two events in the early 1960s, however, would greatly influence Takemitsus musical
philosophy. The first event occurred when Takemitsu happened to attend a performance of
traditional Japanese Bunraku puppet theater. Before that, Takemitsu, like many other Japanese who
had experienced the ultranationalism that had led to World War II, found little value in traditional
culture and looked to the West for his musical models. Therefore, when he attended the puppet
show and heard the music of the shamisen, a traditional Japanese instrument that is used to
accompany the Bunraku play, he recognized (for the first time) the splendor of traditional
Japanese music.21 He decided to begin studying traditional Japanese music with the same fervor
he had studied Western music, and from that point on he was determined to bring forth the
sensibilities of Japanese music that had always been within me.22
The other event occurred in 1961, when the composer Toshi Ichiyanagi returned from nine
years of study in the United States. During that time he had attended John Cages composition
classes in New York, and at the saka Contemporary Music Festival in August of 1961,
18

Takemitsu, Tru, Tania Cronin, and Hillary Tann, Afterward, Perspectives of New Music Vol. 27 no. 2
(Summer 1989): 206-207.
19
Ohtake, 6.
20
Siddons, 9.
21
Takemitsu, Contemporary Music in Japan, 201.
22
Ibid., 201.

106

Ichiyanagi performed Cages Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. Even though Takemitsu had
been aware of Cages ideas since the mid 1950s, and had even incorporated some of them in his
own works, he was unprepared for the impression this piece would make on him. Years later when
writing an obituary of Cage he recalled, I still feel the shock of hearing that piece.23 As a result
of this Cage shock, Takemitsu started to experiment with indeterminacy and graphic notation.
Several of his works in the 1960s utilized these elements including Arc for piano and orchestra,
Ring, and Corona for Strings.
Takemitsu first met John Cage in October 1962, when he and David Tudor came to Japan in
order to attend the Sapporo Contemporary Music Festival. In 1964 Takemitsu traveled to San
Francisco in order to attend an electronic music festival, where he again met Cage and David
Tudor. From there they traveled together to Hawaii to attend the Festival of Music in this Century
sponsored by the East-West Center. Later that same year Cage, Tudor, and the Merce Cunningham
Dance Company returned to Japan for a series of performances.24 Since the mid 1940s, when he
attended a series of lectures by Daisetsu Suzuki at Columbia University, Cage had been
profoundly influenced by Japanese Zen Buddhism, and this influence was reciprocal. Takemitsu
claimed that it was through John Cage that he himself discovered Buddhism. In addition, Cages
ideas regarding silence, chance operations, and the liberation of sound profoundly influenced
Takemitsus thinking. It was through these shared philosophical views that they cemented a close
lifelong friendship.25
Takemitsus 1964 travel to the United States was the first of many trips he would make
throughout the world. In May 1965 he attended a showing of Masaki Kobayashis film Kwaidan
(for which Takemitsu had written the music) at the Cannes Film Festival. From there he traveled to
Paris, where he met, among others, Olivier Messiaen and Iannis Xenakis. In 1967 he again traveled
to San Francisco for the premiere of his composition Dorian Horizon performed by the San
Francisco Symphony Orchestra conducted by Aaron Copland. Later that same year he journeyed
first to Toronto for rehearsals, and then to New York for the premiere of November Steps by the
New York Philharmonic conducted by Seiji Ozawa. He then stayed in New York as a guest of the
Rockefeller Foundation until March 1968.26
During the 1950s Takemitsu looked only to the West for musical inspiration, but during the
23

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 137.

Siddons, 9-10.
25
Ohtake, 8-13.
26
Siddons, 10.
24

107

1960s his international reputation quickly became that of a composer who integrated traditional
Japanese music with the Western contemporary musical language. Shortly after his experience
with the shamisen at the Bunraku puppet show, Takemitsu began to study the biwa, an ancient type
of Japanese lute. In 1961 he employed the biwa as a sound source for tape music he was writing
for the documentary Nihon no Mony (Japanese Patterns). In 1962 and 1964 Takemitsu again
used the biwa in the films Seppuku and Kwaidan. The historical setting of these films made the
inclusion of traditional instruments only natural.27 In 1966 he composed his first concert work for
traditional Japanese instruments, Eclipse for biwa and shakuhachi ( a five-holed Japanese bamboo
flute). Later that year Seiji Ozawa brought a tape recording of the piece to the United States, where
Leonard Bernstein heard it. As a result, Bernstein asked Takemitsu to write a piece combining
these two instruments with a symphony orchestra for the 125th anniversary of the New York
Philharmonic. The resulting composition, November Steps, was premiered in New York in
November 1967.28
Despite his reputation for using Japanese instruments, it would be six years before Takemitsu
wrote for them again. In 1973, however, he would write four concert works that included traditional
Japanese instruments. These were Distance for oboe and sh (a Japanese mouth harp), Voyage for
three biwas, In an Autumn Garden for gagaku ensemble (traditional Japanese court orchestra), and
Autumn for shakuhachi, biwa, and orchestra. The last of these pieces, Autumn, was written for the
same two solo instruments and orchestra as had November Steps. In November Steps Takemitsus
goal had not been to blend the Japanese instruments with the orchestra, but to emphasize their
differences, to juxtapose the two cultures against each other. In Autumn, however, instead of a
confrontation between the soloists and the orchestra, he chose to integrate the Eastern and Western
instruments. With the exception of a few film scores, Takemitsu would not write any works for
Japanese instruments until 1992 when he composed Ceremonial for sh, Buddhist chant, and
orchestra.29
Since the beginning of his career Takemitsu had written prolifically about music, and beginning
in the 1970s, he began to discuss in his essays the concept of the universal egg, a symbol for a
universal human culture. Takemitsu first encountered this term in the writings of Buckminster
Fuller. The technological developments of the twentieth century, Fuller observed, were causing the
27

Hugh de Ferranti, Takemitsus Biwa, in A Way a Lone: Writings on Tru Takemitsu, ed. Hugh de Ferranti and
Yoko Narazaki (Tokyo: Acadamia Music, 2002), 46.
28
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 62.
29
Burt, 126.

108

countries of the world to come together to form single united culture. Takemitsu saw his own life
and music as evidence of this process.30 He saw himself as a composer who used a Western
musical language to express Japanese aesthetic principles. Whether he used Japanese instruments
or not in his music, he was still expressing Japanese aesthetic principles such as ma or sawari.31 In
addition, Takemitsu observed that composers who had greatly influenced him, such as John Cage
and Claude Debussy, had themselves been influenced by Japanese culture. He also looked to other
cultures to explore what they had to offer. He made trips to Australia and Indonesia to investigate
the music of the aborigines and Javanese gamelan.
In the 1960s Takemitsu was considered an avant-garde composer. His circle of musical friends
included such avant-garde luminaries as John Cage, Morton Feldman, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and
Iannis Xenakis, and his music utilized modernist techniques such graphic notation, chance
operations, tape manipulation, sound mass, and extended instrumental techniques.
In the 1970s, however, Takemitsus music began to change. It became more lush, simpler, and
began to display characteristics of tonality. Takemitsu had always been sensitive to timbral
gradations in his music, but now his orchestral writing became even more refined. Traditional
Japanese music had always emphasized complex sounds and changes of timbre over time, but this
new lush orchestral style had Western roots as well. Takemitsu for many years had expressed his
love of the music of Debussy. When he traveled to a Japanese resort in Nagano prefecture in 1967
to compose November Steps, he took with him two Debussy scores for study.32 In essays and
interviews over the years he often acknowledged Debussys orchestral style as having a profound
influence. He admired Debussys handling of color, light, and shadow,33 even calling him my
great mentor.34
Another French composer who greatly influenced Takemitsu was Olivier Messiaen. As stated
previously, in the 1950s he had acquired a copy of Technique de mon language musical and often
cited its influence. In particular, Messiaens modes of limited transposition are often seen as a
source of Takemitsus own pitch structures. In the 1970s Takemitsu paid homage to Messiaen
with the pieces Quatrain I and Quatrain II. These compositions originated from a 1975 lesson
that Takemitsu had with Messiaen in New York in which they analyzed the elder composers
30

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 91.

Ibid., 51-54.
32
Ibid., 83.
33
Ibid., 110.
34
Ibid., 110.
31

109

Quatuor pour la fin du temps. Later Takemitsu asked Messiaen if he could write a work for the
same instrumentation. With the French composers blessing, Takemitsu composed the two works
for the Japanese ensemble Tashi.35 Both pieces are essentially the same music. Quatrain I is for
orchestra and four soloists, and Quatrain II is a rescoring of the music for the quartet.36
Another work that found its inspiration from a French artistic figure was 1977s A Flock
Descends into the Pentagonal Garden. After seeing a photograph of the French artist Marcel
Duchamp with a pattern of a five-pointed star shaved into his hair, Takemitsu later dreamed of a
flock of white birds led by a black bird descending into a pentagonal garden. From this dream he
derived the central musical idea of his composition. The piece is centered around the pitch F-sharp
(the black bird) and the black note pentatonic scale starting on it. From this source he then
derived five other harmonic fields that would revolve around this central musical idea. These five
harmonic fields are all related to the original by derivations of the number five. All these harmonic
fields, however, are in one way or another associated with the original pitch F-sharp which
Takemitsu saw as a fixed drone that runs throughout the work.37
During this period of stylistic change and refinement Takemitsu also came to be recognized
worldwide as a major musical voice and as the preeminent Japanese composer of his generation.
From the 1970s until his death Takemitsu made regular trips overseas for premiers of
commissioned pieces, international music festivals, to give lectures, and to teach. In 1975 he was a
visiting professor of composition at Yale, and in 1979 a Regents Lecturer at the University of
California at San Diego. In addition, he gave lectures at several other American Universities
including Harvard and Boston University.38 Pieces were commissioned for performance by such
distinguished orchestras as the London Sinfonietta (Rain Coming, 1982), the Los Angeles
Philharmonic (Riverrun, 1984), The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Visions, 1990), The London
Symphony Orchestra (Quotation of Dream, 1991), and the Boston Symphony Orchestra (From
Me Flows What You Call Time, 1991).39
During this period he continued to write music for movies and television as well. Since the
beginning of his career Takemitsu enjoyed collaborating with artists from different fields. The
stated purpose of the Jikken Kb group which he had helped co-found in the early 1950s was the
35

Burt, 154-155.
Siddons, 77.
37
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 97-103.
38
Siddons, 10.
39
Ibid., 29-106.
36

110

interaction of artists in various media. His approach to film composition was highly collaborative
as well. Typically film composers only become involved towards the end of a project, after actual
filming has been completed. Takemitsu enjoyed participating in a film project from its very
beginning and would often visit the set during the filming of a movie.40
He often collaborated with Japans finest filmmakers including Masaki Kobayashi (Seppuku,
Kwaidan, Samurai Rebellion, Tokyo Trials), Masahiro Shinoda (Pale Flower, Double Suicide,
Silence,), and Hiroshi Teshigahara (Woman in the Dunes, Face of Another, Riky). In 1971 he
collaborated with Japans most internationally renowned director, Akira Kurosawa on the film
Dodeskaden. It was Kurosawa for whom Takemitsus mentor, Fumio Hayasaka, had written film
scores in the 1950s. He again worked with Kurosawa on 1985s Ran, an adaptation of
Shakespeares King Lear set in medieval Japan. Over the course of his life Takemitsu wrote music
for over one hundred films and television programs.41
In addition to his composing and teaching, Takemitsu was a prolific writer for newspapers,
magazines, and journals. Most of these were essays written for various Japanese publications, but
he occasionally wrote for American scholarly journals such as Perspectives of New Music (My
Perception of Time in Traditional Japanese Music), and Contemporary Music Review
(Contemporary Music in Japan and Mirrors). In 1995 Confronting Silence, a selected
collection of his Japanese essays translated into English, was published in the United States by
Falling Leaf Press. The vast majority of Takemitsu's writings, however, are still only available in
Japanese.
In the last years of his life Takemitsu wrote many works that served as epitaphs to friends and
fellow composers who had passed away. These include Twill by Twilight (1988) written for
Morton Feldman, Rain Tree Sketch II for piano (1992) for Olivier Messiaen, and Paths for solo
trumpet (1994) for Witold Lutoslawski.
Takemitsu himself was diagnosed with abdominal cancer in October 1995. Over the next few
months he became increasingly weak and could not attend performances and had to abandon new
projects. He had been working on his first opera, but it would never be completed. In mid February
his illness became increasingly severe and he had to be admitted to a Tokyo hospital.42 Until the
40

Tru Takemitsu, Tru Takemitsu: Music for the Movies, directed by Charlotte Zwerin, produced by Margaret
Smilow, 58 minutes, Alternate Current, Les Films DIci, NHK, and LaSept/Arte, Videocassette.
41
Siddons, 107-117.
42
Ibid., 18

111

end he was optimistic about his recovery, and spoke with visiting friends about his future plans.43
These plans, however, would never be realized. Takemitsu died on February 20, 1996, and a funeral
was held on February 29.
Despite Takemitsus passing, his presence continues to be felt on the international music scene.
His solo, chamber, and orchestral works continue to be studied, performed, and recorded
worldwide. Numerous scholarly writings dealing with his compositions have been published in
recent years. These include the books The Music of Toru Takemitsu by Peter Burt (Cambridge
University Press, 2001), Toru Takemitsu: A Bio-Bibliography by James Siddons (Greenwood
Press, 2001), and A Way a Lone: Writings on Toru Takemitsu edited by Hugh de Ferranti and
Yoko Narazaki (Acadamia Music, 2002). In addition, the journal Contemporary Music Review
published an all Takemitsu issue in 2002 (Vol. 21 no. 4). In the coming years this body of
scholarly literature and Takemitsus reputation will surely continue to grow.

43

Jo Kondo, Introduction: Tru Takemitsu as I Remember Him, Contemporary Music Review Vol. 21 no. 4
(2002): 1.

112

CHAPTER 3: WESTERN INFLUENCES

Introduction
Takemitsu often expressed his indebtedness to particular composers in interviews and essays.
In the early years of his musical career he turned his back on Japanese culture and looked to the
West for his models. As a result, almost all of the composers whose works he studied were either
European or American. In addition, he was an avid fan of Western popular culture, so he also
absorbed ideas from jazz and movies. This chapter will deal with the Western composers who have
had the most profound influence on Takemitsu and discuss the aspects of their music which are
reflected in Takemitsus own compositions.
Debussy
It is no coincidence that the music of Takemitsu is often compared to that of Claude Debussy.
Both composers emphasized subtle gradations of timbre and the multiple layering of musical ideas
in their music. His attraction to the French composers music was at first intuitive, but later
Takemitsu carefully studied Debussys orchestral scores. Debussys importance to Takemitsu is
exemplified by the fact that when he was composing November Steps at a resort in Nagano
prefecture in 1967, Takemitsu brought with him the scores of Prlude LApres-midi dun
faune and Jeux for inspiration and study. In interviews, Takemitsus praise of the man he called
his great mentor1 was often effusive. In a 1989 interview with Tania Cronin and Hilary Tann he
said this of Debussy:
His orchestration is so special. Sometimes, especially in German music, the
orchestration... has too much emphasis, is too much of a single thing. Debussy
seeks so many points of focus and many gradations of color. These are very
important. He combines several things(musical ideas) at the same time, not just
single things... two or three, or sometimes four together... and this music is also
very spatial... Debussys harmonies move, float...2
Debussy himself had been profoundly influenced by Asian music and culture. He was an avid
collector of Japanese art and was open to cultural influences outside the European tradition.3 His
hearing of an Indonesian gamelan ensemble at the International Exhibition in 1889 is said to have
been catalytic in the development of his emerging musical concepts. He recognized that the
music demonstrated a multi-layered intricacy that was foreign to the Western musical tradition but
equally valid. At a time when most of his musical contemporaries found little of value in Asian
1

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 110.

Takemitsu, Cronin, and Tann, 207-208.
3
Koh, 67-68.
2

113

music, Debussys revelation was especially insightful. The elaboration of a theme in multiple
layers that is a core principle in gamelan was also central in Debussys orchestration style.4
A characteristic shared by both Debussy and Takemitsu was a love of nature, and a desire to
express the qualities of nature through their music. Debussy saw a direct link between nature and
imagination, a mysterious quality that he desired to express in his composition. Takemitsu had a
similar interest, and the titles of his works often evoked natural images (In an Autumn Garden,
Raintree Sketch, Autumn, etc.), but he did not wish to merely describe natural scenery.5 In his
essay Nature and Music Takemitsu described how he felt that nature and art were connected:
A Lifestyle out of balance with nature is frightening. As long as we live, we
aspire to harmonize with nature. It is this harmony in which the arts originate and to
which they will eventually return. Harmony, or balance, is in this sense, does not
mean regulation or control by ready-made rules. It is beyond functionalism. I
believe what we call expression in art is really discovery, by ones own mode, of
something new in the world.6
Another shared characteristic of both Debussy and Takemitsu is the use of silence. To
Debussy, silence was a method to give a musical phrase its full expressive power. He thought that
this was a new idea, one that gave his music a spatial dimension.7 In all the Japanese arts, however,
silence and space are essential elements. This concept is known as ma in the Japanese language. In
Sumie ink painting most of the canvas is blank. In Haiku poetry three short lines of poetry
describe a scene that is left mostly to the readers imagination. Takemitsu often described the
importance of silence in his own music. He viewed ma as time-space with tensions8 and
considered it to be an integral part of his music.To the Japanese the silence that precedes an event
is of equal importance as the event and the two cannot be separated.
Messiaen
Debussy was not the only French composer whose music greatly influenced Takemitsu. Olivier
Messiaen, whom Takemitsu described in a 1992 essay as being Truly...my spiritual mentor,9
had an equally important effect on Takemitsu. Like Debussy, Messiaen was also influenced by
Asian music and incorporated its elements into his own. In particular, Messiaen drew upon the
4

Chou Wen-Chung, Asian Concepts and Twentieth-Century Western Composers, The Musical Quarterly Vol
57 no. 2 (April 1971): 211-212.
5
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 3.
6
Ibid., 7.
7
Koh, 65-66.
8
Dana Wilson, The Role of Texture in Selected Works of Toru Takemitsu (Ph.D. diss., University of Rochester,
Eastman School of Music 1982), 20.
9
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 141.

114

rhythmic principles of South Indian classical music in the creation of his own rhythmic theories.
Later in his life Messiaen visited Japan as well, which resulted in the piece Sept Haiki (1962). The
compositions seven movements were inspired by Messians travels throughout the country. The
songs of various Japanese birds, including the uguisu, are emulated in the movement Les Oiseaux
de Karuizawa, and traditional Japanese court music inspired the movement Gagaku.10
Takemitsu first discovered Messiaens music in 1950, when he was given a score of a
Messiaen piano piece by Toshi Ichiyanagi (the same man who would premiere John Cages music
in Japan in the early 1960s).11 During the 1950s Takemitsus Jikken Kb group performed
several Messiaen compositions at their concerts (including Quatuor pour la fin du temps in 1952).
Takemitsu often cited Messiaens Technique de mon language musical as having a significant
impact on his musical development. Even before he received a copy of Kishio Haraos Japanese
translation in 1954, Takemitsu utilized Messiaen-like pitch structures in early piano pieces such as
Lento in due movimenti (1950) and Uninterrupted Rests (1952-1959).12 Analysis of these and
other works by Peter Burt and Timothy Koozin reveal the extensive use of sonorities derived from
Messiaens modes of limited transposition, most commonly Messiaens mode I (the whole-tone
scale) and mode II (the octatonic scale). In his music Takemitsu often used the symmetrical nature
of these scales to create a sustained static background over which localized events (not necessarily
derived from these same symmetrical scales) would occur.13
It was not only through pitch structures that both Messiaen and Takemitsu created static
backgrounds in their compositions. Messiaen was a devout Catholic who expressed his faith
through his music. His conception of rhythm reflected his theology in that he saw the birth of time
as a single beat preceded and followed by eternity. With the occurrence of a second beat, rhythm
would then come into existence. The result is that Messiaen did not see rhythm as just a closed
system of temporal divisions, but rather (as) a conception in which temporal events emerge from a
background of infinite silence.14 In pieces like Quatuor pour la fin du temps Messiaen used
isorhythmic cycles, added value rhythms, and other rhythmic devices as a metaphor for eternity.
Takemitsus rhythmic conception also served as a means by which temporal events occurred
10

Wilson, 34.
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 141.
12
Koh, 69-70.
13
Timothy Koozin, Spiritual-Temporal Imagery in the Music of Olivier Messiaen and Toru Takemitsu,
Contemporary Music Review Vol. 7 part 2 (1993): 189.
14
Ibid., 186.
11

115

against a background of eternity. His conception, however, was not Christian in origin, but
distinctly Japanese. As mentioned earlier, to the Japanese, the silence (ma) that precedes an event is
of equal importance as the event. This aesthetic principle originates from a Buddhist conception of
time as a silent pool of eternity within which ripples (temporal events) come and go.15
Cage
Claude Debussy, Olivier Messiaen, and John Cage, are often sited as the three Western
composers who most influenced Takemitsu. All three, however, had themselves been profoundly
influenced by Asian culture and music. In many ways this could be considered something of a
feedback loop, a process in which Asian concepts were re-imported back to Japan from the
West.16 Among these three composers, it was Cage who was the most inspired by Asian and,
specifically, Japanese culture. Takemitsu himself claimed that Cage was responsible for his own
rediscovery of Zen Buddhism and the value of Japanese culture after years of his emulating the
West and avoiding any Japanese qualities in his music.17 In fact, Zen Buddhism was at the heart of
Cages revolutionary musical ideas.
Cage first became acquainted with Buddhist philosophy in the late 1940s while attending
lectures by the Zen master Daisetsu Suzuki at Columbia University. Even before then he was part
of a group of American composers (which included Henry Cowell and Lou Harrison) who utilized
Asian elements in their music. Cages early experiments in percussion music and his development
of the prepared piano in the 1930s evoke sound qualities similar to that found in Indonesian
Gamelan music. He also studied Indian philosophy and rhythmic concepts.
It was the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, however, that led to the creation of his revolutionary
ideas regarding music. The goal of Zen meditation is to quiet the mind and allow the individual to
experience the world not through any preconceived notions, but as it is. This directly parallels
Cages principles of non-intention, silence, and the liberation of sound. In Cages view, a
composer shouldnt try to impose their will on notes in order to create a piece that is an act of
personal expression, but should allow sounds to be free to exist as themselves, and the listener
should appreciate them for their own intrinsic qualities. It was this philosophy of Cages that
Takemitsu identified with the most. In Notes on November Steps from the book Confronting
Silence Takemitsu writes: Each sound has its own beautiful form and order, like a living cell,
15

Timothy Koozin, Toru Takemitsu and the Unity of Opposites, College Music Symposium Vol. 30, no.1
(Spring 1990): 39.
16
Burt, 96.
17
Ohtake, 8-13.

