Three of the four late works of
Toru Takemitsu
recorded on this release are based on artworks (or, in the case of
Twill for Twilight
, a fabric). The works in question are Western, yet there is something quite Japanese about
Takemitsu
's textures here, with their wealth of detail in calm settings that owe much to
Debussy
and
Messiaen
. A key element is the guitar, which the composer handles in a unique way in orchestral textures. It is not a concertante instrument but rather a coloristic element that can be percussive or melodic, often interacting in a variety of ways with the
Stradivarius
violin of
Viviane Hagner
or the oboe d'amore of
Juliana Koch
. The most concerto-like piece is the wonderfully evocative
To the Edge of Dream
(1983), inspired by a surrealist painting of
Paul Delvaux
, but even here, it is the hypnotically shifting textures that fascinate as much as any virtuoso element. Guitarist
Jacob Kellermann
is sensitive to
's overall mood, and he is fabulously recorded here by
BIS
at a MediaCity studio in the U.K. Conductor
Christian Karlsen
has a fine feeling for
, capturing the small details of sound that are at the heart of the
experience. A wonderful collection of works by a composer whose contributions are sometimes forgotten these days. ~ James Manheim