Tōru Takemitsu – Spectral Canticle

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[…] “It’s easy to fall into the trap of regarding Takemitsu’s music as being all about rather aimless journeys through ravishing landscapes. His unique approach to structure was such that he created worlds where anything could happen, apparently spontaneously, and sound absolutely right. … Spectral Canticle is almost entirely unrepresented by existing recordings, which is all the more strange considering it was Takemitsu’s last orchestral work, completed the year before his death. … Karlsen gets a superb sense of rapture from the BBC Phil, who blend into the most wondrous sonic unity. Furthermore there’s a real sense of partnership, of soloist and orchestra listening to each other carefully as an essential part of their forward movement. Together they make Takemitsu’s constant fluctuations of chiaroscuro sound like the changing light resulting from clouds moving in front of the sun. The BBC Philharmonic gets to end the album on their own, in a truly stunning rendition of Twill By Twilight. Again there’s the impression of shifting light conditions, both the brightness and the shadow seemingly oblique, penetrating each other in strange, unexpected ways that only reinforce a sense of quiet awe. … The conclusion of this piece is by far the most gorgeous performance of anything on the album: down into a deep, profound space that gently glistens, before finally entering a low triadic place of peace. … At its best, the levels of beauty attained here are simply staggering.” [reviewed in October] […]

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