116

and Imaginative hearing consists of listening to and recognizing sounds in their true nature.18
Takemitsu had first become aware of Cage in the early 1950s, but he would become more
directly influenced by Cage after 1961. As mentioned previously, this was the year in which Toshi
Ichiyanagi returned after nine years of study in the United States and premiered Cages Concert
for Piano and Orchestra in Japan. In an obituary that Takemitsu wrote for Cage in 1992
Takemitsu stated: I still feel the shock of hearing that piece.19 From that moment in 1961, Cage
would have the same effect on Contemporary Japanese music as he already had on music in
America and Europe. Perhaps his effect on Japan was even greater. The reason being that his
philosophy and music confirmed the credibility of traditional Japanese concepts during a time
when most Japanese were adopting Western customs and values.
The first direct evidence of Cages influence on Takemitsu was the use of the prepared piano in
some of Takemitsus film scores in the early 1960s. The first was the 1962 film Otoshi Ana (The
Pitfall) which Takemitsu scored for two prepared pianos and harpsichord. On the soundtrack the
man who had introduced Cage to Japan the previous year, Toshi Ichiyanagi, performed one of the
prepared piano parts, Yuji Takahashi performed the other, and Takemitsu himself performed on the
harpsichord.20
His use of prepared piano was limited to film scores, but during the 1960s Takemitsu
experimented with both graphic notation and indeterminacy in his concert works. Perhaps the most
significant pieces of this period were Ring (1961), Corona for pianist (1962), and Corona for
strings (originally known as Corona II, also 1962). Ring consists of four movements that can be
performed in any order and three interludes. Each individual movement lacks tempo and dynamic
markings and often uses imprecise rhythmic notation as well. The three interludes utilize a circular
shaped graphic score. Corona for pianist uses a graphic score consisting of circular colored cards
that can be inserted into each other, and the score for Corona for Strings consists of transparent
sheets that are overlaid onto a white sheet.
Even more important to Takemitsu than Cages musical procedures was Cages musical
philosophy. By the end of the 1960s Takemitsu was no longer experimenting with prepared
pianos, graphic notation, or indeterminacy, but he never abandoned Cage inspired concepts such as
silence as an active musical element, the importance of the act of listening, and the intrinsic
18

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 84-85.

Ibid., 137.
20
Siddons, 109.
19

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importance of individual sound events (in contrast to the view that what is important in music is the
relationship between sounds). Perhaps the reason Cages ideas resonated so intensely with
Takemitsu was the fact that they were originally inspired by Zen influenced Japanese concepts. As
previously mentioned, it was through Cage that Takemitsu came to appreciate his own Japanese
heritage. An example of the affinity between Cages ideas and the aesthetics of traditional Japanese
music can again be found in Takemitsus Notes on November Steps:
In Japanese music, for example, short fragmented connections of sounds are
complete in themselves. Those different sound events are related by silences that
aim at creating a harmony of events. Those pauses are left to the performers
discretion. In this way there is a dynamic change in the sounds as they are
constantly reborn in new relationships. Here the role of the performer is not to
produce sound but to listen to it, to strive constantly to discover new sound in
silence.21
It cannot be coincidence that Takemitsus description of the traditional Japanese performers
goal to strive constantly to discover new sounds in silence so closely parallels Cages own
philosophy.
Webern
The effect that the second Viennese school had on post World War II European composers in
many ways paralleled the impact they had in post-war Japan. Takemitsu first discovered the music
of Schoenberg, Berg, and Webern in the years after the war and often acknowledged their
influence.22 Like so many other composers of his generation, the composer from this group whom
he most admired was Webern. During his formative years in the 1950s he admitted to being
enslaved by Weberns music, with its use of sparse texture, cellular motives, and subtle changes
of timbre.23
While Takemitsu never became a strict serialist. His compositions of the 1950s do at times
utilize twelve-tone procedures. In Peter Burts analysis of the pieces Le Son Calligraph I (1958)
and Masque (1959) he demonstrates how Takemitsu uses statements of tone rows which are
interjected between more modally derived passages. In Le Son Calligraph I the only
transformation of the pieces prime row is through transposition, but in Masque inversions and
retrograde-inversions of a row are also present. In addition, Burt shows how a small cell of notes
that is prominent in the second movement of Masque is actually derived from a portion of the row
21

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 84-85.

Takemitsu, Cronin, and Tann, 207.
23
Ohtake, 81.
22

118

that Takemitsu uses in the works first movement.24

In these works Takemitsu also employees fragmentary textures which greatly resemble the
pointillism that Weberns music is known for. This aspect of Weberns music had a much more
long lasting on Takemitsu than his serial procedures. Even though Webern was not influenced by
Asian concepts to any great extent, this pointillistic texture meticulously defined in regard to
articulation, timbre, register, (and) duration25 in many ways displays a striking similarity with
certain types of Asian music. The sparse texture of many of Weberns works resembles traditional
Japanese textures in which short fragmented sounds events are related by silences. In this way, as
in the cases of Debussy, Messiaen, and Cage, a Western composer whom Takemitsu recognized as
having a profound influence perhaps, in some way, directed him back to his own Japanese heritage.
Ligeti, Penderecki, and Lutoslawski
Takemitsus works from the 1960s reveal an influence by the Eastern European sound mass
composers often loosely grouped together as the Polish school. Takemitsus compositions from
this period feature stratified, sound mass textures far more prominently than traditional
melodic/harmonic development. These textures are often composed of many concurrent
independent lines which combine to create one or more layered clusters of sound. In addition,
some sustained sonority usually functions as a background over which these masses accumulate
and then dissipate. To reinforce this stratification of texture, the ensembles in these works are often
divided into spatialized groups. In November Steps the strings, percussion, and two harps are
divided antiphonally. The woodwinds are placed in the center towards the rear with the brass
behind them. Throughout the work these groups function independently, only uniting at moments
of climax.
The composer most often mentioned in comparison with Takemitsu in the use of these
techniques is the Hungarian Gyrgy Ligeti, but procedures used by the Polish composers
Krzysztof Penderecki and Witold Lutoslawski are also often seen. Takemitsus use of loosely
coordinated pitch cells with no exact rhythm is similar to Lutoslawskis technique of aleatoric
counterpoint found in pieces like Jeux ventiens and his String Quartet. Often, however,
Takemitsu achieves this same effect with exactly notated multiple simultaneous lines utilizing
different subdivisions of the beat. Pendereckis string notations, most famously used in Threnody
for the Victims of Hiroshima, can also be found in Takemitsus works of this period. In November
24
25

Burt, The music of Toru Takemitsu, 61-64.

Wen-Chung, 214.

119

Steps Takemitsu employs in his string writing Pendereckis symbols for notating pitches onequarter or three-quarters sharp or flat as well as his symbol for playing the highest pitch on an
instrument. While the string writing in November Steps is relatively free of the extended
techniques employed by Penderecki, Takemitsu does utilize similar effects in his writing for harp.
Among these are the striking the body of the instrument with the knuckles, slapping the strings
with the palm, playing glissandos with a coin, and the rapid and continuous changing of designated
pedals.
Xenakis
From their writings and lectures, Toru Takemitsu and Iannis Xenakis would seem to have had
fundamentally different approaches to the act of composition. Takemitsu emphasized the sensuous
beauty of individual sounds, the importance of nature in his music, and creation as act of an natural
expression. He essays were often written in a poetic, enigmatic manner and he repeatedly spoke
against the process of creating music through regulation or control by ready-made rules.26 In
contrast, Xenakis was a rational intellectual who thought of music in mathematical terms. His
stochastic approach was a system which musically portrayed the laws of probability in large scale
random events.
Despite this conceptual difference, their music often shared similar characteristics. Both
Takemitsu and Xenakis composed music which emphasized large scale textural events, sound
masses created through the accumulation of a large number of individual parts that change over
time in register, color, and density. In several passages in November Steps Takemitsu divides the
violins into twenty four parts, each with specific articulations, dynamics, pitches, and durations. In
addition, while Xenakis often emphasized the mathematical aspects of his music, he saw his
statistically derived musical structures as analogous to natural phenomenon. To Xenakis, his
massive clouds of sound were accumulations of individual events in the same way that
individual raindrops accumulate to create the sound of a rainstorm.27
Xenakis and Takemitsu also shared a personal friendship which began in 1961 when Xenakis
traveled to Japan. After his visit Xenakis categorized most young Japanese composers as followers
of either serialism or the chance methods of John Cage, but praised Takemitsu as an original
talent.28 When Takemitsu traveled to France for the Cannes festival in 1965, he made a point to go
26

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 3.

Wilson, 38.
28
Ibid., 40
27

120

to Paris where, amongst others, he again met with Xenakis.29 In 1970 Takemitsu served as director
of the Osaka Expo Space Theater for which Xenakis composed the piece Hibiki Hana Ma.
Despite their friendship, Xenakis on at least one occasion found reason to criticize Takemitsus
musical approach. Roger Reynolds relates an incident that occured at Takemitsus home sometime
in the late 1960s:
It was a warm and collegial occasion like many others we had. Xenakis was
relaxed, but--I believe the subject was some recent success of Takemitsus--insisted
on pursuing the matter of French influence on Takemitsus composition, and did
so with a blend of irony and sarcasm that seemed distinctly unguestlike.30
Jazz
Takemitsu was exposed to American jazz early in life through his fathers collection of New
Orleans style jazz records. Through this and through his familys fondness for American movies
he developed a fascination for American culture. From the late 1930s until the end of World War
II, however, Western entertainment was outlawed in Japan. Beginning with the American
occupation after the war, the young Takemitsu again came into contact with jazz. Part of his job
when he worked at an American PX in Yokohama in 1946 was to play records of American
popular music in the dance hall. In addition he listened to jazz and other American music on
Armed Forces Radio.31
This interest in American popular music is not immediately evident in Takemitsus concert
music from the 1950s through the 1970s, but examples of jazz-like tunes occur in his film scores
from that period. Later in life he also wrote arrangements for guitar of American standards such as
Over the Rainbow, Summertime, and Secret Love as well as the gospel song What a Friend We
Have in Jesus.
In 1961 Takemitsu read American jazz composer George Russells 1959 book The Lydian
Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization for Improvisation. In an interview with Takashi
Tachibana, Takemitsu cited this book, along with Messiaens Technique de mon language
musical, as one of the two finest that he had read dealing with music theory.32
Like Messiaens modes of limited transposition, it was the system of modes that Russell
29

Siddons, 10
Matthew Shlomowitz The Place of Messiaen in Takemitsus Music: Reflections on Quatrain II in A Way a
Lone: Writings on Toru Takemitsu, ed. Hugh de Ferranti and Yoko Narazaki (Tokyo: Acadamia Music, 2002), 190.
31
Ibid., 3.
32
Peter Burt, Takemitsu and the Lydian Chromatic Concept of George Russell, Contemporary Music Review
Vol. 21 no. 4 (2002): 73-74.
30

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derived by chromatically altering the Lydian scale that most influenced Takemitsu. Two of these
modes actually correspond to Messiaens modes I and II (the whole-tone and octatonic scales),
and Takemitsu used them frequently in his compositions even before he read Russells book.
Takemitsu appears to not only have used Russells modes, however, but to have created his own
modes based on Russells principles. In his article Takemitsu and the Lydian Chromatic Concept
of George Russell the theorist Peter Burt observes that Takemitsu apparently created his own
Dorian-Chromatic counterpart to Russells Lydian-Chromatic modes in the outer movements
of his 1966 piece Dorian Horizon.33

33

Ibid., 98.

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CHAPTER 4: JAPANESE AESTHETICS

Introduction
In the years following World War II Tru Takemitsu was totally absorbed in learning the
vocabulary of Western contemporary music. To him ...the West was a single enormous mirror
which overwhelmed the light of other cultures,1 including his own. Due to a series of events in
the early 1960s in which he rediscovered traditional Japanese culture, he again learned to appreciate
his own native culture and to incorporate consciously its elements into his compositions.
Takemitsu commented on this in his essay Gardner of Time from the book Confronting
Silence: There is an advantage for a Japanese composer who has studied modern Western music-music from a completely different culture. That is, he can view his own Japanese tradition from
within but with anothers eyes.2 In other words it could be said that Takemitsus mature music
expresses indigenous Japanese aesthetic qualities, but with a Western musical vocabulary.
To be able to understand Takemitsus compositions, it is important to go beyond a study of its
components (its Western musical vocabulary) and to look at these indigenous Japanese qualities
that are central to the musics aesthetic sensibility. The identification of these qualities is not
difficult because Takemitsu was a prolific lecturer and essayist who often discussed the conceptual
nature of his music. Many of his essays that have been published in Europe and America deal
directly with how Japanese conceptions of time and space differ from those in the West, the
Japanese sensitivity to individual timbral events, and the importance of nature to his own sense of
compositional expression. The purpose of this chapter is to explore these traditional Japanese
aesthetic concepts and place them in historical, cultural, and philosophical context.
Nature
The Japanese people feel a special affinity for the natural world. Their country consists of a
series of heavily forested, mountainous islands that to them possess a spiritual quality. From the
beginning of Japanese history the people have believed that they are part of an intimate trinity that
includes the natural and spiritual worlds. Their indigenous religion, Shintoism, sees man, gods,
and nature ...closely related on the same plane, and nature means not an objective and inert
collection of substance but the sacred rhythm of the cosmos as a living unity.3 The central tenet
of Shintoism is that all things possess a living, sacred force known as kami, and because man and
1

Tru Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 92.

Ibid., 143.
3
H. Byron Earhart, Religion in the Japanese Experience: Sources and Interpretations (Belmont, California:
Wadsworth Publishing, 1974) 127.
2

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nature were both born from this common spiritual force, they are harmoniously related parts of the
same whole. This is in contrast to the Judeo-Christian tradition which sees humankind, expelled
from the paradise of Eden, as something separate from nature. The Western view is that Nature is
something hostile to Man and drags him down when he is struggling to reach God.4 Byron
Earhart, in his book Religion in the Japanese Experience, sees this attitude exemplified in the
expression, The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.5
To Takemitsu, neither life nor musical expression were removed from this sacred rhythm,
but were means of representing it. In his essay Nature and Music Takemitsu expresses a
typically Japanese sentiment: A lifestyle out of balance with nature is frightening. As long as we
live, we aspire to harmonize with nature. It is this harmony in which the arts originate and to which
they will eventually return.6 To him, this harmony is what gives music its emotive power. A
power that much contemporary Western music, with its emphasis on a composer imposing their
will over musical materials through analytic mathematical construction, has lost. In his essay A
Personal Approach Takemitsu wrote: Within an organized system sounds are bound and
forced by mathematics and physics. Composers have been too steeped in techniques, trying to
grasp sounds only through their function within the system.7 Instead Takemitsu believed, our
task, not limited to music, is to reveal things that come to us through our spiritual efforts.8 He
saw the musical expression of primitive peoples as being much more in touch with this spiritual
force: The correspondence between the inner and outer lives of those ancient people was
splendid. They related to trees, stones, sky. And poetry, religion, song and dance existed as an
undivided unity.9
He often expressed this contrast between music constructed by means of mathematical rules
and music which arose from natural expression through the metaphor of Western and Japanese
architecture. He saw the former as music (that) was built by piling up bricks of sound to erect
edifices of varying styles.10 To him this musical architecture was not in harmony with nature, but
an attempt to impose human will over it. To continue the metaphor: In contrast to Western
architecture, which occupies space in resistance to nature, Japanese architecture possesses a
4

Ibid., 131.
Ibid., 132.
6
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 3.
7
Ibid., 80.
8
Ibid., 79.
9
Ibid., 81.
10
Ibid., 17
5

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tendency to share space in common to nature.11 In his Notes on November Steps Takemitsu
also added this question, Many contemporary composers have been building walls of sounds
following their own clever devices. But then, who lives inside these rooms?12
The titles of Takemitsus compositions often reflected his fascination with the natural world.
He often wrote several pieces based on a common natural theme. These themes included rain
(Cloudburst, Rain Spell, Rain Dreaming), gardens (In an Autumn Garden, A Flock Descends into
the Pentagonal Garden, Spirit Garden), trees (Eucalypts I and II, Rain Tree, Rain Tree Sketch),
the sea (Toward the Sea I, II, and III, Waves, Between the Tides), and the heavens (Cassiopeia,
Star-Isle, and Orian and Pleiades). Of particular interest to him was the Japanese garden.13 In his
1963 piece Arc for Piano and Orchestra, the orchestra is divided into several groups, each of
which represents a different element in the garden. Each of these groups utilizes different tempi
and amount of rhythmic activity. Elements represented in the garden which change slowly over
time such as rocks and soil undergo slow rates of musical change. Elements in the garden which
grow more quickly such as grass and flowers undergo quick rates of musical change. The piano
assumes the roll of a stroller through the garden. The result is a musical mobile in which these
instrumental groups exist in individual overlapping cycles of time.14
Despite the representation of a Japanese garden in Arc for Piano and Orchestra, Takemitsu
was generally not interested in depicting natural scenery through music, instead he utilized the
rhythms of nature in his music. In the natural world he saw a spiritual poetry:
I think about nature always. Or rather, I dont think. I dont like to think. But
you must listen to the sounds of nature--winds, birds, sea. Musical sounds are not
only those made by man-made instruments. Everything living, visible and invisible,
has its sound and cycle. I try to picture the inner nature of sounds. Nature must be
part of music as it is part of a Japanese house.15
Many observers of Japanese aesthetics note that the Japanese peoples sensitivity to the world
of nature allows them to listen to the sounds of natural phenomenon in the same way that they
listen to music. Takemitsus statement that Everything living, visible and invisible has its sound
and cycle is typically Japanese in this respect. Traditional Japanese musicians often were inspired
11

Tru Takemitsu, My Perception of Time in Traditional Japanese Music, Contemporary Music Review Vol. 1
no. 2 (1987): 11.
12
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 88.
13
This is only a partial list of nature related titles from Takemitsus compositional output. For a complete list see
James Siddons Tru Takemitsu: A Bio-Bibliography, 27-28.
14
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 95.
15
Takemitsu quoted in Hwee Been Koh, East and West: The Aesthetics and Musical Time of Tru Takemitsu
(Ph.D. diss., Boston University, 1998), 28.

125

by the sounds of nature and tried to imitate them in their performance. The biwa players of the Edo
period (1615-1867) often emulated the sound of the cicada,16 and the ideal sound that the
shakuhachi player tried to recreate was the sound of wind blowing through an old bamboo
grove.17 The chirping of thousands of insects on a summer night, or the ebb and flow the wind in
a grove both possess this innate musical quality, and long before John Cage spoke of the
liberation of sound, the Japanese were aware of this.
Like both his Japanese ancestors and Cage, Takemitsu also recognized sound itself as a musical
object. Unlike Cage, who utilized the sounds of the world as source materials in his compositions,
Takemitsu observed, through listening to nature, how the sounds of musical instruments in a
composition could move in a similar manner, changing fluidly over time. He referred to this
concept as the stream of sound. Takemitsu observed, Musical composition has no
significance other than the giving of meaning to the stream of sounds which flow around us
from the surrounding world.18 In Nature and Music Takemitsu wrote, I have referred to the
stream of sounds. This is not only an impressionistic description but a phrase intended to contrast
with the usual method of construction in music- that of superimposing sounds one on another.19
Sawari
As seen above, Takemitsu viewed individual sounds in Western music as subservient to the
relationships between them that create musical structure. Whether one thinks of Western music in
terms of musical architecture, harmonic tension and resolution, or the conflict between unity and
contrast, individual sounds have little meaning except in relationship to each other. The Japanese,
on the other hand, whether listening to the sounds of nature or to those of musical instruments,
find an exquisite beauty in the characteristics of these individual sounds. As a result they have
developed a heightened sensitivity to tone quality. The twentieth-century Japanese composer
Toshiro Mayuzumi observed:
In general it can be said the Oriental has a deeper sensitivity to delicate timbres than
has the Occidental. In the folk and traditional music of Japan there are innumerable
exquisite combinations of timbre which makes it possible to achieve delicate forms
of musical expression without the help of other musical elements such as melody,
harmony, and counterpoint.20
16

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 64.

