Overview
Introduction
Takemitsu composed several pieces based on Kenzaburo Oe's short stories about the rain tree, whose many small curved leaves trap the rainfall then release the water to the ground over time long after the rain has ceased. "An ingenious tree, isn't it?" asks the story.
It was written as a memorial piece for Olivier Messiaen, the French composer who was a strong influence on Takemitsu. The work is French in sound, somewhere between Messiaen and Debussy in harmonic language. The short (over four minutes) piece is one of the most joyful and accessible pieces Takemitsu wrote. It was also his last piano piece. It is in a clear ABA form. The opening section is rhythmic, and is called "Celestially Light." Two chords and an upward three-note arpeggio are the main material. The center section is marked "Joyful, " and is melodic, in a Debussian mood. The pair of chords also interrupts it. Then material from the opening section is repeated in shortened form. The work was premiered by Alain Neneux.
