French Symbolist affinities in a late work of Toru Takemitsu: an analysis of And then I knew 'twas Wind for flute, viola and harp

Philip Richard Murray

Research output: ThesisDoctoral Thesis

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Abstract

This thesis explores the acknowledged influence of Claude Debussy on the style of Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu's
later music, through a structural and motivic analysis of And then I knew 'twas Wind (1992), a work that invites comparison with
Debussy's Sonata for flute, viola and harp. The role of the French Symbolist poets, especially Mallarme, in the development
of Debussy's musical language is examined, and a Symbolist reading of Takemitsu's work is proposed. Qualities employed by
Takemitsu, such as non-linearity, ambiguity and symbolic meaning, offer points of intersection with Symbolism, through which Debussy's influence is particularly manifested.
Original languageEnglish
QualificationDoctor of Philosophy
Awarding Institution
  • The University of Western Australia
Supervisors/Advisors
  • Symons, David, Supervisor
  • Tonkin, Christopher, Supervisor
Thesis sponsors
Award date30 Jan 2018
DOIs
Publication statusUnpublished - 2018

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