Ibid., 88.
18
Takemitsu quoted in Dana Wilson, The Role of Texture in Selected Works of Tru Takemitsu (Ph.D. diss.,
University of Rochester, Eastman School of Music, 1982), 17.
19
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 9.
20
Quoted in Wilson, 32.
17

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Takemitsu agreed with Mayuzumi, and in his essay Noh and Transience even saw a spiritual
connection with this emphasis on timbre: I think that as a people who developed the concept of
attaining Buddha hood in a single sound (Ichion Jbutsu), the Japanese found more meaning in
listening to the innate quality of sound rather than using sound as a means of expression.21
Because of this fondness for the innate quality of sound, the Japanese often prefer musical
timbres that are complex. This has led to the creation of traditional musical instruments that
incorporate noise as an essential element in their sound. In contrast, Western instruments, in the
process of development, (have) sought to eliminate noise.22 In the West, a pure sound is
considered the musical ideal, and noise is considered to be an ugly intrusion which hampers
musical enjoyment. The Japanese, however, consider noise to be beautiful, and as a result have
developed the aesthetic concept of sawari in their traditional music to celebrate this beautiful
noise.23
In Japanese, the word sawari is ambiguous and has numerous meanings. The verb sawaru
means to touch or feel, and sawari is the nominalized form of this word. The term also means
obstacle (this meaning of sawari, however, utilizes a different kanji or Chinese character than
the meaning to touch). In addition, sawari also refers to the most important parts of traditional
dramatic musical works (Kabuki or Noh for example).24
In traditional Japanese music the term originally referred to the buzz or rattle that is part of the
sound of the biwas vibrating string. The buzz is caused by a grooved ivory plate on the neck of
the biwa over which the strings are stretched. This plate is an intentional obstacle incorporated
into the construction of the instrument which helps create this distinctive sound. In addition, the
four or five frets of the biwa are raised to a height of between one and two inches above the neck,
and the strings are tuned loosely. The performer does not place their fingers directly on the frets
but between them. By pushing down on these loosely tuned strings the performer can produce
numerous types of vibrato and tonal inflections ranging from microtonal to a span of several halfsteps. In contrast to other instruments in the lute family, the biwa cannot play fast, virtuosic
passages but can create complex, profound, and wonderful sounds.25
The biwa evolved from the Chinese lute known as the pipa, and was originally imported into
21

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 56-57.

Ibid., 64.
23
Ibid., 64.
24
Ibid., 64-65.
25
Ibid., 65.
22

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Japan sometime during the Nara period (710-794 A.D.), but the characteristics described above are
Japanese in origin. The first biwas were similar to the pipa in that they had more frets and these
were placed much lower to the neck, but over time Japanese craftsmen created an instrument that
reflected Japanese aesthetic tastes.26 When the shamisen, a three stringed lute-like instrument, was
imported to Japan from Okinawa in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the instrument had a
metal bar inserted as part of its bridge to produce a rattle similar to that heard on the biwa.
Therefore the term sawari was used to describe the resonant twang produced by this instrument as
well.27 Over time, the definition of sawari was expanded to describe the general concept of subtle
shifts in pitch and timbre. These shifts in sound can be due to either the construction of the
instrument or to the techniques used by the performer, and the term sawari is not limited to the use
of this technique by the biwa or shamisen, but by any musical instrument.28
The concept of sawari illustrates how the Japanese view timbre as a temporal, changing
phenomenon. This is in contrast to the West which sees timbre as essentially an innate, static
quality (this Western attitude is exemplified when people refer to the timbre of the piano or
the timbre of violin). It is the cultivation of this attitude towards timbre which is one of the
principal characteristics of traditional Japanese music, much contemporary Japanese concert music,
and specifically the compositions of Takemitsu. In his essay My Perception of Time in
Traditional Japanese Music Takemitsu writes:
The sensing of timbre is none other than the perception of the succession of
movement within sound. As well as being spatial in nature, this perception is of
course temporal in nature. To put it another way timbre arises during the time in
which one is listening to the shifting of sound. It is, as symbolized by the word
sawari (which has the meaning to touch some object lightly), something indicative
of a dynamic state.29
Zen Buddhism
In addition to Shintoism, the other great religious tradition of Japan is Buddhism. Unlike
Shintoism, however, Buddhism is not indigenous but was imported during a period of great
cultural borrowing from China which began in the sixth century A.D. The primary reason for this
cultural infusion was because, until that time, Japan was a relatively primitive society that had not
yet developed its own writing system. In order to bring literacy to their country, the Japanese royal
26

William P. Malm, Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments, 2nd ed. (New York: Kodansha
International, 2000), 150.
27
Ibid., 214-215.
28
Koh, 31.
29
Takemitsu, My Perception of Time in Traditional Japanese Music, 10.

128

court authorized numerous Japanese to travel to the mainland for study. Along with the Chinese
writing system, these scholars brought back the philosophies embodied in it; Confucianism,
Taoism, and Buddhism.30
Buddhism originated in India during the sixth century B.C.E., and came to China during the first
century of the common era where it was influenced by Chinese Taoist philosophy. This tendency
of Buddhism to blend with local religions was again demonstrated when it was introduced in
Japan. Instead of the Buddhist divinities supplanting the indigenous Shinto kami, they became
complementary to each other. The two religions shared similar attitudes toward mans relationship
with the natural world, an all important part of Japanese spiritual life, and Shintoism borrowed
from Buddhist art and ritual. This complementary relationship exists even today. In modern Japan,
the traditional Japanese wedding ceremony is a Shinto rite, while burial ceremonies are performed
by a Buddhist priest.
The primary traits of Buddhism are the recognition that life is suffering, that nothing in life is
permanent, and that nothing in the world possesses an innate selfness. It is from an inability to
recognize these latter two characteristics of existence that the first characteristic, suffering, arises.
This creates a never ending cycle of birth and death which can only be transcended through the
attainment of enlightenment. This is achieved by allowing the mind to become still through the
practice of meditation. At the moment of enlightenment one transcends the illusionary self and
comes into harmony with the true nature of existence.
There are many Buddhist sects, but the one that has had the most profound influence on
Japanese culture is a form that arose in China during the seventh and eighth centuries A.D. In
China this form is known as Chan, but when it was imported into Japan its name was transformed
into the word Zen. The basic premise of Zen Buddhism is that enlightenment is not the
attainment of some transcendent realm beyond the world of everyday affairs, but rather as the
realization of a more authentic way of being within the realm of day-to-day life.31 What prevents
the pre-enlightened mind from experiencing this more authentic way of being is that our
normal pre-enlightenment experience is conditioned by layers of conceptualization that prevents us
from experiencing the world the ways it is. The practice of Zen effects a return to the preconceptual
level of the individuals being and to the most basic context of the person, which is understood as
30

Graham Parkes, Ways of Japanese Thinking, in Japanese Aesthetics and Culture: A Reader, ed. Nancy G.
Hume (Albany: Albany State University of New York Press, 1995), 84.
31
Ibid., 85.

129

mu, or nothingness32
The practice of Zen Buddhism had a profound influence on the cultural and artistic life of
Japan. The Zen emphasis on stillness, mindfulness, and harmony with the natural world became
the aesthetic values central to Japanese arts. Its influence can be seen in painting, poetry, music,
theater, architecture, and flower arrangement. In addition, the Samurai ruling class adopted the Zen
values of concentration and mental tranquility in the practice archery and swordplay. The noted
scholar, Donald Keene, in his essay Japanese Aesthetics identifies four elements that are
present in all Zen inspired classical Japanese arts. These are:33
1. Suggestion--This can be seen in Japanese painting where only a few brush strokes might
suggest a mountain range or a bamboo grove. Another excellent example is haiku poetry, where
seventeen syllables organized into three short lines (5-7-5) are used to portray a natural scene
which alludes to some greater spiritual truth.
2. Irregularity--This is exemplified by the asymmetrical arrangement of the of elements in a
temple rock garden or a flower arrangement.
3. Simplicity--The Subdued elegance of the Japanese tea ceremony, where the rituals involved
have been reduced to their most refined gestures, is a prime example.
4. Perishability--The Buddhist emphasis on impermanence is reflected in the Japanese concept
of mono no aware, contemplation of the sadness at the passing of all things. This is most
famously exemplified by the Japanese love of cherry blossoms that bloom and fade away within a
matter of days
Japanese Conceptions of Time
Takemitsu in his essay Dream and Number wrote, Westerners, especially today, consider
time as linear and continuity as a steady and unchanging state. But I think of time as circular and
continuity as a constantly changing state.34 Takemitsu viewed this circulating and repeating35
conception of time as a typically Japanese characteristic, and in the article My Perception of Time
in Traditional Japanese Music wrote: Nature is conceived in terms of seasons, and this has
given rise to a unique temporal sense, which has been further fostered by the influence of Zen and
Buddhist teachings.36 In fact, this circular nature of time is so fundamental to Japanese thought
32

Ibid., 85.
Donald Keene, Japanese Aesthetics in Japanese Aesthetics and Culture: A Reader, ed. Nancy G Hume
(Albany: Albany State University of New York Press, 1995), 30-34.
34
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 119.
35
Takemitsu, My Perception of Time in Traditional Japanese Music, 11.
36
Ibid., 11.
33

130

that the word akeru means both to begin and to end.

This distinctive temporal sense is strongly reflected in the structure of traditional Japanese
music. Where Western music is based on a system of fixed meter divided into discrete units of
absolute time, much Japanese traditional music is not meter oriented and utilizes an elastic sense of
time. The rhythms of Ngaku, the music of Noh theater, often utilize beats of varying length, and at
certain moments the time scheme of the percussion proceeds separately from that of the nkan
(transverse flute). The result is a composite in which two or more times overlap and penetrate
each other.37
The contrasting temporal conceptions found in Japan and the West are deeply rooted in the
historical and cultural outlook of each society. Western Newtonian thought views time as linear,
absolute, and uniform. A subject flows through time from the past, through the present towards the
future.38 This progressive conception of time, however, finds even deeper roots in Judeo/Christian
mythology. The ancient Hebrews viewed the events of their history from the Creation, through the
bondage in Egypt, to the settlement of the Promised Land as leading towards a better future. The
events of the Old Testament flow successively from a clearly established beginning and progress
toward an equally defined goal.39 The prophesies of the arrival of the Messiah only amplified this
directional aspect of time and created a focal point towards which all historical events progressed.
Western literature, drama, and music are all organized according to this linear, goal directed
conception of time.
The reincarnation philosophy of Buddhism, however, represents a cyclical view of time in which
the reoccurring cycles of birth and death can only be transcended through the attainment of
enlightenment. When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth century, this conception of
time conformed with the indigenous beliefs of an agrarian Japanese society that was strongly
influenced by the reoccurring cycles of the seasons and the natural world. These two spiritual
traditions reinforced each other, and this cyclical view of time persists even in the modern
Urbanized Japan of today. For example, since the Meiji restoration the Western Gregorian
calendar has been adopted, but it is used simultaneously with the native gengo calendar that is
based on the reign of each successive emperor.40 According to this system, the year 2005, because
37

Ibid., 11.
Joan Stambaugh, Impermanence is Buddha-nature: Dgens Understanding of Temporality (Honolulu:
University of Hawaii Press, 1990), 65.
39
Blake Matthew Wilkens, An Analysis of Musical Temporality in Tru Takemitsus Rain Tree (1981)
(D.M.A. diss., University of Oklahoma, 1999), 26.
40
Ibid., 56.
38

131

it is the sixteenth year of the rule of the emperor Akihito, is designated as Heisei 16. The year
Heisei 1 was the year 1989 of the Gregorian calendar. This was when Akihito succeeded his father
Hirohito. When Akihito dies and his son Naruhito assumes the throne, a new era will begin.
In contrast to earlier forms of Buddhism, the Zen conception of time is a more sophisticated
one, and enlightenment is viewed not as the accession to some mystical domain beyond the world
but rather as the realization of a more authentic way of being within it. The Japanese Zen monk
Dgen (1200-1253) expressed a theory of time that reflects this Zen point of view. To Dgen,
anything whatsoever that is happening is not in time, but is time itself.41 In contrast to the
Western notion of time as a static container through which events flow, this concept, known as
being-time (uji), postulates that time cannot exist without being and that being cannot exist
without time. The two are the same. Furthermore, being-time is not a condition only of human
existence, but it defines all things: mountains, rivers, the multitudinous manifestations of spring--all
these things are being-time.42
According to Dgen, the concept of being-time is inherent with contradictions to the
unenlightened mind. Foremost among them is that since time does not exist separately from being,
then nothing exists but the present moment, but at the same time, all moments past and future exist
simultaneously in the present. This concept applies to space as well as time. In Dgens view the
whole universe is contained within each of its particular elements. It is only through the practice of
meditation that one is able to still the mind and become aware of this presence of eternity/infinity in
each moment/thing.
To the Westerner being-time is difficult to comprehend, but it forms the temporal/spatial
model of all Zen influenced art. Instead of works that utilize a goal directed model of time in which
contrasting forces move in a measured linear fashion and are ultimately resolved, Zen influenced
art utilizes a temporal model in which ephemeral events occur against an underlying static
background representing eternity. The result is the creation of a meditative mood in which the
present moment of experience (comes) into contact with something that has transcended time.43
F.S.C. Northrop in his book The Meeting of East and West, uses an insightful metaphor in which
these contrasting views of time become immediately apparent:
The Westerner represents time either with an arrow, or as a moving river which
comes out of a distant place and past which are not here and now; and which goes
41

Stambaugh, 26.
Wilkens, 37.
43
Koozin, The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu: A Linear /Set-Theoretic Analysis, 47.
42

132

into an equally distant place and future which also are not here and now; whereas,
the Oriental portrays time as a placid, silent pool within ripples come and go.44
In his dissertation The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu: A Linear /Set-Theoretic
Analysis Timothy Koozin states that this reality ...(in which) the stream of natural events
occurring in the absolute present superimposed against a background of timeless eternity...is a
concept of stasis defined by motion.45 To Koozin this unity of opposites where infinity and
impermanence coexist simultaneously creates an element of vitality in traditional Japanese art
forms that contrasts with the goal oriented methods of the West. It is not a tension of conflicting
forces directed toward a goal of resolution, but rather, it is a subtle dynamic presence which never
subsides, adding a continual vitality to traditional work of Japanese art.46
Koozin then provides examples of the presence of this dynamic tension between these
fleeting moments and the background of eternity in the traditional Japanese art forms of Noh
theater, sumie ink painting, and the haiku of sixteenth century master Bash. His example of a
Bash haiku is one of the most famous poems in Japanese literature:
An ancient temple pool;
Jump of a frog
The sound of water.
Koozin writes: The ancient pool, a metaphor for continuity and eternity, is contrasted with the
sudden impulse of the frog. The union of these two elements creates profound imagery of sound
and motion. The poem, like all Zen-inspired arts, is imbued with freshness, liveliness and
spontaneity, yet also invites quiet contemplation.47 The background of eternity found in sumie
ink painting is formed through the artist leaving large portions of the space blank. Because only a
minimal amount of brush strokes occupy a small amount of paper, space becomes an integral part
of the composition. In Noh theater the background of eternity is represented by the elasticity of
time in which an instantaneous flash of emotion may be represented in twenty minutes of stylized
dance. The linear flow of events may be interrupted or reversed through interludes showing events
which occurred long before those depicted earlier in the play.48
Takemitsu, in essays discussing the aesthetic foundations of his own music, often referred to
44

F.S.C. Northrop, The Meeting of East and West: An Inquiry Concerning World Understanding (New York:
Collier Books , 1946), 343.
45
Koozin, The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu: A Linear /Set-Theoretic Analysis, 45.
46
Ibid., 45.
47
Ibid., 49.
48
Ibid., 53.

133

the music of Noh theater. In Nature and Music he wrote: There is something in the pauses in
a Noh drama that has to do with eternity... much of our traditional music aims at an immeasurable
metaphysical sense of time.49 To a Japanese listener like Takemitsu, these pauses in Noh are not
merely intervals between events in the drama, but are filled with a life of their own. They create a
meaningful tension that represents a metaphysical sense of time and space beyond temporal events.
This concept of emptiness, with its origins in being-time, is considered a living and vibrant
component fundamental to all traditional Japanese arts. It encompasses both physical space and
time and shapes idioms as diverse as literature, the visual arts, music, drama, architecture, and
landscape design. Each of the four elements identified by Donald Keene as being present in Zen
inspired Japanese arts: suggestion, irregularity, simplicity, and perishability, are related to this
concept. In the Japanese language it is known as ma.
Ma
As defined in a dictionary, the word ma translates as interval or pause.50 Like the word
sawari, however, it has numerous shades of meaning that range from the mundane to the mystical.
Takemitsu called it a very philosophical term...Its very suggestive...there are many
ambiguities...its very beautiful.51 This ambiguity is fundamental to the word. As stated
previously, the word ma encompasses conceptions of both time and space. To the Japanese, these
two qualities are not distinct but exist in a mutually interdependent relationship to each other. As a
result, when the Chinese character that represents ma is used in compound words, its meaning is
extended to include various durations of time (jikan, isshukan, etc.), the space between two items
(aida), living room (ima), timing (kankaku) , valley (tanima), crevice (sukima), etc.52 When used in
the arts, the term means the natural distance between two or more things existing in a continuity,
or the natural pause or interval between two or more phenomena occurring continuously.53
Whether the concept of ma is utilized in music, poetry, or architecture, it is not merely a pause or
interval, but a vibrant part of the artistic experience. Takemitsu put it succinctly when he said, I
think ma is time-space with tensions.54
49

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 7.

Seigo Nakao, Random House Japanese-English English-Japanese Dictionary (New York: Ballantine Books,
1995), 148.
51
Takemitsu, Cronin, and Tann, 212-213.
52
Jack Halpern, ed., The Kodansha Kanji Learners Dictionary (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1999), 789.
53
Iwanamis Dictionary of Ancient Terms quoted in Arata Isozaki, Ma: Japanese Time-Space. The Japan
Architect 54 (1979): 68-80.
54
Takemitsu quoted in Wilson, 20.
50

134

The metaphysical connotations of the word Ma have their origins in both the Shinto and
Buddhist religions. The various sacred deities of Shintoism, known as kami, do not dwell in a
single place but travel between locations in the physical and spiritual worlds. The followers of
Shintoism, in order to influence where these kami might descend into the physical world, cordon
off a sacred area in their shrines by fastening a twisted straw rope around four wooden posts. This
area, known as the kekkai, is either entirely empty or contains only a solitary rock or tree.
According to Shinto beliefs, this creates a holy space where the kami can then descend from the
heavens and fill the emptiness with spiritual force.55
Even more important to the concept of ma as expressed in Japanese traditional arts is the related
Buddhist concept of mu, or nothingness. In order to come into harmony with the infinite source
of all existence56 one must still the mind through the discipline of meditation. When this is
achieved, one experiences a state of intense but serene mental concentration. Instead of being at the
mercy of fleeting thoughts and desires, the mind becomes a placid, silent pool.
The gardens of Zen temples are mediums for meditation which are physical realizations of this
spiritual nothingness. Perhaps the most famous of these is the stone garden of the Ryoan-ji temple
in Kyoto. Known as The Garden of Emptiness, it consists of fifteen irregularly shaped stones
of various sizes positioned at different intervals on a rectangular bed of raked white gravel. The
stark simplicity of the design comes from the elimination of all unnecessary elements. Therefore,
the focus of concentration becomes, not the items themselves, but the ma between them. In keeping
with Dgens theory of being-time in which all of existence is contained within each of its
individual elements, the garden is said to represent the structure of the entire universe.57
As demonstrated in the piece Arc for Piano and Orchestra, Japanese gardens were an
important source of inspiration to Takemitsu. In Nature and Music he wrote of a visit he made
to the moss garden of the Saihoji temple in Kyoto. While overall he found it not to be to his
personal tastes, he recognized in the garden a particular spatial realization of ma that impressed his
musical sensibility:
The Moss Garden in Kyoto was a disappointment, but the sounds created there
impressed me deeply...The sharp sounds echoing from the corners of the garden
were made simply by water running from bamboo spouts. But the spatial
arrangement and careful attention to the quality of the tone were not the result of
mere skill. At the basis there was harmony: the harmonization of the sound-55
56
57

Wilkens, 63.
Koh, 38.
Ibid., 45.

