Jacob Kellermann, the guitarist on this album, frequently performs his own transcriptions and has had numerous works written for him through collaborations with contemporary composers.
Recording & Production
This recording was made at the Philharmonic Studio, Media City UK, Salford, and utilized Neumann, DPA, Schoeps, and Thuresson microphones, a Studer Vista 6 mixing desk, and Pyramix digital audio workstation.
Composer Biography
Tōru Takemitsu, a Japanese composer, was remarkably versatile, writing numerous film and theatrical scores alongside his concert compositions, and even thrillers and participating in TV cookery competitions.
Performer Biography
Viviane Hagner, the violinist, is a co-founder and artistic director of the Krzyżowa-Music Chamber Music Festival and has been a professor at the Mannheim Conservatory of Music and Performing Arts since 2013.
Compositional Technique
Takemitsu often used a three-note cell (E flat, E natural, A natural) that spelled out the English word 'sea' and corresponded to musical notes in his own surname.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Tōru Takemitsu's music is characterized by a "calm, mysteriously" atmosphere, differing from the expressionistic modernism of many European contemporaries.
Instruments
The violin used in this recording is a 'Hamma' Stradivarius from 1717.
