Tōru Takemitsu: Between Sound and Silence
Step into an evening of quiet beauty and reflection as the London Sinfonietta brings Takemitsu’s world to life with live audio-visual projections.
What happens when music breathes, when sound drifts like mist, or lingers like falling rain? For Japanese composer Tōru Takemitsu, silence was as meaningful as any note.
One of the most important voices of the postwar era, Takemitsu drew deep inspiration from nature, composing music that feels both intimate and expansive, rooted in stillness and mystery.
Immerse yourself in his beautiful, meditative works, including Rain Coming and And Then I Knew ’Twas Wind alongside music by composers who inspired him, including Debussy, Messiaen, and Webern. Their influence helped shape Takemitsu’s unique sound: rich in colour, alive with detail, yet always deeply human.
Takemitsu was also a gifted writer and thinker. The performance includes excerpts from his essays, as well as rare video clips of the composer speaking about his work, offering a glimpse into the mind behind the music.
A close friend of the London Sinfonietta, Takemitsu wrote some of his finest pieces for the ensemble.
Performers
London Sinfonietta
Repertoire
Debussy: Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
Takemitsu: Air for flute; And then I knew 'twas wind for flute, viola & harp
Interval
Messiaen: Le merle noir for flute & piano
Takemitsu: Rain spell for flute, clarinet, harp, piano & vibraphone
Webern: 3 Little Pieces for cello & piano, Op.11
Takemitsu: Rain coming
Need to know
Reviews
‘master of exquisite gentleness … a welcome reminder that modern music can be touching as well as thrilling.’The Telegraph
For your visit
This event is held at the Purcell Room Southbank Centre
The Purcell Room is located in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, which is open from 90 minutes before events start until they finish. It’s closed at all other times.
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The Purcell Room is an auditorium located within our Queen Elizabeth Hall.
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