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whether light or dark--with the shifting aspects of the natural landscape.58

This spatial arrangement of sound, its roots in the concept of ma, and Takemitsus sensitivity to
the delicate shades of timbre that result from it played an important role in his aesthetic conception.
Several of his compositions utilize non traditional instrumental seating plans. In the 1964 string
orchestra piece Dorian Horizon Takemitsu divided the ensemble into three instrumental groups;
the first arranged in a semicircle at the front of the stage, the second placed in a line at far stage
right, and the third lined up along the back of the stage with each member spaced as far apart as
possible. In an essay discussing the reasons for such an unusual seating plan, Takemitsu wrote,
In this arrangement, dynamics are a crucial part of the music, since a forte has quite a different
meaning depending on whether it is near or far. A sound, whether played piano or forte, has less
meaning when heard from a distance. We perceive only the pure movement of the sounds.59
While the spatial aspects of ma were important to Takemitsu, its temporal considerations were
even more so. If ma is considered to be the natural pause or interval between two or more
phenomena occurring continuously, then its temporal manifestation is silence. To Takemitsu,
silence and its relationship to sound contained metaphysical connotations rooted in Dogens
being-time. In the same way that eternity is contained in each moment, all sounds are contained
in silence, and the two are inseparable. Sound emerges from the undifferentiated background of
silence and serves as a frame to give it meaning. In the essay A Single Sound Takemitsu
discussed the relationship between these diametrically opposed elements:
To the sensitive Japanese listener who appreciates this refined sound, the unique
idea of ma- the unsounded part of the experience- has at the same time a deep,
powerful, and rich resonance that can stand up to the sound. In short, this ma, this
powerful silence, is that which gives life to the sound and removes it from its
position of primacy. So it is that sound, confronting the silence of ma, yields
supremacy in the final expression.60
The Japanese composer Ikuma Dan noted that the silence of ma should not be confused with
the rest in Western music. In the West the beat defines the rhythmic structure of music and the rest
is secondary to it, but in traditional Japanese music the situation is reversed. The period between
events is the defining characteristic. Therefore, ma is an active element and is regarded in the
traditional Japanese temporal arts such as music and theater as a period of intense and
meaningful waiting between successive events.61 In Noh theater this period of not doing can
58

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 9.

Ibid., 116-117.
60
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 51.
61
Koozin, The Solo Works of Tru Takemitsu: A Linear/Set-Theoretic Analysis, 54.
59

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last up to several minutes, and the aficionado of Noh savors it as a vital part of the aesthetic
experience. Koozin, however, notes, Extended intervals of silence, however, are not always
required to create ma. In his analysis of Takemitsus piano piece Pause ininterrompue he states
that, while the piece contains very few rests in the score, ma is created through the attention paid to
the sustaining powers of the instrument, choosing dynamic and durational levels which focus
attention of the performer and listener on the isolated sonority as it fades to silence over the desired
span of time.62 Koozin observes that in this way the listener does not hear the silence as
partitions between events, but:
The sound event draws silence into the piece as an active rather than passive
element. It is possible to think of Takemitsus long, decaying tones as hashi
(bridges) projecting from the world of sound into silence. The moment of waiting
for sound to become silence is in this way imbued with the quality of ma.63
Using the research of Jonathan Chenette as his point of departure, Koozin expands the concept
of ma in his analysis of Takemitsus piece Piano Distance to include cycles of repetition within
the composition. In this situation ma is created through periods of contrast between referential
pitches or important musical gestures. These cycles can exist at various levels and these can be
nested within each other. In Piano Distance the pitch D-natural plays an important structural role.
It is firmly established in the pieces opening before contrasting pitch material is introduced. Over
the course of the work D-natural reoccurs at semi-regular intervals. Koozin observes, In
recognizing this cycle of repetition, the listeners memory supplies a connection which spans the
intervening discontinuity, creating an interval of ma.64 In his analysis Koozin also recognizes
other cycles of repetition occurring simultaneously within this macro-structure. In addition to
being an example of the application of an expanded definition of ma within a Takemitsu
composition, the cycles of repetition in Piano Distance also serves to illustrate the circular nature
of time that Takemitsu himself observed is fundamental to the Japanese view of the world.

62

Ibid., 56.
Ibid., 57.
64
Ibid. 62.
63

137

CHAPTER 5: THE SHAKUHACHI AND BIWA

Introduction
Most scholarly writings in the English language dealing with Takemitsus November Steps
have focused on the orchestral sections of the piece, while only giving cursory attention to the
shakuhachi and the biwa portions. Reasons for this include the fact that in November Steps the
notation for these instruments allows the performers a great degree of liberty and serves merely as
a jumping off point for their performance, and that doing any extensive research on the biwa and
shakuhachi requires a lengthy study of the Japanese language. Exceptions include Hugh de
Ferrantis and Yayoi Uno Everetts respective chapters, Takemitsus Biwa, and Reflecting on
Two Cultural Mirrors: Mode and Signification of Musical Synthesis in Tru Takemitsus
November Steps and Autumn in the book A Way a Lone: Writings on Tru Takemitsu (Tokyo:
Academic Press, 2002), and the chapter An East-West Confrontation: November Steps in Hwee
Been Kohs doctoral dissertation East and West: The Aesthetics and Musical Time of Tru
Takemitsu (Boston University, 1998). De Ferrantis work focuses on Takemitsus use of the biwa
in his compositions, beginning with his music for the documentary Nihon no Mony (Japanese
Signs) through November Steps, and his relationship with Kinshi Tsuruta (1911-1995), the biwa
performer most associated with Takemitsu. Uno Everetts work uses semiotics to identify
culture-specific references of musical gestures and temporal relations,1 and includes an analysis
of the pitch material from a transcription of the biwa and shakuhachi cadenza. Kohs work mostly
focuses on pitch material in the orchestral portions of the piece, but also deals to some extent with
the characteristics of the biwa and shakuhachi and their notation.
Since this document deals with the Japanese and Western influences in November Steps, and
since the Japanese aesthetic concepts discussed in chapter four (specifically ma and sawari) are
core to the performance of traditional Japanese music, attention must given to the shakuhachi and
biwa. The purpose of this chapter is to provide background information on the history of both the
biwa and the shakuhachi and to describe the characteristics and performance techniques of these
two instruments. In addition, in the next chapter a detailed explanation of the notational systems
developed by Takemitsu for these instruments in November Steps is included. In the composition
he utilized both traditional and contemporary techniques and these are identified. Takemitsu wrote
1

Yayoi Uno Everett, Reflecting on Two Cultural Mirrors: Mode and Signification of Musical Synthesis in
Tru Takemitsus November Steps and Autumn, in A Way a Lone: Writings on Tru Takemitsu, ed. Hugh de
Ferranti and Yoko Narazaki (Tokyo: Academia Music, 2002), 125.

138

the piece specifically for Tsuruta and Katsuya Yokoyama (1934-), two performers with whom he
had developed a close musical relationship. Takemitsu knew the traditions from which they came
and their performance tendencies. For these reasons he created notational systems that allowed his
soloists a great deal of freedom. This allowed them to create music that was both rooted deeply in
Japanese tradition and thoroughly modern.
Biwa: The Instrument and Its History
The Japanese biwa is a fretted, pear shaped, stringed instrument which at first glance greatly
resembles the Western lute. It directly evolved from the Chinese pipa and was first introduced in
Japan sometime during the Nara period (710-794 A.D.).2 Over time, however, several changes were
made to the instrument so that today its playing technique and resulting sound are quite different
from its Chinese ancestor. The most profound alteration to the instrument is the reduction of the
number of frets to only four or five and their greatly increased height above the neck. On the
pipa both the strings and the frets are close to the neck so that when a string is pressed down, a
definite, predictable pitch results. On the biwa, however, the frets are so high that this is impossible
to do. Instead, the performer presses the strings down between the frets. Because the strings, which
are made from silk, are relatively loosely strung, a variety of pitches can be produced between each
fret (In fact, the Satsuma biwa player Yoshihide Shimazu once demonstrated to the author the
playing of a full octave major scale by just increasing the tension on one string at a single fret).3 In
addition, as mentioned in the previous chapter, these relatively loose strings produce a distinctive
buzz or rattle when plucked, giving the instrument unique timbral characteristics. As a result of
these changes, the instrument lost much of the functionality of the original Chinese instrument.
Instead of complicated passage work that the pipa is capable of producing, the Japanese
listener is interested in listening to the delicate resonance of a single sound, in the shifting
tensions and the resulting shades of sound.4 This musical quality that the biwa embodies is
sawari.
Another major difference between the two instruments is the size of their respective plectrums.
The biwas plectrum, called bachi, is significantly larger than the pipas. One of the reasons for
such a large plectrum is the playing technique called bachioto. This technique involves
percussively striking the body of the biwa with the plectrum to produce a sharp smack. The impact
2

Malm, 150.
Yoshihide Shimazu, interview by Charles Haarhues, 01 July 2002, Aira-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
Mayumi Yotsumoto, translator. Video tape recording.
4
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 54.
3

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of bachioto is especially dramatic, and its use expands the timbral pallet of the biwa through the
introduction of a purely noise element. It is idiomatic to the Satsuma-biwa, a type of biwa from
southern Japan which is discussed in greater detail below.5
Except for the earliest style biwas, which were used in Imperial court music (gagaku)
ensembles, the instrument has traditionally been played by professional solo performers who have
used it to accompany their recitations. These performers, known as biwahshi or ms-biwa, were
a guild of traveling blind Buddhist priests who wandered from town to town singing Buddhist
sutras for the villagers. Over time, in order to attract more attention, their repertoire changed from
religious scripture to dramatic stories of war. This new style, known as Heiki-biwa, was named for
the most popular of these narratives, the Tale of the Heiki. This was a musical accounting of the
historic battles between the rival Heiki and Genji clans of the Heian period (794-1185).6
Another style of biwa evolved during this time in the Satsuma region of the southern Japanese
island of Kyushu. This style, known as Satsuma-biwa, prospered because these musicians, under
the protection of their guild, were allowed to travel freely throughout the country. As a result,
Satsumas ruling Shimazu clan found they made excellent spies. When the country became
unified during the Tokugawa era (1625-1868), the usefulness of these spies waned so the Shimazu
rulers assigned their biwa musicians the task of creating a repertoire of morally edifying songs to
maintain the warrior spirit of the samurai class. During this period other styles of biwa declined in
popularity, but Satsuma-biwa spread in popularity throughout Kyushu. When the last Tokugawa
Shogun was overthrown in 1868 and Japan entered a period of great modernization, several of the
men who were involved in the new government came from the Satsuma region. Along with their
political skills they brought the music of the Satsuma-biwa to the new capitol of Tokyo.7
Because the exclusionary privileges of the old biwa guilds had been abolished in this new era,
the learning of the Satsuma-biwa soon became a favorite pastime for many amateur musicians
throughout Japan. The instrument used was the traditional Satsuma type with four frets, four
strings, and the largest bachi of all the various biwas. Around 1910 the Tokyo resident Kinshin
Nagata modified the vocal stylings of Satsuma-biwa to create the Kinshin school of performance.
In the 1920s another style was developed in which elements of the shamisen (a three stringed
fretless lute) and the chikuzen-biwa (another popular biwa style) were incorporated into Satsuma5

Shimazu (2002).
Malm, 150-151.
7
Ibid., 152-153.
6

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biwa technique. This new style, known as nishiki-biwa, involved performance on a modified
Satsuma-biwa in which a fifth string and fifth fret were added.8
It is the kinshin and nishiki modified Satsuma-biwa styles that Kinshi Tsuruta, the biwa player
for whom Takemitsu composed November Steps and several other pieces, performed. Tsuruta,
however, was not just a disciple of these traditions, but introduced several innovations of her own.
These included both new performance techniques and alterations to the instrument. In the 1960s
she experimented with the placing of a contact-microphone on the biwa in order to amplify it. Later
she remodeled the interior of the instrument so it could produce a louder, more balanced sound,
and redesigned the frets to allow more rapid left-hand passages. Because of her association with
Takemitsus music, she became, by the 1970s, the most well-known of Japans biwa players. This
fame and inclination for innovation allowed her, in the last years of her life, to create her own
school of biwa performance, the Tsuruta ry (Tsuruta school).9
The role of the biwa as an accompanying instrument to vocal recitations has traditionally been
limited to instrumental interludes between verses and providing a reciting tone at the beginning of
each verse. At no point does the performer sing and play simultaneously. Therefore, the role of the
biwa is to help to define large scale formal divisions within a recitation and to musically reinforce
passages in the text. Both the voice and the biwa utilize a set of melodic patterns, each of which
corresponds to a particular point in the narrative.10 The vocal patterns are relatively fixed in
performance. The most likely cause of this is fact that the text itself is a fixed structure. The biwa
patterns, however, are open to a fair amount of variation and performers often combine different
motives together to create larger improvised forms.11 The most dramatic of these biwa pattern types
is kuzure, a set of four tremolo like figures which consist of a rapid alternation between low and
high strings and which is used to musically depict war scenes.12
Since the beginning of the twentieth century a variety of tablature systems, called danpfu, have
been used for representing biwa patterns. In these systems, four lines are used to represent the
four biwa strings. Triangular symbols are used to depict up and down strokes of the bachi and
their approximate rhythmic relationship to each other. Some, but not all, of these tablature systems
8

Hugh de Ferranti, Takemitsus Biwa, in A Way a Lone: Writings on Tru Takemitsu, ed. Hugh de Ferranti and
Yoko Narazaki (Tokyo: Academia Music, 2002), 44-45.
9
Ibid., 55.
10
Hugh de Ferranti, Composition and Improvisation in Satsuma Biwa, Musica Asiatica 6 (1991): 110.
11
Ibid., 126.
12
Shimazu (2002).

141

also utilize symbols which represent the degree of tension to be applied to the string and the
resulting pitch. Historically, the primary method for learning the biwa and its repertoire has been
direct transmission from teacher to student, so this tablature system has primarily been used as a
reinforcement to this traditional method and is used only in the early stages of study.13
While microtonal embellishments are an integral part of the biwas style, the basic tonal
organization of almost all biwa music since 1600 is based on the y and the in scales (see example
5.1). Each is centered around two focal pitches a perfect fifth apart, and consists of a pentatonic
core with two alternate pitches for the second and fifth notes of the scale. The pentatonic core of
the y scale is common to folk and indigenous music worldwide, while the core of the in scale is
distinctly Japanese. The in scales most notable feature is the upper neighbor tones of the two
focal pitches, each located a half step above the two central pitches.14

Example 5.1: y and in scales

Shakuhachi: The Instrument and Its History
The shakuhachi is a five holed tapered bamboo flute with an angular cut mouthpiece. Four of
the holes are bored in the front of the instrument and one hole is bored in the back. Unlike the
Western flute, the performer holds the instrument upright, gripping it with the thumb and middle
finger of each hand. The first and third finger of each hand articulates the four holes on the front
of the shakuhachi, while the thumb of the upper hand articulates the hole on the back. The
instrument rests on the performers chin, and a sound is produced by blowing downward into the
bamboo shaft. As a result of this unique playing method, the instrument does not normally utilize a
tongued articulation, but uses grace notes to articulate the reiteration of single pitches. Nor does the
performer make use of diaphragmatic vibrato. Instead, various up and down and side to side
13
14

de Ferranti, Composition and Improvisation in Satsuma Biwa, 114-117.

Malm, 160

142

motions are used to create several different unique vibratos and microtonal pitch inflections. These
range from subtle to wild and erratic.15 These and other articulations are central to the shakuhachis
technique, and are consistent with the aesthetic concept of sawari. What is important to the
shakuhachi player is not the performance of virtuoso passages, but the coloring of a sustained
pitch through various articulations, shifting timbral effects, dynamics, and subtle pitch bending.
The traditional shakuhachi sound ebbs and flows in such a way that it is often said that the goal of
the shakuhachi master is to recreate the sound of wind in a decaying bamboo grove.16
Like the biwa, the shakuhachi was imported from China during the eighth century. The name
was originally a Chinese word referring to the measurement of one such instrument (one shaku
and eight sun or about 58 centimeters). Also like the biwa, the early shakuhachi was used in
gagaku court music ensembles. After the eleventh century it was no longer part of the gagaku
ensemble and faded into obscurity. During the Edo period (1625-1868) it re-emerged as a solo
instrument. An instrument which, again like the biwa, embodied the idea of sawari.
In this solo shakuhachi style the focus is on individual, complex sounds over the creation of
elaborate melodies. This is another example of the Japanese peoples tendency to change the
characteristics of an imported instrument and its music over time to suit their own aesthetic tastes.17
Gutzweller and Bennett, in their research doing computer analysis of the shakuhachis acoustic
properties, call these individual sounds tone cells.18 In describing them they write: The
rhythmically very free music is organized into tone cells which generally last a breath and are
separated from one another by clear rests (ma). Because of the extremely slow tempo, these tone
cells rarely fuse into a coherent melody, but rather form relatively independent musical entities.19
Because of this emphasis on sustained, fragmented tone cells, solo shakuhachi music has no
regular meter consisting of strong and weak beats.20 This style, known as honkyoku, arose in
connection with the Zen Buddhist Fuke sect, and is often used as a means of meditation. From this
practice comes the Japanese phrase Ichion Jbutsu, (meaning) With one sound one becomes
15

Jeffrey Lependorf,. Contemporary Notation for the Shakuhachi: A Primer for Composers, Perspectives of
New Music Vol. 27 no. 2 (Summer 1989): 233-237.
16
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 51.
17
Malm, 166-167.
18
Andreas Gutzwiller and Gerald Bennett, The World of a Single Sound: Basic Structure of the Music of the
Japanese Flute Shakuhachi, Musica Asiatica 6 (1991): 36.
19
Ibid., 38.
20
Eliot Weisgarber, Honkyoku of the Kinko-Ryu: Some Principles of its Organization, Ethnomusicology Vol.
12 no. 3 (September 1968): 319.

143

the Bhuddha.21
The founders of the Fuke sect, however, were not seekers of enlightenment but masterless
samurai known as rnin who had lost their class privileges during the violent upheavals which
marked the era before the emergence of the Tokugawa dynasty. In order to protect themselves
from possible annihilation when Ieyasu Tokugawa unified the country under his dictatorship in the
1630s, they acquired a large Buddhist temple in Kyoto and forged papers claiming historical
origins in China. The shoganate saw through this ruse, but instead of disbanding this large group
of desperate men, they enlisted them as spies in order to keep an eye on other groups of rnin who
were still a potential source of trouble to the new government. This agreement gave rise to a
famous figure of the Edo period, the komus; the basket hatted, shakuhachi playing Buddhist
monk who wandered the backstreets of Edos pleasure districts playing his bamboo flute and
eavesdropping on intimate conversations.22 In the 1750s, however, the Buddhist monk Kinko
Kurosawa divorced the shakuhachi repertoire from its secular origins and created the Kinko school
of shakuhachi performance as a tool for meditation. This new repertoire consisted of thirty-six
pieces which today form the basis of the honkyoku style.23
When Japan entered the modern age with the Meiji restoration (1868), the established Buddhist
shakuhachi schools, like all the other old music guilds, lost their exclusive privileges. This allowed
amateurs to take up the study of shakuhachi and many new styles proliferated. Today there are
three main categories of shakuhachi music. The first, honkyoku, has already been mentioned and
consists of all the pieces which were composed by the early shakuhachi masters and are associated
with the komus tradition. The second, gaikyoku, consists of pieces borrowed from other
instruments like the shamisen or the koto. Even though these pieces are performed on the
shakuhachi, their basic style remains consistent with the versions performed on their original
instruments. Some gaikyoku works are duets in which the shakuhachi is paired with either the
shamisen or koto. In these cases, the shakuhachi melody is not independent, but serves to double
the original melodic line. The third category, called shinkyoku, consists of all pieces written in the
modern era. These compositions vary greatly in style and form, and include pieces written in a
more Western style.24 Perhaps the most famous of these shinkyoku compositions is Haru no Umi
(The Spring Sea), a duet for koto and shakuhachi, which has been transcribed for instrumental
21

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 65.

Malm, 169.
23
Gutzwiller and Bennett, 58.
24
Malm, 173-175.
22

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combinations ranging from violin and piano duet to full symphony orchestra.25
While the music of the biwa and the shakuhachi sound considerably different, there are certain
common traits between the two instruments and their respective traditions. Like the biwa, the
shakuhachi repertoire consists of pieces constructed from a standard set of patterns based on the
y and in scales. This repertoire and its constituent patterns are primarily passed from teacher to
student through direct oral transmission. Also like the biwa, a tablature system, which in the
shakuhachis case indicates fingering positions on the instrument, is used in the early stages of
learning. On a more generalized aesthetic level, the emphasis on the subtle shading of individual
sounds (sawari) and the use of time/space with tensions (ma)26 act as guiding principles in the
music of both these instruments. As demonstrated in chapter three, these two principles are deeply
rooted in Japanese culture and religion and shape not only biwa and shakuhachi music, but all
traditional Japanese arts.
Another important common characteristic of shakuhachi and biwa music is the amount of
freedom that the performer is allowed in interpreting a piece. As seen previously, biwa music
consists of a regular group of basic patterns which can be combined in numerous ways to create
larger improvised forms. Shakuhachi music is also open to a high degree of variation. At one point
in his life, Katsuya Yokoyama spent three years learning the piece San An (Safe Delivery) from his
teacher Watazumi Dso. One of the reasons it took Yokoyama so long to learn this work was the
many changes his teacher made while performing it for his pupil.27 This situation is by no means
unusual, as a high degree of creative liberty is normal in shakuhachi music. This freedom is an
important part of Japanese music, and it will play an important role in November Steps, where the
liberty granted to the Japanese instruments contrasts with the strictly notated structure of the
orchestral passages.

