This document provides an in-depth analysis of the piano work "Uninterrupted Rests" by Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu. It consists of three movements written between 1952-1959 based on a poem by Shūzō Takiguchi. The first and third movements are quiet and subtle, characterized by prolonged tones fading into silence. The second movement is pointillistic with extreme dynamics creating a "cruel reverberation." Throughout the work, Takemitsu employs delicate use of silence and space between sounds, reflecting Japanese aesthetic principles. The title is fitting given the frequent, uninterrupted rests between sounds.

1. phenomena and finding the multi-layers of time and space in nature. 95
Uninterrupted Rests
Uninterrupted Rests is comprised of three movements. The first
movement was written in 1952, while the other two were completed in 1959.
The title, Uninterrupted Rests , was taken from a poem by Sh z Takiguchi,
which was the fifth poem in an anthology published as Fairy’’s Distance in
1937.96 Takemitsu did not intend to depict the poem musically, but rather to
capture the atmosphere of the poem that was very delicate and yet very
powerful. Uninterrupted Rests was dedicated to the renowned Japanese
pianist, Takahiro Sonoda (b. 1928). The text of the original poem is as
follows:
Of never folding wings
Callow moth is enduring the weight of the night’’s colossal
Bottle
Transient white statue is frozen from the memory of snow
The winds perching on gaunt twig are adapting to scant light
All
Ever silent spherical mirror on the hill
Sh z Takiguchi translated by Noriko Ohtake
The first movement,
=48, is marked, ““Slowly, sadly and as if to
95Mitsuo Aki, ““Takemitsu T ru to Nihonteki na Mono ni Tsuite,”” in Takemitsu T ru
no Sekai, eds. Shinji Saito and Maki Takemitsu (Tokyo: Sh ei Sha, 1997), 128.
96Funayama,
84 .
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2. converse with.””
It is unmeasured and in A-B-A form with a coda.
In its
atonal structure, Takemitsu created the atmosphere of the ominously heavy
and dark night with carefully placed sounds and silence.
It opens with a
descending half step with an accent and a fermata over the second note. A
dotted vertical line is placed after the two notes. Judging from Takemitsu’’s
concept of the completeness of a single tone and the character of the tones
produced, it is logical to think that he wanted the two notes to speak as a
phrase. The prolonged second tone, sounding pure and strong as if to draw a
sound, resembles the sound of the shakuhachi in its placement and character.
Takemitsu’’s treatment of this second tone reflects its importance; however, it
is noteworthy that it does not connect to the melodic line.
Instead, it is tied
to the inner voice (Example 3). The composer’’s concept of one tone being
complete within itself and one tone being music seems to be a reasonable and
appropriate explanation for such a treatment. In this movement, Takemitsu
used Messiaen’’s second mode97 (Example 4; See also Example 1 on page 19).
Considering the year it was composed, this connection to Messiaen is
understandable, but the Japanese quality manifested here at such an early
stage of his career is subtle, yet surprising.
Throughout the movement, a certain pattern is apparent; the music
progresses with carefully attacked strong tones fading away as the next
musical event unfolds. Its timing scheme lends a feeling that it is
97Ohtake,
79.
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3. happening effortlessly, like a natural phenomenon of the physical world.
This is very much a characteristic of Takemitsu’’s music. The recurrence of
such an event seems to bring coherence and unity to the listening process.
In his careful placements of notes, the music flows, with the perfect timing of
sound and silence coexisting, very much in the spirit of Zen.
Example 3: Uninterrupted Rests I, opening measures
Example 4: Uninterrupted Rests I, line 2
The second movement, ““quietly and with a cruel reverberation,”” is
quite different from the first movement. There is no sense of melody, and it
is pointillistic with a twelve-tone quality. Takemitsu indicated in detail the
dynamic markings rangi ng from pppp to sfff, whi ch reflects the sensitivity of
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4. traditional Japanese music that requires many levels of dynamic nuance.
He even placed ppp under a rest sign, which appears to indicate the high
level of intensity of the silence (Example 5). The note ranges are also
extreme, guiding the sound production so as to create ““a cruel reverberation””
effect.
Example 5: Uninterrupted Rest II, line 6, precise markings
This movement contains many silences not specifically indicated by
rest signs. Again, Takemitsu’’s concept that sound and silence are equal,
with its origins in traditional Japanese music, is seen here.
