Now this is an interesting discussion, but no-one has asked the question:
Was Tsuruta Kinshi's sound really "traditional"?
What did Takemitsu know about "traditional sounds"?
Anyway, Tsuruta Kinshi is in fact famous for not being very traditional. She
was a great innovator and very untraditional in her approach to sound and
playing techniques. Hugh De Ferranti has a great article on this matter in
his book: Takemitsu Toru: A way a lone. Tsuruta was often criticised in
Japan after becoming such a big name after November Steps, because she was
representing traditional Japanese music and, of course, the sound of biwa
but in a untraditional way. She changed the instrument, found new playing
techniques etc.... So much for traditional music. It is always changing...
And then came Takemitsu, crossing Tsuruta's path. making her famous. He
hated Japanese music all way through his youth and tried to avoid anything
Japanese. He is basically an avant-garde composer with a solid "Western"
(and I put this word in quotation marks on purpose) background. Tsuruta's
"new" style of biwa fit Takemitsu's aesthetic very well... but is it
traditional? In some ways yes, some other ways - especially according to
other biwa players, not! But because of her fame her style pretty much
represents traditional biwa music. But this is since 1967 when she performed
November Steps with Yokoyama Katsuya and the New York Philharmonics.
It is also noteworthy that Takemitsu is so famous for having grought
"Eastern" and "Western" music together... but in fact his output of music
including Japanese musical ideas or instruments are very, very limited in
comparison with his vast output of orchestral music, chamber music, film
score and hundreds of pop songs.
Just worth thinking about, I think! :)
Take care,
Kiku
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