25

Ibid., 170.
Takemitsu quoted in Wilson, 20.
27
Riley Lee, Shakuhachi Honkyaku Notation: Written Sources in an Oral Tradition, Musica Asiatica 6 (1991):
33.
26

145

CHAPTER 6: ANALYSIS OF NOVEMBER STEPS

Introduction
After receiving a commission from the New York Philharmonic in early 1967 to write a new
composition for biwa, shakuhachi, and orchestra to be performed as part of the orchestras 125th
anniversary celebration in November of that year, Takemitsu isolated himself in a small resort in
the mountainous Nagano region of Japan in order to compose. As he worked on his new piece, he
considered appropriate titles. Takemitsu searched for a name that would be: precise but not
limiting, strongly evocative, but still leaving room for imagination.1 Among several proposed
names, one seemed to have potential:
It was this last title, Water Rings, that seemed to grow inside my vague musings.
In my mountain cabin the sounds that reached me always echoed, varying with
weather conditions. Since I intended to use this idea of sound in my music, the title
Water Rings seemed appropriate at the time.
For me the sound of biwa and shakuhachi was to spread through the orchestra
gradually enlarging, like waves of water. When I mentioned this to my friend
Jasper Johns (the American artist) he told me that water rings in the United
States usually referred to those rings left in a dirty bathtub....
I continued to write titles...Steadily, slowly my thoughts focused. I decided on
the title November Steps.2
While this story is humorous, it describes accurately Takemitsus original conception of his
composition. He often used water, in its various forms, as a metaphor for his compositional
conceptions. To him sound did not exist in discrete mathematical units but as an unbroken
continuity, a stream of sound.3 In this stream he saw no strict division between intentionally
musical sounds and those of the surrounding world. Likewise, he saw no division between regular
and irregular sounds. Consistent with the concept of sawari, elements of noise were just as
musically valid as those of pure controlled sound. To Takemitsu, sound, like a stream which ebbs
and flows, could swell and dissipate over time, and a sonic spectrum could move in a continuum
from a pure sign wave to white noise and back again. Takemitsu states:
I have referred to the stream of sounds. This is not only an impressionistic
description but a single phrase intended to contrast with the method of construction
of music--that of superimposing sounds one on another. This is not a matter of
creating new space by merely dividing it, but it does pose a question: by admitting a
new perception of space and giving it an active sense, is it not possible to discover a
new unexpected, unexplored world.4
1

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 86.

Ibid., 87.
3
Ibid., 8.
4
Ibid., 7-8.
2

146

Here was an approach that was consistent with traditional Japanese concepts such as the
relationship between nature and music, cyclical time, sawari, and ma; as well as the contemporary
techniques of Western composers like Debussy, Messiaen, Cage, Penderecki, and Xenakis. In
composing November Steps Takemitsu was able to explore this new concept of (musical)
space, a concept which included not only physical space, temporal space, and pitch space, but also
the metaphysical space which exists between the worlds of East and West: a space whose
contradictions he wanted to confront and intensify.
Like Water Rings, Takemitsus new title for his composition was precise but not limiting (and
also) strongly evocative.5 November Steps refers not only to the month in which the piece was to
be premiered in New York, but also suggests much more. The English word step can be
translated in Japanese as dan or danmono, the sectional divisions of the traditional Japanese
Noh drama. This art form in particular epitomizes many of the traditional Japanese aesthetic
concepts, and strives in performance to create a metaphysical sense of time and space beyond
temporal events. In his essay Notes on November Steps Takemitsu offers these eleven
statements without any explanation:6
1. A composer should not be occupied by such things as how one blends
traditional Japanese instruments with an orchestra. Two worlds of sound: biwashakuhachi and the orchestra. Through juxtaposition it is the difference between
the two that should be emphasized.
2. To create several different audio foci is one aspect (an objective one) of
composing and to try to hear a specific voice among numerous sounds is yet
another.
3. Sound in Western music progresses horizontally. But the sound of the
shakuhachi rises vertically, like a tree.
4. Do you know that the ultimate achievement of the shakuhachi master strives
for in his performance is the re-creation of the sound of wind blowing through an
old bamboo grove.
5. First concentrate on the simple act of listening. Only then can you
comprehend the aspirations of the sounds themselves.
6. There is something suggestive in the biologists report that the dolphins
communication takes place, not in their sounds, but in the length of silences
between sounds.
7. Like time zones on the globe, arrange the orchestra in several time zones- a
spectrum of time.
5
6

Ibid., 86
Ibid., 87-88.

147

8. A composition should not give the impression it is complete in itself. Which

is more pleasurable, a precisely planned tour or a spontaneous trip.
9. Many contemporary composers have been building walls of sounds
following their own clever devices. But then, who lives inside these rooms.
10. Eleven steps without any special melodic scheme...constantly swaying
impulses, like Noh drama.
11. November Steps, commissioned by the New York Philharmonic for its
125th anniversary, premiered in November, 1967 by that orchestra.
Previous Analyses of November Steps
Previous in-depth analysis of November Steps in the English language is represented by works
written by Edward Smaldone (Japanese and Western Confluences in Large Scale Pitch
Organization of Tru Takemitsus November Steps and Autumn in Perspectives of New Music,
1987), Hwee Been Koh (East and West: The Aesthetics and Musical Time of Tru Takemitsu,
1998), and Yayoi Uno Everett (Reflecting on Two Cultural Mirrors: Mode and Signification
of Musical Synthesis in Tru Takemitsus November Steps and Autumn in A way a Lone:
Writings on Tru Takemitsu, 2002). The composition is also given attention in the chapter
Projections on to an Eastern Mirror from Peter Burts book The Music of Tru Takemitsu
(2001), but Burts observations are made in the context of commenting on Takemitsus Japanese
period and are more general. Dana Richard Wilson discusses the instrumentation and orchestral
seating plan of November Steps in his Ph.D. dissertation The Role of Texture in Selected Works
of Tru Takemitsu (1982), but his primary analysis is focused on other compositions.
Smaldones analysis, the earliest of those concentrating on November Steps, deals primarily
with pitch relations in the piece. According to Smaldone, the pitch organization of November Steps
alludes to the traditional Japanese in-sempo mode. This scale contains two central nuclear tones a
fifth apart (one primary and one secondary) (which) are heard as the primary pitches of a given
transposition.7 In Smaldones view, despite the frequent occurrence of individual dissonant tone
clusters throughout the composition, the large-scale pitch organization (in November Steps) is
defined by the path between nuclear tones...around which the tone clusters circulate.8 Whether or
not one agrees with the argument that the pitch organization of November Steps is derived from the
in-sempo mode, Smaldones observation is insightful. His analysis, however, is limited to the
7

Edward Smaldone, Japanese and Western Confluences in Large-Scale Pitch Organization of Toru Takemitsus
November Steps and Autumn, Perspectives of New Music Vol 27 no. 2 (Summer 1989): 218.
8
Ibid., 218.

148

pieces opening twenty-four measure orchestral statement, and his choice of pitches which are the
most important to the deep level structure is debatable. Smaldones criteria for his choice of
nuclear tones is based on orchestral doubling (and) registral placement.9 He gives
preference, however, to pitches at the top of the texture over pitches at the bottom, and at times
gives importance to pitches that are relatively short in duration and appear to have no more
structural weight than others in the texture.
Kohs examination of November Steps is more comprehensive than Smaldones and more
accurate. As a starting point she focuses on the contrasting sound worlds of the Japanese
instruments and the Western orchestra. Takemitsus stated goal in the composition was to
juxtapose these two worlds of sound10 in order to emphasize the differences between them. Koh
acknowledges this aesthetic approach, but focuses on finding common denominators which...
create an interface between Western and Eastern instruments11 in order to see how Takemitsu
achieve(s) a large-scale continuity.12 She identifies the two most important techniques utilized in
achieving this continuity as: 1) the use of extended harp techniques which imitate the timbral and
gestural characteristics of the biwa immediately before and after passages featuring the Japanese
instruments; and 2) the use of focal pitches (D, E, and A)... (which serve as) the nucleus around
which other tones in both Western instruments and sawari in Eastern instruments are oriented.
The use of D, E, and A as focal pitches is only natural since the open strings of the biwa in the
composition are tuned D, E, A, E, E and the five holes of the shakuhachi produce the pitches D, F,
G, A, D. Furthermore she contends that the emphasis on the pitches D and A suggests a polarity
that is not unlike a V-I relationship.13
Uno Everett, while acknowledging the concept of nuclear tones in her analysis, contends that
the unique qualities of musical synthesis in November Steps cannot be accounted for by
conventional pitch-based analysis alone.14 Instead, she employs the terminology of Charles
Pierces semiotic theories as an analytic tool in order to explore the musical manifestations in the
composition of Takemitsus concept of Eastern and Western cultural mirrors. In Uno-Everetts
view, certain musical gestures in the work such as Debussyian sonorities and textural devices...
9

Ibid., 219.
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 87.
11
Koh, 152.
12
Ibid., 153.
13
Ibid., 168.
14
Uno Everett, 125.
10

149

(act as) image-icons...(for) contemporary Western musical practice, while cellular elaboration and
modal references to Kinko-ry shakuhachi playing denote traditional Japanese musical practice.15
These sonic image icons serve as metaphors for the visual image-icon of the mirror, which
itself serves as a metaphor for the cultural differences between Eastern and Western cultures.
Furthermore, she asserts that Takemitsu blurs the boundary between cultural mirrors by
overlaying gestures and articulations associated with the shakuhachi and biwa in the parts of the
Western instruments.16 She contends, however, that this blurring is not significant enough to
transform the piece into a new, hybrid entity,17 but that the juxtaposition of Japanese and
Western elements serves Takemitsus goal of confronting and intensifying the contradictions
between them.
The Notation of the Biwa and Shakuhachi as Used in November Steps
Traditionally, the method for learning both the biwa and shakuhachi has been direct oral
transmission from teacher to student. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, notational
systems have existed for both these instruments, but these are not exact and serve primarily as
reminders to performers who have learned their repertoire primarily by rote from their teachers.
When Takemitsu began writing for shakuhachi and biwa, he ignored these and developed his own
systems of notation. He combined a graphic notation for the shakuhachi along with a tablature
system for the biwa. By doing this he allowed a certain degree of liberty to his performers, and
they in turn used his written music as a jumping off point for their performances. This practice is
consistent with biwa and shakuhachi traditions, both of which allow performers flexibility in the
interpretation of their respective classic repertoires.18
The first piece Takemitsu composed which combined these two instruments was the duet
Eclipse (1966). Because this work was composed specifically for the two master musicians,
Katsuya Yokoyama and Kinshi Tsuruta, Takemitsu was able to work with them to develop certain
performance practices which fleshed out the indeterminant elements of his notation. For Eclipse, in
addition to the notated music, Takemitsu gave the performers instructions regarding pitch and other
choices available to them. They were free to interpret these within their respective traditions.
15

Ibid., 127-129.
Ibid., 129.
17
Ibid., 148.
18
For a more in-depth exploration of traditional notational systems and the relationship between composition and
improvisation in shakuhachi and biwa music see the articles Shakuhachi Honkyaku Notation: Written Sources in
an Oral Tradition by Riley Lee and Composition and Improvisation in Satsuma Biwa by Hugh de Ferranti, both
of which are in Musica Asiatica 6 (1991).
16

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Yokoyama did this using the musical conventions of honkyoku style of shakuhachi and Tsuruta by
the conventions of the Kinshin and nishiki styles of Satsuma-biwa. By the time he wrote
November Steps for these same two musicians, Takemitsus notational system had already been
tested, and the relationship between the composer and his two soloists was mature enough to allow
high degree of trust between them. Takemitsu knew the performance tendencies of both Yokoyama
and Tsuruta and could exercise a degree of control while still allowing significant freedom.19
Having mastered the coordination of shakuhachi and biwa in Eclipse, the new compositional
challenge for Takemitsu in November Steps was the integration of these two instruments with a
symphony orchestra. It was a task that he found very frustrating. The sound worlds of the
Japanese and Western instruments were too far apart. He solved this problem by resolving not to
integrate the two traditions but to confront them (in Autumn, a later work for biwa, shakuhachi, and
orchestra, Takemitsu overcame this difficulty and integrated the Eastern and Western instruments,
focusing on their commonalities and not their differences). There are relatively few places in the
November Steps where the Japanese instruments and the orchestra play simultaneously. When
they do play together, the orchestral interjections are short. Through most of the piece the the biwa
and shakuhachi are juxtaposed against the orchestra in this fashion. In these places Takemitsu
writes out the pitch information on Western style five line staves (see example 6.1). These
statements of the Japanese instruments are marked senza tempo, so the rhythms are notated
proportionally and are flexible in duration. Above and below each staff are directions for
articulation, dynamics, and types of vibrato. Approximately two-thirds of the way through the
composition, however, there is the extended cadenza for the biwa and shakuhachi.

Example 6.1: shakuhachi and biwa notation in senza tempo section after measure 3520
In the cadenza, because he is not constrained by the coordination of his soloists with the
orchestra, Takemitsu uses the graphic and tablature notational systems that he first developed for
Eclipse (See examples 6.2 and 6.3). The biwa notation is organized into nine separate gestures,
19
20

de Ferranti, 60.
Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

151

Example 6.2: November Steps biwa cadenza21

21

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

152

Example 6.3: November Steps shakuhachi cadenza22

22

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

153

and the shakuhachi notation is organized into seven gestures. Instructions in the score indicate that
these may be played in any order. The performers therefore, are allowed a significant degree of
freedom in their interpretation, and the resulting music has the potential for varying greatly from
performance to performance. This use of graphic notation and mobile form in the cadenza can be
considered to be the result of influence by Cage, but is also consistent with traditional Japanese
performance practices. With only a minimal amount of notation guiding them, Tsuruta and
Yokoyama in their performances were able to create music rooted deeply in the Japanese
perception of time and the aesthetic concepts of ma and sawari. In this cadenza the music no
longer moves forward through time like an arrow but dwells in a manner similar to Dogens
being-time. Takemitsu expresses this idea in his essay on November Steps in the book
Confronting Silence by using a typically Japanese metaphor:
3. Sound in Western music progresses horizontally. But the sound of the
shakuhachi rises vertically, like a tree.23
Biwa Techniques Notated in the Score of November Steps
For the cadenza Takemitsu developed a tablature system for notating the biwa (See examples
6.4 and 6.5). The instrument is listed in the score as a five-stringed Satsuma-biwa. This is the
modified version of the instrument which was developed in the 1920s, and is known as the nishikibiwa. The designated tuning for this instrument is indicated in the score as D, E, A, E, E. In this
tablature system the individual strings are notated as Arabic numerals enclosed in squares, the fret
numbers are notated as Roman numerals, and the degree of tension on the string at the designated
fret is indicated by Arabic numerals ranging from 1 to 3 (low to high tension). Each pluck of a

Example 6.4: Instructions for Takemitsus biwa notation24

23
24

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 87.

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

154

Example 6.5: Explanation of selected biwa notation for gesture number three in the cadenza25
string is notated by a dot. The size of the dot indicates the intensity of the playing. In addition,
traditional Western notation for downstrokes and upstrokes of the plectrum are utilized. Several
other symbols are also used to designate both traditional biwa techniques and new techniques
developed by Tsuruta during the 1960s while working with Takemitsu on several film and
television projects and on Eclipse. A detailed explanation of the biwa techniques included in
Takemitsus instructions for November Steps follows.
Biwa Notation
Pluck with finger(s)--This is not a traditional Satsuma-biwa technique, but was developed by
Kinshi Tsuruta.26
Hit the body of the instrument with the plectrum--As mentioned previously, this is a traditional
Satsuma-biwa technique. Known as bachioto, its percussive effect is very dramatic.27
Hit the bottom of the instrument with the fist, finger, or palm--This is another new biwa
technique developed by Tsuruta. It is similar to the extended string technique used by Penderecki
in Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima and other works.
Rub upward the designated string lightly from the bottom to the top with the point of the
plectrum--This is a technique known as suribachi and is used sparingly in the nishiki-biwa style.
Rub upward all the strings while hitting the body of the instrument lightly with the plectrum-25

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

de Ferranti, Takemitsus Biwa, 64.
27
Shimazu, 2002.
26

155

This is another new technique developed by Tsuruta.28

Kuzure--A traditional Satsuma-biwa tremolo technique that consists of the rapid alternation
between low and high strings. The effect is very dramatic in performance and is used in the
climactic portions of both a traditional recitation and the November Steps cadenza.29
Shakuhachi Techniques Notated in the Score of November Steps
The graphic notation used for the shakuhachi in each of the seven gestures of the cadenza in
November Steps consists of two parallel lines (Refer back to example 6.3). The top line indicates
generalized pitch information, and uses symbols representing instructions such as glissando up
or jump upward or downward to a different note close to the playing note(see examples 6.6 and
6.7). No exact pitches are indicated anywhere in the cadenza and pitch choices are left entirely to
the discretion of the performer. The bottom line indicates articulations, timbres, and different
vibratos to be employed . Most of these are techniques found in traditional honkyoku performance,
but a few, such as play with voice, are non-traditional and most likely originated from
Takemitsus study of Western contemporary music. Takemitsu is much more specific regarding
timbre than pitch in the score. In his instructions for the shakuhachi located at the beginning of the
score he states: The first note of the playing is left to the performers choice, then the performer
should concentrate into the sound and listen to its changes of color and intensity. An explanation
of the articulations and vibratos included in Takemitsus instructions follows.
Articulations
Muraiki--(mura- scattered, iki- breath) This is an explosive breath attack. Depending on the
register and dynamic level, the resulting sound may be mostly breath with little or no trace of an
actual pitch.30
Play with voice--This is not a traditional shakuhachi technique, but does create an interesting
timbral effect which is consistent with the concept of sawari.
Tap the hole of the instrument strongly with the fingers--Another non-traditional effect. This is
likely derived from contemporary Western musical practice.
Ending Figures
Furiotoshi--(furio- shake, toshi- drop) In shakuhachi music, pitches are not simply cut off, but
an ending figure is often employed. Furiotoshi consists of rapid up and down head shakes
28

de Ferranti, Takemitsus Biwa, 64.

Malm, 162.
30
Lependorf, 235.
29

156

Example 6.6: Instructions for Takemitsus shakuhachi notation31

Example 6.7: Explanation of shakuhachi notation for gesture number four in the cadenza32
followed by a final drop in pitch.
Otoshi--This is a drop in pitch before cutting off the sound with no headshakes.
Furikiri--(furi-shake, kiri- cut) This ending figure consists of the headshakes followed by the
cutting off of sound without any final drop in pitch.
31
32

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

157

Vibratos
Yokoyuri--(yoko-horizontal, yuri- wave) Vibrato created by a side to side head motion. This
vibrato type raises the fundamental pitch.
Mawashi-yuri--(mawashi- circular, yuri- wave) This vibrato is created by circular head motion
and both raises and lowers the pitch.
Take-yuri--(take- bamboo, yuri- wave) Similar to tate-yuri.
Tate-yuri--(tate- vertical, yuri- wave) An up and down head motion vibrato. This type of
movement lowers the fundamental pitch.
Komi--Also known as komi-buki (staccato breath). This technique consists of panting into the
shakuhachi in order to produce a series of reiterated pitches. This technique differs from regular
staccato in that there is less separation between reiterations. In honkyoku playing it is often
combined effectively with pitch bending and muraiki.33
Orchestral Seating Plan
Two of Takemitsus eleven statements which characterize various aspects of November Steps
deal directly with the instrumental spatial organization of the composition. They are:
2. To create several different audio foci is one aspect (an objective one) of
composing. And to try to hear a specific voice among numerous sounds another.
7. Like time zones around the globe, arrange the orchestra in several time zonesa spectrum of time.34
The first statement reads as a compositional goal for the piece. In November Steps Takemitsu
was not interested in blending the instruments of the orchestra to form a single giant
instrument. Like Debussy, he was interested in creating music which contained many different
points of focus and many gradations of color.35 The music in November Steps consists of
multiple layers of sound which accumulate and dissipate over time. These layers are separated by
elements such as register, timbre, harmony, rhythm, and instrumental placement. In this way
Takemitsu is able to combine instruments to create several smaller ensembles within the orchestra
which he can then weave together to create a larger musical fabric.
The second statement serves as a strategy for realizing the goals expressed by the first.
Arranging the orchestra into spatial time zones is a method method for creating different
33

Lependorf, 236.
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 87-88.
35
Takemitsu, Cronin, and Tann, 207-208.
34

158

audio foci and the spatial arrangement of instruments can allow a listener to hear a specific
voice among numerous sounds. As a result, the seating plan for November Steps is not a
conventional one, but divides the orchestra into several groups in order to create distinct
timbral groups, antiphonal effects, and multi-focal zones (see example 6.8).
The shakuhachi and biwa, being the soloists, are placed center stage at the very front of the

Example 6.8: November Steps Seating Arrangement36

36

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

159

ensemble. Percussion, harps and strings are divided into two equal sized groups (2 percussion, 1
harp, 12 violins, 5 violas, 4 cellos, and 3 contrabass each). These are placed opposite each other on
the left and right sides of the stage, strings in the front and percussion to the rear. The two harps
are placed opposite each other just to the inside of the strings. The woodwinds and brass are
positioned center stage and to the rear of the ensemble. This creates a semicircular orchestral
pattern behind the soloists which allows for the creation of stereophonic effects. Throughout the
piece gestures are begun in either the left or right group and then imitated by the opposing group.
As the music develops, other timbral, registral, and spatial groupings accumulate to create greater
orchestral density. At strategic moments the left and right halves synchronize to form powerful tutti
statements. The music then dissipates as the multiple audio foci are subtracted one by one.
As demonstrated in chapter three, Takemitsus spatial arrangement of instruments is not unique
to November Steps. Koh views this attention to physical space in Takemitsus music as being
inspired by Cage, but this spatialization of instrumental forces in avant garde music of the 1950s
and 1960s is not unique to Cage. Another notable example is Karlheinz Stockhausens 1955
composition Gruppen, which is scored for three separate orchestras situated at three locations
within a concert hall. Takemitsus attention to the placement of instruments, however, may not be
solely attributed to Western influence. It may also have its roots in the spatial aspects of the
concept of ma. As seen in chapter three, Takemitsus observation about the moss garden of the
Saihoji temple in Kyoto reveals the sensitivity to the physical movement of sound which exists in
the traditional Japanese arts:
The sharp sounds echoing from the corners of the garden were made simply by
water running from bamboo spouts. But the spatial arrangement and careful
attention to the quality of the tone were not the result of mere skill. At the basis
there was harmony: the harmonization of the sound--whether light or dark--with the
shifting aspects of the natural landscape.37
General Principles of Construction
1. A composer should not be occupied by such things as how one blends
traditional Japanese instruments with an orchestra. Two worlds of sound: biwashakuhachi and the orchestra. Through juxtaposition it is the difference between
the two that should be emphasized.38
The first of Takemitsus eleven statements describing November Steps characterizes his basic
principle of construction for the composition: do not blend the two sound worlds but juxtapose
37
38

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 9.

