Tuesday Tones: Into Autumn!

I’m going to pause the exploration of Japanese composers for a bit, kind-of, because as I write this, the Autumnal Equinox is just under four hours away. The sun is scheduled to cross the equator at 8:05pm ET, and right now it’s–[checks watch]–[actually checks phone, I don’t currently wear a watch]–4:12pm. So, for the next bunch of weeks, I’ll be featuring autumnal music. I’ll likely be doing this up until Halloween.

But I don’t have to make the transition super sharp! I can feature Japanese autumnal music! Composer Toru Takemitsu wrote a lot of music inspired by autumn; apparently this season fueled his musical imagination quite a bit. So here is In an Autumn Garden, which Takemitsu wrote for gagaku orchestra. This is an orchestra comprised of Japanese instruments that was often used to perform the ceremonial music of court, as well as in Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. The work has the feel of religious chant to my ears.

Happy autumn!

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