Quotation of Dream

A shade painted in tranquility suggests a dream without form. Toru Takemitsu's “Quotation of Dream” is scored for two pianos and orchestra. The piece was commissioned for the ‘Japan Festival 1991’, held in the UK in October 1991. Its premiere featured P. Serkin and P. Crossley (pianos), M. T. Thomas (conductor), and the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

The Concept of Dream

For Takemitsu, the concept of ‘dream’ was of paramount importance. According to him, the ‘dream’ in this piece manifests with clear details, contrasting sharply with its overall extremely vague structure. “Quotation of Dream” comprises 12 fragmentary episodes. The music, appearing and disappearing much like memories, precisely embodies the dream Takemitsu envisioned.

Compositional Technique: Quotation

Quotation serves as a crucial compositional technique in this work. Specifically, Takemitsu quotes Claude Debussy's “La Mer” (The Sea), with prominent quotations from its movements:

• ‘Jeux de vagues’ (Play of Waves)
• ‘Dialogue du vent et de la mer’ (Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea)
• ‘De l’aube à midi sur la mer’ (From Dawn to Noon on the Sea)

Furthermore, the work's subtitle itself contains a quotation: ‘Say sea, take me!’ is a line from a poem by Emily Dickinson.