Even though it
is measured, a free-rhythm quality exists, with the held notes fading away
into silence. Wide intervals and the placement of notes lend the impression
that Takemitsu indeed created the environment where ““sounds meet
dramatically.””98 This movement does not seem to try to please the ear, but
its sonorities are most appropriate. Indeed, the composer carefully
““chiseled the excess sound”” to reach that particular pure sound that always
Feliciano, Four Asian Contemporary Composers: The Influences of
Tradition in Their Works (Quezon City: New Day Publishers, 1983), 74.
98Francisco
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5. existed.
The spatialization of time and musical flow in Takemitsu’’s music is
reminiscent of a Japanese garden and traditional Japanese art forms, such as
sumie painting, flower arranging, the tea ceremony, or poetry, as mentioned
in Chapter Two. They all value and incorporate the aspect of time and
space, Ma (Example 6). The depth of thoughts and meanings expressed in
the brevity of sounds also resembles the effects of haiku poetry.
Example 6: Uninterrupted Rests II, lines 3-4, Ma
Takemitsu indicated the precise tempo in this movement——one
measure to be played in three seconds. A tone lasting for eight seconds in
ppp is not audible for its entire duration. These silences are active in the
musical event, defining the exact duration of each quiet action. Here again,
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6. each action-silence serves as a unifying factor i n the recurrence of the sound
coming in after the silence.
Although Takemitsu did not intend it, the movement appears to
impose upon the listener a feeling that sounds floating freely i n space were
carefully selected one by one by the composer, and placed into an
environment where they could ““meet dramatically.””
Takemitsu’’s application of dynamics, duration of sounds, entering of
new tones, and the slow progression of sounds and silences produce the
‘‘come-pause-go’’ pattern of the musical event that is neither constructed nor
planned; yet it is like a precisely timed movement of quietly rotating planets
comprising our solar system. This effect seems to derive from Takemitsu’’s
delicate use of silences created by soft prolonged notes, which seem to end the
musical flow, as well as from the way the sound continues with stronger tones
entering.
It also resembles a leisurely walk through a garden. The
possibilities of spacing of sound and silence are, of course, infinite; however,
created by Takemitsu, they are most intriguing, much less aesthetically
remarkable. In any case, an attempt to describe this sound experience
would be as futile as explaining a beautiful sunset to someone who has never
seen colors.
The third movement, ““a song of love,”” is measured and employs time
signatures; however, the free-rhythm quality prevails with long-held notes in
slow motion (Example 7). It is quiet and soft with mostly pp and ppp
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7. markings. Here again, the carefully attacked notes fade away followed by
other such tones. Just as a delicate timbre is essential in traditional
Japanese music within a limited variety of instruments, Takemitsu indicated
dynamic signs for subtle differences in tone production.
It is the most lyrical
and sorrowful of the three movements
Example 7: Uninterrupted Rests III, mm. 7-9
The last movement was dedicated to Sh z Takiguchi. Takemitsu’’s
note on the original manuscript sounds confusing: ““Since I wrote my first
music based on Mr. Takiguchi’’s poem, for the last piece I will also write my
first piece based on his poem.””99 Takemitsu later wrote a violin and piano
duo, Hika, based on this piece.
Concl usion: Throughout Uninterrupted Rests there are no exaggerated
statements, except for the ‘‘cruel reverberation[s]’’ of the second movement.
Quiet, intense, pure, simple, and unassuming are some of the words that
99Funayama,
92.
49

8. might be used to characterize the first and third movements, as completely
consistent with the aesthetic and spiritual principles of Takemitsu and
Japanese culture. The title, Uninterrupted Rests, although not created by
Takemitsu, seems appropriate, given that there are very few long rest signs
written in the score. Further, there are many prolonged silent moments
after the tones have died away. The silences, Ma, are intense and active,
allowing no interruptions.
Piano Distance
Piano Distance was composed in 1961, the beginning of the second
period of Takemitsu’’s career. It was composed for pianist Yuji Takahashi.
Takemitsu’’s encounter with this musician was especially meaningful in that
it affected the development of Takemitsu’’s creativity for piano writing. The
first performance by Takahashi was said to have been magnificent and
almost miraculous to the extent that no one else could have ever achieved
it.100
Regarding this work the composer said, ““The title does not have any
special meaning, but it could be interpreted as a small essay on a gradation of
Nodaira, Takemitsu T ru: Oto no Kawa no Yukue, eds. Choki Seiji and
Higuchi Ryuichi (Tokyo: Heibon Sha, 2000), 75.
100Ichiro
50