About the Takemitsu Toru quote:
Notation like all tools configures and contextualizes the approach of
the tooluser.
For some new pieces western notation is appropriate, for some it's not.
I guess Takemitsu was simply more interested in bringing the
perspective and approach the traditional notation supports into the
western orchestra's context as opposed to doing things the other way
around.
Richard Teitlebaum's excellent pieces for shakuhachi and electronics
use a mix of notations too, kinko style for the shakhachi, and
western proportional and graphic notation for the synthesizer and
western instruments.
I'm working on some new pieces for solo shakuhachi and some duets
that have a lot of microtonal content, and I've found that standard
western notation doesn't easily support subtle pitch inflections.
There are ways around this but they are awkward. Partly this is
because of "lines" vs. "spaces"...there is no easy way to represent
the subtle intonation differences that suri and alternate fingerings
provide. Not that kinko notation completely supports what I'm doing
either, but it's closer.
If you try to write out a few honkyoku pieces in a modified western
notation, where duration is proportional to length of an extension
line following the notehead, you'll see what I mean. It's
particulary bad when you want to show suri from say Bflat to
C....there's simply not adequate space to show the shape of the glide
you want.
I've decided to use a modified kinko notation--that seems to work
very nicely for all sorts of subtle pitch movement, and besides, most
of us are used to it.
On the other hand, if you have complex metered rhythms that you want
to notate, western notation is clearly better --although far from
perfect.
The tendency of some to make honkyoku conform to 12 equal step
intonation is a terrible error, in my opinion, and certainly I've
seen nothing in any ethnomusic literature to support a 12-tone
approach to honkyoku, or for that matter, to any traditional japanes
music.
Interesting discussion you started, Justin!
joel
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I found this interesting and wanted to share it. I
found it moving. Takemitsu Toru, the great modern
composer (November Steps is one we might know) and
Tsurata Kinshi the biwa player:
"Tsuruta once said to Takemitsu, "I want to learn the
Western notation." Takemitsu replied, "That's the last
thing I want you to do. I will learn traditional Biwa
notation, and you do not have to know the Western
notation." Takemitsu also said, "Today, traditional
sense of sound is getting extinct, because of the
Western tuning and notation systems." According to
him, Tsuruta had a "pure" sense of Japanese sound, and
he wanted to keep it."
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