Ibid., 87.

160

them. Reasons for this compositional choice are not strictly aesthetic, but also practical. Attempting
to blend the orchestra with the biwa and shakuhachi presents several potential difficulties. Western
instruments employ the equal-temperment system, but the Japanese instruments produce music
based not on the articulation of steady discrete pitches, but on the concept of continuously
changing timbres and gestural shapes (sawari).39 Both the biwas and shakuhachis performance
traditions realize this through the use of numerous vibratos, articulations, and tonal inflections to
create complex, individual sounds. Blending the Japanese instruments with the orchestra would
limit their ability to utilize these expressive devices, divorcing them from the power of their musical
tradition, and resulting in them becoming little more than exotic curiosities.
3. Sound in Western music progresses horizontally. But the sound of the
shakuhachi rises vertically, like a tree.40
Pitch is not the only musical parameter which separates the Eastern and Western instruments.
As Takemitsu observes in his third statement, the temporal conceptions of the two differ. Western
instruments proceed horizontally in goal ordered motion like an arrow, or as a moving
river,41 while the Japanese instruments dwell like a tree against a background of eternity.42
In accordance with the principles of ma and sawari, both the shakuhachi and biwa produce
complex, enigmatic sounds which are complete in themselves and are related by silences. The
duration of these pauses are left to the discretion of the performers. Western instruments, however,
move forward through time in units of precisely defined duration.
This contrast is immediately apparent in the score by the different ways Takemitsu handles their
rhythmic organization. Orchestral sections are organized according to the principles of Western
meter, utilizing measures, time signatures, and tempo markings. The sections consisting of just the
Japanese instruments are senza tempo, employing proportional and graphic notation. In these
passages the soloists are allowed a high degree of freedom to interpret the notation according to
the performance practices of their respective traditions. In passages where the soloists and
orchestra interact, the orchestral statements are short and serve to punctuate gestures by the biwa
and shakuhachi. In these situations the orchestra is fully notated, utilizing standard Western
notation, while the shakuhachi and biwa are written using proportional notation, usually without
any bar lines. In a few short passages the shakuhachis rhythm is written out exactly using
39

Uno Everett, 131.

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 87.
41
Northrop, 343.
42
Koozin, The Solo Piano Works of Toru Takemitsu: A Linear /Set-Theoretic Analysis, 47.
40

161

Western notation, but in actual performance these are not interpreted strictly.43 In addition, certain
measures which act as transitions between orchestral passages and those in which only the
Japanese instruments play contain notation which indicate that the orchestral instruments should
hold their notes as long as possible. This results in an effect in which the horizontal sound world
of the orchestra dissolves into vertical sound world of the biwa and shakuhachi.
It should be noted, however, that while Takemitsu uses Western metric notation in the orchestral
passages, the time is often elastic and no regular pulse is apparent. The beginning tempo of the
composition is one eighth note equals 60, but this value oscillates between 72 and 48 throughout
the course of the composition, frequently by means of accelerando and ritardando. Considering
all this, the use of Western metrical notation appears to be more for the purpose of the
coordination of the ensemble than for dividing sound into discrete metrical units. As stated
previously, Takemitsus interest lies not in any mathematical approach, but in creating a stream of
sound, a musical continuum whose various parameters ebb and flow.
By choosing to pit the shakuhachi and biwa against the orchestra, Takemitsus resulting
composition in many ways resembles a Western concerto form, with its sectional construction,
solo-tutti contrast, and climactic cadenza. Even though there is very little recurring material in the
composition, there is enough (and this material is strategically located) to suggest a ritornello form.
This musical structure is also a realization of Takemitsus original vision for the piece in which
the sound of biwa and shakuhachi...(spreads) through the orchestra, gradually enlarging, like
waves of water.44
Takemitsus and Kohs Sectional Divisions Within November Steps
10. Eleven steps without any special melodic scheme... constantly swaying
impulses, like Noh drama.45
Inspired by Noh theater, Takemitsu divides the composition into eleven steps (dan or danmono
in Japanese). These are indicated in the score by numbers placed inside circles positioned at the
beginning of each of the designated steps. These correspond to various entries of the of the biwa
and shakuhachi or to re-entries of the orchestra after soloistic passages by the Japanese
43

Because of the freedom Takemitsu allowed his soloists in the realization of November Steps each performance
varies to some degree from any other. The primary source for this analysis is the recording: Tru Takemitsu,
November Steps, performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Hiroshi Wakasugi,
Denon CO-79441, 1992, CD. A secondary recording used is: Tru Takemitsu, November Steps, performed by the
Saito Kinen Orchestra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, Philips PHCP-1603, 1989, CD.
44
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 87.
45
Ibid., 88.

162

instruments. Therefore the twenty-four measure opening orchestral statement is not numbered, and
the proportions of these danmono are highly unbalanced (asymmetry is highly prized in the
traditional Japanese arts). For example, the entries of danmono 2, 3, 4, and 5 occur between
measures 25 and 30 (in the 1992 Denon recording these measures occur over a span lasting a little
more than two minutes). In contrast, the 10th step consists of the shakuhachi and biwa cadenza
and lasts approximately eight minutes.
Koh, in her analysis, also divides November Steps into eleven danmono, but her divisions do
not always correspond with Takemitsus. Where Takemitsus divisions are based solely on entries
of the Japanese instruments, hers are not. As stated previously, Takemitsu does not supply a
numeral designation for the opening twenty-four measure orchestral statement. Koh, however,
divides this section into three separate danmono. She states that her criteria for each of her eleven
formal areas is guided by the conventional sense of beginning, middle, and end, (and) the end of
each formal area is determined by a general sense of cadential repose.46 While her choices for
segmentation sometimes appear to be based on textural considerations, the emphasis of her
analysis of each danmono are the focal pitches which act to connect the biwa and shakuhachi with
the orchestra and provide an underlying large scale pitch organization.
In addition to dividing the piece into eleven formal units, another characteristic that Takemitsus
and Kohs methods of segmentation share is that they each create only a single level of formal
structure. This ignores the fact that smaller formal units may be nested within these larger
groupings to create a compound form.47 Perhaps a more accurate way to look at November Steps
formal structure is not to view it as eleven, single layer steps, but to see the composition as
consisting of a series of progressively smaller formal units nested within a large scale super
structure.It might also be more accurate to see musical texture, and not pitch, as the primary
building block in the creation of the compositions form.
Gestural Accumulation and Dissipation
As stated previously, one of Takemitsus goals in composing November Steps was to create
several different audio foci.48 Dividing the orchestra into several time zones49 is one strategy to
do this, but not his only one. Not only does he use physical space to create multiple sound46

Koh, 169.
In traditional tonal music this is common. For example, in a large scale ternary form like a minuet and trio
(which itself can be part of a larger multimovement form) each of its large sections might consist of a smaller
formal unit such as a binary form.
48
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 87.
49
Ibid., 88.
47

163

producing localities,50 he uses registral space, timbral space, various sonority types, multiple divisi
and other means in order to stratify the orchestra into a large number of individual sound events.
Form in the orchestral portions of November Steps is developed through the accumulation and
dissipation of a large number of these individual gestures to produce large scale textural events that
change over time in register, color, dynamics, and density. This accumulative process is highly
reminiscent of the music of Ligeti, whose composition Atmospheres Takemitsu was familiar with.51
Focal pitches around which these sound masses circulate do play a major part in creating
continuity throughout the composition, but in terms of creating formal structure, their role is a
reinforcing one, not primary one.
Uno Everett in her analysis of November Steps recognizes this terraced orchestra texture52
as an important element in November Steps. In describing the composition she states: Gestures
are tossed back and forth between the two orchestral subgroups in cascading micropolyphony,
with the woodwinds and brass adding distinctive sonic layers to this bifurcating, tree-like
intersection of the two orchestras.53 As part of her analysis Uno Everett identifies ten different
categories of these small gestures. Since her focus is on semiotics, she is more interested in the
role of these gestural types as image-icons for Western musical practices than in how they
generate form. These ten (along with two others which I consider to be of importance in the piece),
however, serve as the basic building blocks for the large scale textural events which, when
juxtaposed against the Japanese instruments, give the composition its shape. They are:54
G1) Short staggered attacks (see example 6.9);
G2) Short homorhythmic units (see example 6.10)
G3) Sustained chordal entries (see example 6.11)
G4) Cascading unison entries (see example 6.12)
G5) Cascading string harmonics (see example 6.13)
G6) Extended techniques for harp and percussion (see Example 6.14)
G7) Ligetian micropolyphony (see example 6.15)
G8) Sustained, blocked chords on A (see example 6.16)
G9) Sustained, blocked chords on D (see example 6.17)
G10) Extended string effects (a la Penderecki) (see sxample 6.18)
G11) Pyramiding chords (see example 6.19)
G12) Cascading chords (see example 6.20)
50

Ohtake, 23.
Fredric Lieberman, Design of My Mind: an Interview with Toru Takemitsu, in A Way a Lone: Writings on
Toru Takemitsu, ed. Hugh de Ferranti and Yoko Narazaki. (Tokyo: Acadamia Music, 2002), 230.
52
Uno Everett, 131.
53
Ibid., 131.
54
The names of gestures 1-10 are taken from Uno Everett, 132. The musical excerpts for the following examples
are all by permission of C.F. Peters.
51

164

Example 6.9: G1--short staggered attacks (mm. 21-23): These occur almost
exclusively in the harp and percussion. They often serve as articulators for the
beginnings and endings of large sound masses. The percussion instruments are all
metal and are usually allowed to decay freely. In passages consisting of only these
instruments this technique creates a bridge between the worlds of sound and
silence.

Example 6.10: G2--short homorhythmic units (m. 10): These occur in the
strings, woodwinds, and brass. When multiple timbral groups combine to articulate
this gesture simultaneously, it serves to define climactic points in the composition.
This gesture also occurs, however, in conjunction with other gestural types as part
of a cloud of sound.

Example 6.11: G3--sustained chordal entries (mm. 30-32): This gestural type
often serves as a background over which shorter gestures come and go. These
sustained sonorities often consist of mixed interval sonorities or tone clusters
which are distributed over a large registral space. They often start quietly, build to a
peak volume, and then fade into silence.
165

Example 6.12: G4 --cascading unison entries (m. 3): These often occur in
conjunction with other antiphonally juxtaposed gestural types and serve to articulate
the compositions focal pitches.

Example 6.13: G5--cascading string harmonics (m. 3): This unique timbral
device is articulated by the divisi violins as a descending gesture which is traded
between the left and right ensembles.
166

Example 6.14: G6--extended techniques for harp and percussion (mm. 21-23):
As both Koh and Uno Everett observe, these gestures often simulate the effect of
sawari in anticipation of the first biwa entry55 in order to serve as a timbral link
between the Japanese and Western sections. Harp effects include striking the
strings with the palm, plucking the strings with the fingernails, and making a
glissando on a string with a coin.

Example 6.15: G7--Ligetian micropolyphony mm. (mm. 14-16): These gestures

occur both fully notated (as seen in this example) and also as a series of noteheads
with directions like rapid and staccatissimo (emulating Lutoslawskis aleatoric
counterpoint).

Example 6.16: G8--sustained, blocked chords on A (mm. 51-52): Because

this gestures bass note is the focal pitch A, it assumes a dominant-like role before
a solo entry of the biwa in measure 52. The pitch content of the chord is a tone
cluster distributed over an octave and a major sixth. Like the sustained chordal
entry, this chord begins quietly, builds to a peak dynamic, and then fades into
silence.
55

Ibid., 131.

167

Example 6.17: G9--sustained, blocked chords on D (mm. 55-56): The most

important statement of this gesture occurs from measure 54 to measure 56,
immediately before the biwa and shakuhachi cadenza. Because its bass note is the
focal pitch D, its proximity to the block chord on A and its strategic placement
before the cadenza, this chord assumes the role of a tonic-like sonority. Like the
previous gesture, this sonoritys pitch content is a tone cluster distributed over a
wide register.

Example 6.18: G10--extended string effects (a la Penderecki) (mm. 25-26):

Extended string effects include both col legno battuto and tratto, snap pizzicato, the
highest pitch on the instrument and notation for performing pitches a 1/4 tone or
3/4 tone sharp or flat.
168

Example 6.19: G11--pyramiding chords (mm. 51-52): In contrast to the

sustained chordal entries, the chords in this gesture enter a pitch at a time and build
up to a complete sonority. These chords either dissipate voice by voice, or fade as a
unit into silence.

Example 6.20: G12: cascading chords (m. 11): This gesture is very similar to
the cascading harmonics, but instead of cascading individual notes played as
harmonics, it consists of a series of cascading three note chords that are
antiphonally traded between the left and right string sections.
Formal structure of November Steps
Assuming that the form of the orchestral portions of November Steps develops from a process
of accumulation and dissipation of these twelve gestural types to create massive clouds of
sound, and that these large scale textural events are juxtaposed against passages featuring the two
169

Japanese solo instruments, then the next step is to determine what kind of large scale musical
shape develops from the interaction of these two opposing elements. This process results in the
identification of three basic types of large scale structural units. They are:
1. Large orchestral statements with no biwa or shakuhachi. Nested within these
units are a series of large-scale textural events consisting of many individual
gestures. The general pattern for these textural events often begins with initial
staggered harp and/or percussion articulations followed by an accumulation of
stratified gestures in the strings, winds, and brass. After reaching a climactic point
of greatest musical density and volume, these gestures dissipate, eventually reaching
a final series of harp/percussion articulations which fade into silence.
2. Passages consisting of biwa and/or shakuhachi juxtaposed against orchestral
interjections. These major sections begin with extended senza tempo passages
consisting only of the shakuhachi and biwa. The orchestra then enters with short
interjections as the Japanese instruments continue to play. These interjections are
often pointillistic and individual gestures rarely accumulate to the density of the
large scale orchestral statements. There is one passage in these sections where the
soloists do not play, but it is short, lasting a mere six measures.
3. The biwa and shakuhachi cadenza. This event begins approximately twothirds of the way through the nineteen minute composition and lasts about eight
minutes. In terms of Western oriented goal-directed motion, this is the ultimate
point of arrival in the piece.
These three types of large scale structural units combine to create an overall six part basic
structure. Example 6.21 shows this six part form along with the nested subsections from which
each major section is composed. The measure numbers for each of the orchestral subsections are
included. Since senza tempo passages featuring only the Japanese instruments are not assigned
measure numbers in the score, they are labeled senza tempo 1 through 8 (senza tempo 7 being the
shakuhachi and biwa cadenza). Also included in the example are Takemitsus eleven danmono. As
stated previously these coincide with the either the entries of the Japanese instruments or re-entries
of the orchestra after extended senza tempo passages. After the opening orchestral statement and
an extended dialogue between the Japanese instruments and the orchestra, a second orchestral
statement occurs (this is just before the halfway point in the composition). What is significant
about this passage is that it is the only place in the composition where previously stated material
occurs (In this restatement, however, the left and right orchestral gestures are exchanged).
Following this section is another dialogue between the soloists and the orchestra followed by the
eight minute biwa and shakuhachi cadenza. The piece concludes with a final exchange between the
orchestra and the two soloists. Example 6.22 provides another perspective on this six part formal
structure, emphasizing instrumental density.
170

Section 1--Opening Orchestral Statement: mm. 1-24

Takemitsus danmono
Major orchestral event one (introduction)
Consists of three orchestral subevents: 1. mm. 1-5

2. mm. 6-13

mm. 14-24

Section 2--Shakuhachi and biwa with orchestral interjections: mm. 25-35

(Extended) senza tempo 1: shakuhachi and biwa
Interjection 1: mm. 25-26
Senza tempo 2: shakuhachi and biwa
Interjection 2: mm. 27-29
Consists of two orchestral subevents:1. m. 27
2. mm. 28-29
Senza tempo 3: shakuhachi and biwa
Interjection 3: mm. 30-35
(Extended) Senza tempo 4: shakuhachi and biwa (section close)

(Danmono 1)
(Danmono 2)
(Danmono 3)
(Danmono 4)
(Danmono 5)
(Danmono 6)

Section 3--Orchestral Statement (ritornello): mm. 36-48

Major orchestral event two (includes return of opening material)
Consists of 3 subevents:
1. m. 36
2. m. 37
3. mm. 38-48

(Danmono 7)

Section 4--Shakuhachi and biwa with orchestral interjections: mm. 49-56

Senza tempo 5: solo shakuhachi
Interjection 4: mm. 49-52
Senza tempo 6: solo biwa
Interjection 5: mm. 53-56 (section close)

(Danmono 8)
(Danmono 9)
(Danmono 10)

Section 5--Shakuhachi and biwa cadenza

(Extended) senza tempo 7

Section 6--Conclusion: mm. 57-70

consists of 4 subevents:
1. mm. 57-63
2. mm. 64-66
Senza tempo 8: solo shakuhachi

(Danmono 11)
3 mm. 67-68

4. 68-70

Keep silence
Example 6.21: The formal outline of November Steps
171

Example 6.22: Instrumental density vs. time

172

Major Sections Within November Steps

The next portion of this essay will explore the formal construction of each of the individual
sections of November Steps.
Section 1-Opening Orchestral Statement, mm. 1-24
This section can be divided into three separate subevents (see examples 6-23 a, b, c, d, e, and
f).56 The first occurs from measure 1 to measure 5 and consists of a series of gestures in the left
and right string ensembles, punctuated by short staggered attacks by the left and right harps. The
strings in the opening measure are stratified into five separate gestures, two in the right ensemble
and three in the left. To enable this stratification Takemitsu assigns a separate staff for each of the
violins. The violas of each ensemble are divided between two staves, as are the cellos. The piece
opens with the right ensembles violins 7-12 sustaining a unison F-natural (also articulated by the
left harp). They are then joined by violins 1-6 playing a series of cluster-like chords in rhythmic
unison. These gestures are followed in the left ensemble by staggered entries of F-natural in the
violas and cellos. Gradually gestures begin to accumulate as the left ensembles violins 5-12 state a
sustained B-flat and are joined by violins 1-4 playing a short high register E-natural harmonic. As
these series of gestures begin to subside, new stratified string gestures take their place. These
include sustained cluster chords, cascading string harmonics, and most importantly, a series of
staggered entries of the focal pitch D-natural. The orchestral density increases in measure four as
the left and right strings trade antiphonal cascading harmonic gestures, and reaches a climax in
measure five as the left and right strings unite together in statements of short homorhythmic units.
The left and right harps join the strings at the climactic moment, playing a series of glissandos (the
last of which is performed by the fingernails) to create the impression of one large block of sound.
This ends subevent one.
Where subevent one ends abruptly, subevent two follows a pattern of beginning with a minimal
amount of orchestral density, building to a climax, and then gradually subsiding to almost nothing
(example 6-16b, c, and d). It begins in measure six with the right ensembles violas 1-3 sustaining
an A-natural (another of Kohs focal pitches), and violas 1-3 in the left ensemble sustaining Fsharp. Gradually the other violas and the cellos enter to create two antiphonally related cluster-like
chords. Other short gestures begin to enter over the next several measures. In measure nine the
brass and the woodwinds make their first entrance. The trombones and trumpets enter with an
56

Examples 5-16a, b, and f are based on Uno Everetts segmentation of the respective pages from the November
Steps score, p. 133-135. The segmentation of all other examples from the score are my own.

