Sneezing Toward the Sun

Musique concrète is a genre that attracted composers across the world in the 1950s and 1960s, and inspired a number of experimental works. Relatively early in the genre’s development, Japanese composers began to experiment with musique concrète and produce original works. I will discuss early musique concrète composed by Toru Takemitsu (1930–1996) to consider his unique approach to the genre, especially his treatment of the human voice.