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TORU TAKEMITSU: BETWEEN SOUND AND SILENCE

Music shaped by silence and nature

Southbank Centre's Purcell Room, London

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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. 

In Between Sound and Silence, the London Sinfonietta brings Takemitsu’s world to life. You'll hear his beautiful, meditative works such as - 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 will include 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. 

Step into the stillness and join us for an evening of quiet beauty and reflection. 

Programme includes:

Claude Debussy  Prélude à l'après-midi d'un Faune (arr. Benno Sachs) 
Toru Takemitsu  Air 
Toru Takemitsu  And then I knew 'twas wind 
Olivier Messiaen  Le Merle Noir 
Toru Takemitsu  Rain Spell 
Anton Webern  Three Little Pieces 
Toru Takemitsu  Rain Coming 

It fell to that master of exquisite gentleness Tōru Takemitsu to soothe our souls… a welcome reminder that modern music can be touching as well as thrilling. The Telegraph
This event is produced by London Sinfonietta. The work of the London Sinfonietta is supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
This concert is kindly supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation and the John Ellerman Foundation.
  • Garfield Weston Foundation
  • John Ellerman Foundation
 

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  • From £22

    Venue: (view map)

    Purcell Room
    Southbank Centre
    Belvedere Rd
    Lambeth
    London SE1 8XX

    Box Office No:
    02038799555