173

Example 6.23a (measures 1-3)57

57

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

174

Example 6.23b (measures 4-7)

175

Example 6.23c (measures 8-11)

176

Example 6.23d (measures 12-16)

177

Example 6.23e (measures 17-20)

178

Example 6.23f (measures 21-24 and senza tempo 1)

179

A/G-sharp diade. Over this the woodwinds enter with a short passage utilizing micropolyphony
(combined with aleatoric counterpoint), followed by three short homorhythmic chords. As the
trumpets and trombones continue to sustain their diade (with the trombones moving from A to Bflat), other stratified gestures arise and subside in the strings. This use of a sustained background
over which localized events come and go is is a favorite Takemitsu device and is analogous to
Northrops silent pool within (which) ripples come and go.58 This procedure can be found
elsewhere in November Steps as well as in many of Takemitsus other compositions. Subevent two
comes to a climax in measure twelve as the left and right strings each state three antiphonally
related, stratified homorhythmic gestures over a sustained cluster chord in the brass. Gradually the
gestures dissipate, leaving only antiphonal, staggered attacks in the percussion and harps (again
utilizing extended techniques), signaling the end of subevent two and linking it to subevent three.
This subevent (example 6-23d, e, and f) follows the same pattern of accumulation, climax, and
dissipation as subevent two. It opens in measure 14 with the two trumpets. The trombones and
woodwinds join them one by one with independent melodic lines to create a large,
micropolyphonic sound mass. The climax of this subevent is reached in measure 18 when the
strings enter. The left and right violins each state a series of short homorhythmic cluster chords.
These gestures are joined by the left and right lower strings (each divided into five separate staves)
playing a series of staggered portamentos which begin sul ponticello and move to position
ordinary. The subevent dissipates as the strings, brass and woodwinds gradually drop out. By
measure 21 the texture has been reduced to single left and right contrabasses sustaining a Dnatural harmonic as gongs, tam-tams, celli, and harps (utilizing extended techniques) articulate a
series of short pointillistic attacks. As this event fades into nothingness (again the silent
background of eternity) two more basses, playing E-natural harmonics, enter. Both Koh and Uno
Everett note that this D/E diade serves as a pitch link to the initial entry of the shakuhachi, which
follows this opening orchestral statement, and that the harp and cello extended effects imitate the
effect of sawari in anticipation of the first biwa entry to come.59
Section 2-Shakuhachi and biwa with orchestral interjections: mm. 25-35
The second large-scale section of November Steps introduces the shakuhachi and biwa, and
these two instruments dominate this portion of the composition. With the exception of six
measures (mm. 30-35), one or both of the Japanese instruments are heard throughout this section.
58
59

Northrop, 343.
Uno Everett, 131.

180

The role of the orchestra is primarily a supportive one, providing interjections of pointillistic color
behind the two soloists. Nowhere in these passages do the stratified orchestral gestures accumulate
to the density achieved in the opening 24 measures, and for long periods the orchestra is silent.
After the remaining strings fade out in measure 24, ending the initial orchestral statement, the
shakuhachi enters with a sustained D (refer back to example 6-23f), eventually bending up to an E
(The same two pitches which end the opening orchestral statement). At this point the character of
the music changes to a mood of serene intimacy. The focus is no longer on large shifting clouds of
sound, but on the coloring of a sustained pitches through the use of various articulations, shifting
timbres, dynamic changes, and subtle pitch bending. When the biwa enters, it provides a percussive
contrast to the shakuhachis sustained pitches, but this instrument also emphasizes the shifting
tensions produced with each individual sound. In these passages sound no longer moves forward
through time but seems to stand still, rising vertically like a tree60 against a background of
limitless silence.
After nearly a minute and a half the orchestra re-enters, punctuating the shakuhachi and biwa
music with a pair of antiphonally related descending string gestures which combine
micropolyphony with extended string effects (see example 6-24). These effects include snap
pizzicato (ala Bartok), playing the highest note on the instrument (ala Penderecki), and col legno
battute. As these two gestures begin to dissipate, the right ensemble violins again enter in
pyramiding fashion to form a sustained pianissimo secundal chord. Ending this orchestral
interjection are staggered attacks of gongs, tubular bells, and harp which are allowed to vibrate,
fading into silence along with the sustaining violins.
Following this interjection is another short passage featuring only the shakuhachi and biwa
(senza tempo 2). After several seconds, as the two soloists continue to play, the orchestra again
enters with a series of small gestures. The most dramatic of these are a rapid series of cascading
string harmonics performed by the right ensembles violins. As with the previous orchestral
punctuation, this interjection ends with a sustained chord which fades into silence. This time,
however, the chord is stated by both the left and right violas playing harmonics. Uno-Everett feels
that these chords evoke the sound of another Japanese instrument, the sho, a mouthharp consisting
of seventeen reed pipes which is used to produce sustained chords in traditional gagaku court
music. 61
60
61

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, p. 87.

Uno-Everett, p. 138.

181

Example 6.24 (measures 25-27)62

62

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

182

After another passage consisting of only the two soloists (senza tempo 3), ending with the
shakuhachi melody climbing to a fortissimo F-natural in the instruments high register, a short
passage (mm. 30-35) begins consisting of only the orchestra. Short staggered attacks in the harp
and percussion initiate this section. Concurrent with these gestures, the woodwinds play a series of
short homorhythmic cluster chords. A series of overlapping sustained clusterchords in the brass
and low strings (violas and cellos) follow. Beneath this constantly changing series of individual
gestures, the contrabasses sustain a low A-natural, providing a static background. Timothy Koozin
in his analysis of Takemitsus piano music views this type of procedure as a concept of stasis
defined by motion.63 As the strings decrescendo into silence, the brass provide another sustained
static background over which the violins engage in pointillistic micropolyphony. Eventually the
violins join the brass in this sustained background sonority. As this sound complex begins to fade,
the cellos and basses join this chromatically saturated texture. At the very bottom of this texture,
single basses in both the left and right ensembles (separated by an octave and a third from the next
lowest voice) sustains a low D beneath these mutating clouds of sound, creating a large scale pitch
motion which to Koh suggest a V and I relation.64
This fading sonority provides a bridge for the next shakuhachi and biwa passage (senza tempo
4). Again an intimate mood is created as the solo shakuhachi enters. After an initial jump into its
high register, the shakuhachi descends to its middle register where it plays a series of sustained
pitches within a narrow melodic range. What is most notable here, however, is not the pitch
material, but the delicate shadings of sound. Each sustained tone seems to grow from silence and
then subside back to it. Subtle changes in vibrato, articulation, and timbre further enhance this
effect. As the music ebbs and flows, the meaning of the Takemitsus statement, the ultimate
achievement of the shakuhachi master... is the re-creation of the sound of wind blowing through an
old bamboo grove65 can be truly understood. As the passage begins to draw to a close, the biwa
enters with a series of reiterated B-flats and C-naturals, which begin slowly and quietly and then
gradually become louder and faster. A climax is reached as the plectrum strikes the body of the
biwa with a percussive smack (bachioto), followed by a vigorous rubbing of the instruments
strings by the plectrum from the bottom of the neck to the top. The shakuhachi concludes this
gesture, jumping to a high C above the treble staff. The violins re-enter playing their highest
63

Koozin, The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu: A Linear /Set-Theoretic Analysis, 45.
Koh, 180.
65
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 87.
64

183

possible note (again a Penderecki-like extended effect). This signals the beginning of the next
major orchestral event.
Section 3--Second Orchestral Statement (quasi-ritornello): mm. 36-48
The second orchestral statement is significant for several reasons. First, with the exception of
the compositions opening 24 measures, it is the longest segment of the piece where the
shakuhachi and biwa are not heard (The only other significant section where this occurs is in the
opening measures of the conclusion). Next, it is the first place in the composition since the
opening where gestures accumulate to the density levels heard in the first 24 measures. It is also
the only point in the piece where previously stated material returns and thus serves as a quasiritornello. Lastly, its location is approximately halfway through the work. For these reasons these
12 measures can be considered an important structural landmark in the composition.
This quasi-ritornello can be divided into three textural subevents (see examples 6-25a, b, and c).
The first two are relatively short, but the third one is longer, and its construction is more more
complex than the basic pattern of accumulation, climax, and dissipation. Instead, as gestures begin
to dissipate after an accumulation to a climax, new gestures enter and then taper off. This creates a
wave-like effect in which the music swells and then recedes (Takemitsus original title, Water
Rings, again seems to be an appropriate metaphor for the musical structure of the composition).
The first subevent (m. 36) serves as a bridge between the Japanese and Western instruments.
As stated previously, this section opens with the violins sustaining their highest possible note as
the shakuhachi plays a high C, creating one of the most dramatic points in the composition. The
shakuhachis leap up to E cues the violins to portamento down to definite pitches creating another
sustained tone-cluster. The violas, cellos, percussion, and harps join this chromatically saturated
sonority as the basses again sustain an A at the bottom of the texture. At the height of this subevent
the trumpets enter on F-sharp and the trombones double the contrabasses low A. As each of the
stratified string gestures quickly fade out, the brass and shakuhachi continue to sustain their
respective pitches. Eventually the shakuhachi also drops out, leaving only the slowly
diminuendoing trumpets and trombones. A fermata leaves the length of this sustaining diade to the
discretion of the conductor, and isolates the previous series of gestures into their own subevent.
Just as these two instruments fade out, a series of stratified string and harp gestures enter and
rapidly accumulate into another chromatically saturated sound complex. This is the second
subevent of the ritornello (mm. 37-38), and it consists entirely of short homorhythmic gestures
184

Example 6.25a (measures 36-39)66

66

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

185

Example 6.25b (measures 40-43)

186

Example 6.25c (measures 44-48)

187

and sustained sonorities. The contrabasses in the left string ensemble provide a degree of tonal
stability by again sustaining an A at the bottom of the texture. In a much higher register the right
ensembles basses sustain an F-sharp harmonic. The various gestures quickly accumulate and then
dissipate, once again subsiding to an A/F-sharp diade. A fermata once more leaves the duration of
this sonority to the discretion of the conductor and marks the end of another subevent.
The beginning of the third subevent (mm. 38-48) consists of a pair of identical sustained
cluster chords in the left and right strings and a series of short staggered entries in the two harps.
These overlap with the sustaining A/F-sharp diade in the basses, creating a link with the previous
subevent. As these gestures end, the woodwinds, in their highest register, enter with a gesture
consisting of Ligetian micropolyphony. This gesture overlaps with the left violins stating a series
of cascading unison entries on the focal pitch D. This is a slightly altered return of a gesture first
heard in the right ensemble violins in the compositions third measure. What occurs next in
measures 41-43 is an almost exact restatement of the material from measures 3-5 (the climax of the
compositions opening subevent), the primary difference being that the material which had
originally been in the left ensemble is now in the right and vise-versa. As these gestures end, they
dovetail with a pyramiding cluster sonority stated by muted brass (mm. 43-44). Over this sustained
sonority, new gestures enter in the woodwinds and harps and then taper off. The harp gesture is
notable in that it consists of an extended effect in which the performer is instructed to continuously
and rapidly repeat a four note cell while continually changing designated pedals. As the two harps
begin new phrases consisting of short staggered attacks, the strings join in with pointillistic
micropolyphony, which quickly recedes. Once more the harps state a rapidly repeating four note
cell while changing pedals. As they decrescendo into silence, the shakuhachi enters with a tremolo
figure, beginning the next section.
Section 4--Shakuhachi and biwa with orchestral interjections: mm. 49-56
The last formal section before the climactic biwa and shakuhachi cadenza consists of the two
Japanese instruments punctuated by two, four measure orchestral interjections. In this segment,
however, the traditional instruments do not perform duet passages, but are each given their own
solos. The shakuhachi solo is first (senza tempo 5). Replacing the ritornellos dovetailed gestural
blocks of sound are a series of a sustained pitches, each related to the next by silence and colored
by shifting timbres and subtle pitch bending. Eventually small orchestral subgroups enter,
providing a delicate, quiet backdrop to the bamboo flutes complex, shifting sounds. Gradually,
188

sustained, stratified string sonorities begin to accumulate and then reach a climax as the
shakuhachi melody rises into its high register (mm. 50-51). The rhythmic coordination between
the shakuhachi and the orchestra in this passage is not exact. The score indicates that the soloist
and orchestra should end this passage together, but in the 1992 Denon recording, the orchestra
finishes the passage several moments before the shakuhachi. Following the double bars which
ends this section is the direction keep silence beneath a fermata. By allowing the music to fade
completely in this manner, Takemitsu again draws the listener into a sound-world in which silence
becomes an active element.
Following this fermata the biwa solo begins (senza tempo 6). This time the orchestra does not
enter with sustained sonorities. Instead, gongs, tam tams, and harps (again utilizing extended
effects which emulate the timbre of the biwa) articulate a series of staggered entries. The sustaining
abilities of each of these percussive instruments are utilized, as each one is allowed to decay
naturally after being struck. In this way silence/ma once more becomes an active element within the
composition. As these gestures begin to dissipate, the brass, woodwinds, and strings enter with a
series of stratified sustaining sonorities, rapidly bringing the composition to its point of greatest
orchestral density (mm. 54-56). At the climactic moment, the shakuhachi enters, joining these
combined forces before the entire ensemble gradually fades back into silence. For approximately
the next eight minutes, the sound-world of Western music, with its goal ordered, teleological focus,
will be replaced by the Japanese sound-world of the biwa and shakuhachi. The climactic cadenza
has begun.
Before discussing the cadenza, however, it should be mentioned that the sonorities which end
each of the last two orchestral interjections before the cadenza are significant for several reasons.
Foremost among these is the fact that the bass note of the first of these chords (mm. 51-52) is the
focal pitch A, and the bass note of the second chord is the focal pitch D (55-56). Uno-Everett
considers these individual sonorities so important that she labels each of them with their own
gestural categories, G8--sustained, blocked chords on A and G9--sustained, blocked chords
on D67 In both her and Kohs view, this perfect fifth relationship is significant in that it lend(s)
structural coherence to the work in its long-range architecture.68 The placement of these two
chords immediately before the cadenza confirms this, but calling it a dominant-tonic relationship
might be going too far. Takemitsus compositional approach is much more chromatic/modal than
67
68

Uno-Everett, 132.
Ibid., 139.

189

tonal, and the pitch material of these G8 and G9 sonorities are intervalically complex. An
example of this is the pitch structure of the G8 sonority found in measures 51-52 (basses and
celli). It is a favorite of Takemitsus, the whole-tone plus one chord. Here it is combined with
another, complementary whole-tone plus one chord stated simultaneously in the right ensembles
violins and violas to create a chromatically saturated sound complex. (see example 6-26).69 The
G9 sonority found in measures 55-56 is an even more complex, dense cluster chord, which
includes in its middle register several pitches a quarter-tone apart.

Example 6-26: whole-tone + 1 chords (measures 51-52)

Section 5--Biwa and Shakuhachi Cadenza (senza tempo 7)
If one thinks in terms of Western goal-directed motion, this formal section can be considered
the climax of composition. All previous events in the work lead up to it. The two quasi-cadential
chords located in measures 51-52 and measures 55-56 only serve to confirm this. As a climax,
however, it is quite unusual. In a typical orchestra piece, the climax would be the most dramatic and
musically extroverted section. As in the previous passages featuring only the two Japanese
instruments, however, the mood created in the cadenza is one of serenity, intimacy, and
mindfulness, aesthetic values central to the traditional Japanese arts. Any restraints placed on the
biwa and shakuhachi through the need to coordinate with the orchestra are removed, and they are
allowed to utilize all the expressive devices of their traditional performance practices to create
music of subdued elegance in which each gesture is one of refined simplicity.
The freedom which Takemitsu allows his soloists in the cadenza is in direct contrast to the
detailed notation of the orchestral passages. This is consistent with the performance practices of
69

Whole tone and octatonic scales, two of Messiaens modes of limited transposition, are commonly found in
Takemitsus compositions. For more concerning this subject, see Peter Burts The Music of Tru Takemitsu.
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2001) or Timothy Koozins The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu: A
Linear/ Set-Theoretic Analysis. Ph.D. diss., University of Cincinnati, 1989.

190

both the shakuhachi and biwa, where notation serves only as a general guide, and the performer is
allowed a high degree of liberty in interpreting standard repertoire. In November Steps,
Takemitsus graphic notation for the shakuhachi specifies no pitch information, only general
direction. The biwas tablature notation is more specific regarding fret placement and string
tension, but still allows a great degree of freedom. The rhythmic aspects of the notation allows both
performers considerable liberty, as does the fact that the individual gestures may be performed in
any order. Much more specific are the directions for the various articulations and vibratos in the
shakuhachi notation. As previously seen, five different types of vibrato are specified, as are three
different ending figures and five different articulation types. Extended effects for the biwa are also
precisely notated. This indicates that Takemitsu is far more concerned with timbre and sawari in
the cadenza than with any specific pitches.
Another unusual aspect of the cadenza is its proportion in relation to rest of the composition.
The entire duration of November Steps is a little over nineteen minutes, and the duration of the
cadenza is around eight minutes. This is approximately forty percent of the piece. It is then
followed by a short conclusion. Takemitsu himself recognized this unusual proportional
relationship in a 1988 interview: November Steps as a composition seems to me proportionally
very strange, and maybe wrong--eight minutes for shakuhachi and biwa, and then the (following)
orchestra part is very short.70
Section 6--Conclusion: mm. 57-70
As mentioned above, the final portion of November Steps is quite short in relation to the
cadenza. In the 1992 Denon recording it lasts a mere one and a half minutes. This means that the
cadenzas duration is more than five times that of this concluding section. Of course, as mentioned
in chapter four, irregularity is recognized as an important element in traditional Zen inspired
Japanese arts. Takemitsu the Western composer might have considered this proportion to be
wrong, but perhaps to his inner intuitive Japanese aesthetic sense, it was entirely correct.
The conclusion can be divided into four subevents (See examples 6.27a, b, and c). The
proportions of these can be roughly divided into long (7 measures), short (two measures), short
(one measure), and long (three measures plus a final senza tempo). Uno-Everett considers this to
be a condensed recapitulation of the opening tutti.71 Since the conclusions four subevents do
not correspond to the three heard in the opening orchestral statement and none of the stratified
70
71

Takemitsu, Cronin, and Tann, pp. 209-210.

Uno Everett, 144.

191

Subevent 1
Example 6.27a (measures 57-61)72
72

Used by permission of C.F. Peters.

192

Subevent 1

Subevent 2

Example 6.27b (measures 62-67)

193

Subevent 3

Subevent 4

Example 6.27c (measures 68-70 and final senza tempo)

194

gestures which occur in the opening are repeated here, this is not true in the usual sense.
Smaldones prominent nuclear tones, F, B-flat, and most importantly D, however, are present. It
is the saturation of this focal pitch (D) which provides any basis for considering this section to be
any kind of recapitulation.
The conclusion begins quietly with three and a half measures (mm. 57-60) of short, staggered
entries stated by tam tams, gongs, and the two harps (again utilizing extended effects which recall
the biwa), before being joined by various stratified, sustained cluster-like sonorities and
pyramiding chords in the brass and strings. Koh accurately observes that the percussion and harps
in this transitional passage provide a sense of continuity in the succession of sound color by
recalling and evoking gestures from the Eastern instruments.73 This subevent reaches its point
of maximum density in measure 62 and subsides over the next two measures. As the music ebbs in
measure 63, the left and right harps play a series of short motives centered around the focal pitch
D. When this subevent ends in measure 64, all instruments become silent, except for the two harps
which each articulate a single staggered D-natural.
The next subevent (mm. 64-65) begins with a series of short homorhythmic sonorities located
in both the left and right violins and violas. The last of these is sustained over the next measure and
consists of a pure whole-tone chord. As this sonority is sustained, it is joined briefly by the left
and right contrabasses stating a complementary six note whole-tone chord (with D in the bass),
creating a chromatically saturated sound complex. This subevent ends with the two harps playing
short motives centered around D, and the left and right ensemble basses playing a sustained unison
D harmonic. These bass harmonics greatly resemble the timbre of the shakuhachi, and possibly act
as a timbral foreshadowing of the re-entry of the shakuhachi on the pitch D two measures later.
The third subevent (mm. 67) is only one measure in duration and consists entirely of staggered
entries by several divided string subgroups performing harmonics. The accumulated pitches form a
four note secundal chord ( D, D-sharp, E, F), the registral spacing of which is arranged so that
lowest and highest pitches are both the focal pitch D natural.
In the final subevent of the piece, the emphasis on the focal pitch D becomes even more
concentrated. As the string harmonics from the previous subevent decrescendo into silence, the
shakuhachi enters for a final time, stating D. The biwa joins in, articulating a C-sharp which is then
bent up to D. The biwa repeats a slightly elaborated restatement of this motive as the shakuhachi
continues to sustain its pitch. In measure 70, the orchestra states a final, short flurry of pointillistic
73

Koh, 197.

