Tōru Takemitsu is among the most important of those Japanese composers who have written music in the Western tradition; he has preserved a fundamental Japanese identity, bringing his awareness of Japanese music and its traditions into a remarkable and very original synthesis. He makes use of Western and Japanese instruments, either separately or together, creating his own very individual sound.

Orchestral Music
Takemitsu’s Requiem for strings made a strong impression on audiences who heard it in 1957. November Steps and Aki (‘Autumn’) are scored for biwa, shakuhachi and orchestra. His work for alto flute, harp and strings, Toward the Sea, draws on Japanese flute techniques and instrumental timbres. He also wrote many distinguished film scores.

Chamber and Instrumental Music
Takemitsu won international success with his brief Le Son calligraphié I, the first of three pieces for two string quartets. He experimented with other instrumental combinations and with the use of pre-recorded tape, for which there is a series of compositions.