“Corona for Pianist(s)” is a piano piece written in graphic score in 1962. The composer Tōru Takemitsu tried to use the new composition technique, ‘music of indeterminacy’, which was devised by American avant-garde composer, John Cage, and

introduced to Japan at this time. Following “Ling for a Flute, a Lute and a Guitar” which was composed in the previous year and got good reviews, “Corona for Pianist(s)” became the second piece in which he used ‘music of indeterminacy’. The score was written in collaboration with graphic designer, Kohei Sugiura.

The performer combines five squares of blue, red, yellow, ash and white, and makes sounds according to the geometric shapes drawn there. The five colors have their own distinct significances and the time lengths as follows; ‘blue = practice for resonance, as late as possible’, ‘red =practice for intonation, 2 or 4 minutes’, ‘yellow = practice for articulation, as fast as possible’, ‘ash = practice for expression, 1 minute, 3 minutes or 5 minutes’, ‘white = practice for dialogue, no time limit’. The performer can combine colors in free ways. They can start and end anywhere. In addition to the piano, the performer may use other keyboard instruments such as the ceresta or the harpsichord. How the colors and the geometric shapes are interpreted depends on the creativity and improvisation of the performer.