195

micropolyphony followed by the shakuhachi crescendoing to fff and ending on D-sharp. The
piece ends with the instruction keep silent beneath a fermata.
Ma and Cyclical Temporality in November Steps
6. There is something suggestive in the biologists report that the dolphins
communication takes place, not in their sounds, but in the length of silences
between sounds.
10. Eleven steps without any special melodic scheme...constantly swaying
impulses, like Noh drama.74
As stated previously, Takemitsus goal in composing November Steps was to confront and
intensify the differences between the sound worlds of East and West, the orchestra and the
Japanese instruments. These two opposing elements, however, are not completely divorced from
each other. Aesthetic principles present in the traditional Japanese arts help give shape to the entire
composition and not just the passages featuring the shakuhachi and biwa. In the sections featuring
the orchestra Takemitsu utilizes his acquired Western musical vocabulary in order to express the
essence of traditional (Japanese) music and to recreate, or reelucidate (this essence), in new,
modern forms.75 The time/space concept of ma and the idea of time as a cyclical repeating entity
are two related aesthetic principles present throughout November Steps which exemplify this
essence of traditional music.
Takemitsu, in his essay My Perception of Time in Traditional Japanese Music states:
Nature is conceived in terms of the seasons, and this has given rise to a unique
temporal sense, which has been further fostered by the influence of Zen and
Buddhist teachings. This special temporal sense is strongly reflected in the time
structures of the traditional music of Japan.76
This unique (Japanese) temporal sense views time both as a repeating and cyclical entity,
and temporal events as ripples which come and go against a background of eternity. Both of
these concepts have historical and spiritual roots originating in Japans two principle religions,
Shintoism and Buddhism, and are deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. As demonstrated in
chapter four, they manifest themselves in the traditional Japanese arts. Most notably through
aesthetic principle of ma. As a result of his discovery of the splendor of traditional Japanese
music77 in the early 1960s, Takemitsu began to utilize these concepts as governing principles in
his compositions, and they manifest themselves in November Steps in numerous ways.
74

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 88.

Takemitsu, Contemporary Music in Japan, 203.
76
Takemitsu, My Perception of Time in Traditional Japanese Music, 11.
77
Takemitsu, Contemporary Music in Japan, 201.
75

196

Timothy Koozin, in his analysis of Takemitsus solo piano piece, Pause ininterrompue, finds
that while very few rests of silence are written into the score, ...(there are many) tones which are
attacked quietly and allowed to fade to inaudibility78 in order to dissolve the boundaries between
sound and silence.79 This technique is used frequently in November Steps during passages
consisting of only the harp, and/or percussion. Percussion instruments such as tam tams and
gongs are struck with a variety of mallets, and are allowed to decay naturally. To quote Koozin:
In this sense, the sound event draws silence into the piece as an active rather than
passive element. It is possible to think of Takemitsus long, decaying tones as
hashi (bridges) projecting from the world of sound into that of silence. The
moment of waiting for sound to become silence is embued with the quality of ma.80
Creating a bridge between the world of sound and silence in the piece is not exclusive to
percussive instruments. Whether in in the strings, brass, or woodwinds, almost all entries of a
sustained sonority in the orchestral portions of November Steps utilize what Dana Richard Wilson
calls a fade in/fade out technique81 to similar effect. These gestures typically begin at a volume
of pp or ppp, crescendo to a peak, and then gradually decrescendo back to silence. As in the
percussion and harp gestures, this creates a dissolution of the boundaries between sound and
silence. In passages which act as a transition between the orchestra and the shakuhachi and biwa,
these gestures also serve to dissolve the boundaries between the metered and senza tempo sections.
For these bridging passages, Takemitsu uses specialized notation which directs the performers to
sustain the sonorities as long as possible (often accompanied by the written direction rallentando).
As the orchestral instruments fade out over the course of several seconds, the Japanese instruments
enter creating still another hashi between the two sound worlds (to use cinematic language this
technique could be more accurately described as a dissolve than a fade out).
This fade in/fade out technique is not only present within individual gestures but shapes the
compositions overall form as well. The large scale textural events, which result from the
accumulation and dissipation of a large number of individual gestures, often begin quietly, with a
minimal amount of instrumental density. As gestures accumulate and reach a point of climax, the
corresponding dynamic level increases as well. After the climax is realized, both the stratified
gestures and the overall dynamic level dissipate back to a point of minimal density/volume. This
creates multiple levels of the fade in/fade out technique. In Wilsons view this procedure
78

Koozin, The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu: A Linear/ Set-Theoretic Analysis, 55.
Ibid., 56
80
Ibid., 57.
81
Wilson, 118.
79

197

suggests the possibility of a works (in this case November Steps) cyclical nature-- returning to
the works point of departure (silence).82
The principle of large-scale sound events emerging from silence and eventually returning to it
result in November Steps being a highly sectionalized composition. Takemitsu stated that in
Japanese music danmono are the equivalent of Western variations, and he considered the piece to
be a set of eleven variations.83 Edward Downs, in his program notes for the compositions
premiere performance, called the piece a series of exquisite miniatures.84 This structure is
typical of traditional Japanese music in which short fragmented connections of sounds are
complete in themselves...related by silences that aim at creating a harmony of events.85
This idea of Takemitsus compositions being cyclical in nature is not limited to the principle of
textural accumulation/dissipation. Koozin, in his analysis of Takemitsus Piano Distance,
contends that ma is also created through periods of contrast between referential pitches or
important musical gestures. In Koozins view, these cycles can exist at various levels and can be
nested within each other. Intervals of time between appearances of the focal pitch D in November
Steps are consistent with this observation. In the opening orchestral statement for example, this
pitch is prominently heard in measures 3-5, as both the left and right violins state it in staggered,
antiphonally related entries at the top of the musical texture. D is again heard prominently in the
contrabasses at the end of the initial orchestral statement (measures 21-24), and serves as a pitch
link to the opening shakuhachi passage. Between these two areas the pitch D, while sometimes
stated briefly as part of various clusters, is no more significant than any of the other eleven
chromatic pitches. At semi-regular intervals throughout the composition, however, structurally
prominent restatements of the focal pitch D occur (see example 6-28). The most significant of
these is the conclusion, where D is reiterated almost constantly. In this section it is heard at the top
of the texture, the bottom of the texture, in all the participating orchestral groups, and in both of the
Japanese instruments. Probably the next most important restatement of the pitch D is in the quasiritornello, where it is heard as part of a return of the material from measures 3-5. As stated earlier,
this is the only location in the composition where material is restated, giving these measures even
greater structural weight. Another structurally prominent restatement of this focal pitch is the
sustained blocked chord on D located immediately before the shakuhachi/biwa cadenza.
82

Wilson, 120.
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 63.
84
Quoted in Wilson, 138.
85
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 84.
83

198

The consistent reoccurrence of this pitch at structurally important junctures in November Steps
creates a three part cycle in which the focal pitch is stated, followed by its disappearance, and its
eventual return. In Koozins view, in recognizing this cycle of repetition, the listeners memory
supplies a connection which spans the intervening discontinuity, creating an interval of ma.86 In
order for the listener to recognize this three part cycle (at least on a subconscious level), the
periodic reiterations of the focal pitch must be notable enough so that the larger expanses of

Section 1Orchestral

Section 2Shakuhachi and biwa

with
0rchestral

Shakuhachi and/or biwa

Section 3quasi
ritornello

Orchestra
Measure:
3-5
Focal Pitch:
(D)

21-24

Section 4Shakuhachi and biwa

with
0rchestral interjections

29-30
34-35
(Japanese instruments only)

Section 5--Shakuhachi and biwa cadenza

39---43 46-47

Section 6Conclusion

shak/biwa

Orchestra
Measure:
Focal Pitch:
(D)

54-56

63------------70

Example 6-28: Cyclic occurrences of the focal pitch D (time scale approximate)
contrasting material may be bridged.87 It is not a process which is evident from the beginning of
the composition. With each successive, prominent restatement, however, the importance of the pitch
D is reaffirmed and strengthened. By the conclusion, its role as a quasi-tonic is confirmed in the
mind of the listener. In this way the sensitive listener becomes an active participant in the unfolding
of the work. Another of Takemitsus eleven statements addresses this characteristic of the
composition:
5. First concentrate on the simple act of listening. Only then can you
comprehend the aspirations of the sounds themselves.88
86

Koozin, The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu: A Linear/ Set-Theoretic Analysis, 62.
Ibid., 62.
88
Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 87.
87

199

CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION
The introduction to this essay describes a 1974 article entitled Mirrors in which Takemitsu
employs a metaphor that describes precisely the dual nature of his musical personality: Once, I
believed that to make music was to project myself onto an enormous mirror that was called the
West. Coming into contact with Japanese traditional music, I became aware of the fact that there
was another mirror.1 In other words, blinded by the light of Western culture, he composed music
in his youth that reflected the influences of Western composers such as Debussy, Messiaen, and
Webern. After becoming aware of this other mirror, however, he began to explore his Japanese
tradition and incorporate its elements, such as ma (space) and sawari (timbre), into his own works.
Nevertheless, his compositional goals were not to merely blend the music of East and West but to
confront and intensify the contradictions between the two.
November Steps, with its use of Western orchestra and traditional Japanese instruments, is in
many ways an ideal composition for the purpose of exploring this dual nature of Takemitsus
compositional personality. Did Takemitsu, however, realize his goal of confronting and intensifying
their contradictions? It is true that he did not use the shakuhachi, biwa and orchestra to create a
superficial blending of East and West.2 That approach was attempted in the 1930s by other
Japanese composers, who grafted Japanese folk tunes onto Western forms and harmonies, but with
unsatisfactory results. Instead, Takemitsu purposely juxtaposed the two sound worlds against
each other, emphasizing their differences. The boundaries between them, though, are not always
rigidly defined. Because certain Japanese aesthetic elements are present throughout November
Steps, the resulting composition is more complex, transcending the respective traditions of East and
West.
This transcending of the traditions of East and West, however, did not begin with Takemitsu. As
observed in Chapter two, the three Western composers (Debussy, Messiaen, and Cage) who were
most influential on the young Takemitsu were themselves greatly influenced by the music of
various Asian cultures. It is merely speculation, but perhaps even while being blinded by the light
of the Western mirror, Takemitsu found something in the music of these composers which
resonated with his innate Japanese sensibilities. By reimporting Asian concepts back to Japan from
the West, a reciprocal process or feedback loop was created. Takemitsu himself admitted that it
was Cage who introduced him to Zen Buddhism.
1
2

Takemitsu, Mirrors, 47.

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 93.

200

Perhaps there were particular elements in the works of other Western composers who were not
influenced directly by Japanese or Asian music that also resonated with Takemitsus Japanese
sensibilities. The emphasis on timbral and textural elements in the music of composers such as
Webern, Ligeti, Xenakis, and Penderecki would appeal to the Japanese sensitivity to timbre and the
preference for complex sounds (sawari). The spatial characteristics of much twentieth century avant
garde music would also very likely appeal to a Japanese listeners innate appreciation for the
time/space concept of ma.
All these twentieth century avant garde elements (as well as others) are present in November
Steps. The stratifying of the orchestra into two separate ensembles and even smaller instrumental
groupings within these could be seen as an extension of Debussys principle of creating multiple
orchestrational layers and the instrumental spatial arrangement of Cage and Stockhausen or as the
application of the concept of ma to timbral and physical space. The use of extended instrumental
effects could be seen as reflecting the influence of Penderecki, or as the the application of the
concept of sawari. The creation of large scale textural events that vary in density, timbre, register,
and dynamics emulate the works of Xenakis and Ligeti, but could also be an attempt to create music
which ebbs and flows in the same manner as wind blowing through an old bamboo grove.3
As shown in the last section of chapter six, Japanese aesthetic concepts are in evidence
throughout the composition. Cyclical temporal concepts and the principle of ma can seen as
shaping both the large-scale textural events and the individual gestures that combine to form them.
These gestures and events arise from a background of silence and then subside back again into
it. Percussive instruments are allowed to decay naturally acting as hashi (bridges) projecting from
the world of sound into that of silence.4 The semi-regular reoccurrence of the focal pitch D pitted
against contrasting pitch material can also be viewed as an application of both ma and the principle
of reoccurring temporal cycles.
November Steps is neither a superficial blending or a simple juxtaposition of Japanese and
Western elements. These opposing elements react to each other in complex ways on various levels,
creating a composition which transcends these constituent parts to form a unique, fascinating, and
unified whole.
Takemitsu, in his writings from the decade after November Steps was composed, recognized the
complex ways in which his Japanese and Western influences interacted within himself and his
3
4

Ibid., 88.
Koozin, The Solo Piano Works of Tru Takemitsu: A Linear/ Set-Theoretic Analysis, 55.

201

works. In essays from this period he employs a metaphor that reflects the evolution of his thought,
one which he borrowed from the American inventor Buckminster Fuller: the universal (or cosmic)
egg.
As Fuller pointed out, The airplane era laid a new cosmic egg in the nest of
everyday reality, integrating all the previous separate civilizations experiences in
one history and one geography. Naturally, relationships of lending and borrowing
had already developed in various cultures in the past. but at present, when modern
Western dominance is facing collapse, they have a different significance.
A mirror is being broken and in each shattered piece different faces are reflected.
No longer can you view your image in a single mirror. And a shattered mirror
cannot be reassembled.
The idea of integration and of the wholeness of human aspiration is not directed
at creating an innocuous, neutral state but at finding oneself among those countless
conflicting and irregular shapes. Modern Japan has spent a long time trying to
discover itself in the huge Western European mirror, but now that some time has
passed, it should try to see itself in those countless fragments of mirror.5
November Steps is a product of this integration of human cultures. It is not unique, however, in
Takemitsus output. Scholars have explored the interaction of Japanese and Western elements in
several Takemitsu compositions, but this line of investigation is by no means exhausted. One work
that is yet to be studied in depth is the 1973 composition Autumn which, like November Steps, is
scored for shakuhachi, biwa, and orchestra. Despite the common instrumentation, however, Autumn
is a very different piece from November Steps. In a 1988 interview Takemitsu explained:
At the time that I wrote November Steps it was very difficult to make a blending
of both of them (the Japanese and Western instruments) at once....Autumn was
written (six years) after November Steps. I really wanted to do something which I
hadnt done in November Steps, not to blend the instruments, but to integrate them.6
If, on a philosophical level, the approach behind composing November Steps was the
juxtaposition of conflicting and irregular shapes, then the approach behind the composition of
Autumn could be considered an attempt to create a work which reflects the idea of integration and
of the wholeness of human aspiration. In their respective articles, both Smaldone and Uno Everett
make reference to these contrasting approaches in November Steps and Autumn, but neither has
subsequently gone on to investigate Autumn in depth. An analysis of the interaction of Japanese
and Western elements in this later composition would be a worthwhile pursuit. Perhaps one would
find aspects of cultural juxtaposition in Autumn, just as aspects of integration can be found in
November Steps.
After 1973 Takemitsu largely abandoned composing for Japanese instruments. This does not
5
6

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 70.

Takemitsu, Cronin, and Tann, 209-210.

202

mean, however, that he abandoned expressing indigenous Japanese aesthetic qualities in his music.
His fascination with nature and desire to create music which was in harmony with it never
diminished. The titles of his later compositions demonstrate this fact; a few examples include Rain
Tree (1981), I Hear the Water Dreaming (1987), and Spirit Garden (1994). Similarly, never do his
later compositions emphasize Western goal-directed motion, but, like so much of traditional
Japanese music, suggest a metaphysical temporality beyond the concept of everyday time.7 They
gradually ebb and flow, with the stream of sound seemingly arising from a background of
silence and then dissipating again into it. The pacing of these works is as deliberate and refined as a
Nh drama. Even his fondness for Debussy- and Messiaen-like sonorities in these later works
reinforces this feeling of timelessness. Likewise, his ability to create subtle shadings of timbre
which gradually change over time only became more sophisticated.
As Takemitsu evolved as a composer, he integrated his Japanese and Western influences to
create a uniquely personal and highly refined style. A style so individual that it is as distinctly
recognizable as those of other twentieth-century masters such as Stravinsky, Webern, Debussy, and
Messiaen. Continued scholarship of his works can only help shed more light on the developmental
path of this multicultural composer who could not have existed before the twentieth century.

Takemitsu, Confronting Silence, 7.

203

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Interviews
Iwakiri, Satoru, shakuhachi performer and teacher. Interview by Charles Haarhues, 11 June 2002,
Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Mayumi Yotsumoto, translator. Video tape recording.
Shimazu, Yoshihide, Satsuma biwa performer and teacher. Interview by Charles Haarhues, 01 July
2002, Aira-gun, Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Mayumi Yotsumoto, translator. Video tape
recording.
Video
Tru Takemitsu. Tru Takemitsu: Music for the Movies. Directed by Charlotte Zwerin. Produced
by Margaret Smilow. 58 min. Alternate Current, Les Films DIci, NHK, and La Sept/Arte.
Videocassette.
Sound Recordings
Takemitsu, Tru. November Steps. Performed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra,
conducted by Hiroshi Wakasugi. Denon CO-79441, 1992. CD.
Takemitsu, Tru. November Steps. Performed by the Saito Kinen Orchestra, conducted by Seiji
Ozawa. Philips PHCP-1603, 1989. CD.

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APPENDIX A: OUTLINE OF NOVEMBER STEPS ANALYSIS

Introduction
Previous Analyses of November Steps
Pitch analysis
Smaldone
Koh
Semiotics
Uno Everett
The Notation of the Biwa and Shakuhachi as used in November Steps
Biwa Techniques Notated in the Score of November Steps
Biwa Notation
Shakuhachi Techniques Notated in the Score of November Steps
a. Articulations
b. Ending Figures
c. Vibratos
Orchestral Seating Plan
General Principles of Construction
Takemitsus and Kohs Sectional Divisions Within November Steps
Gestural Accumulation and Dissipation
Gestural Types:
G1) Short staggered attacks
(Uno Everetts gestures)
G2) Short homorhythmic units
G3) Sustained chordal entries
G4) Cascading unison entries
G5) Cascading string harmonics
G6) Extended techniques for harp and percussion
G7) Ligetian micropolyphony (see example 5.15)
G8) Sustained, blocked chords on A
G9) Sustained, blocked chords on D
G10) Extended string effects (a la Penderecki)
G11) Pyramiding chords
(My gestures)
G12) Cascading chords
Formal structure of November Steps
1. Large orchestral statements with no biwa or shakuhachi
2. Passages consisting of biwa and/or shakuhachi juxtaposed against orchestral
interjections
3. The biwa and shakuhachi cadenza
Major Sections of November Steps
Section 1-Opening Orchestral Statement, mm. 1-24
Section 2-Shakuhachi and biwa with orchestral interjections: mm. 25-35
Section 3--Second Orchestral Statement (ritornello): mm. 36-48
Section 4--Shakuhachi and biwa with orchestral interjections: mm. 49-56
Section 5--Biwa and Shakuhachi Cadenza
Section 6--Conclusion: mm. 57-70

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Ma and Cyclical Temporality in November Steps

Creating a bridge between sound and silence
The fade in/fade out technique
Cyclical time
Ma and the focal pitch D

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APPENDIX B: LETTERS OF PERMISSION

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VITA
Charles Haarhues is a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Louisiana State
University where he currently serves as an instructor of music theory. His principal composition
teachers include Dinos Constantinides and Stephen David Beck. In the spring of 2004 he served
as an adjunct instructor of music theory at the University of New Orleans. Haarhues received his
Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in jazz studies from Eastern Illinois University in
1996 and his Master of Music degree in composition from Eastern Illinois University in 1999. In
addition, he has performed traditional African drumming with Abubakari Lunna, Gideon
Alorwoyie, and Oscar Sulley Braimah. Haarhues music has been performed at numerous events
throughout the United States, Europe, Central America, and Japan, including the LSU Festival of
Contemporary Music, the 2001 National SEAMUS conference, the College Music Society
Southern Chapter Conference, the Southeastern Composers League Conference, the Southeastern
Composers Symposium, and the Electric Latex Festival. His orchestral compositions has been
premiered by the Louisiana Sinfonietta and the Contemporary Conservatory of Athens Ensemble.
He has received awards and commissions from numerous organizations including four consecutive
ASCAP Plus awards, the Louisiana Sinfonietta, the Of Moving Colors Dance Company, and the
LSU Union Art Museum. In the Spring of 2003 he was commissioned to write arrangements for a
joint performance of the Acadiana Symphony and the Cajun band Steve Reily and the Mamou
Playboys performing at the River Ranch Festival. Haarhues can be heard as a performer on the
Oscar Sulley and Bontuku recordings Snows of Kilimanjaro (1991) and The Fish and the Shrimp
(1989). His compositions appear on the CDs LSU Composers Forum with the Louisiana
Sinfonietta and Soloists (2004) and LSU Composers Forum with flutist Iwona Glinka featuring
Music for Solo Flute from Louisiana State University and Greece (2003). Haarhues currently
serves as the president of the Mid-South Chapter of the National Association of Composers USA
(NACUSA) and sits on the national advisory board. He is also a member of ASCAP, the College
Music Society, the Society of Composers Inc., SEAMUS, and the Southeastern Composers
League.

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