''Voice'' is a 1971 composition for solo flute by

Tōru Takemitsu was a Japanese composer and writer on aesthetics and music theory. Largely self-taught, Takemitsu was admired for the subtle manipulation of instrumental and orchestral timbre. He is known for combining elements of oriental and occidental phil ...

. The piece was composed on April 8, 1971, finished in one day, and it was premiered two months later by in

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

by Switss flautist

Aurèle Nicolet Aurèle Nicolet (22 January 1926 – 29 January 2016) was a Swiss flautist. He was considered one of the world's best flute players of the late twentieth century. He performed in various international concerts. A number of composers wrote music ...

, by whom the piece was commissioned.Frost, Brielle Marie. ''Theatrical Elements in Toru Takemitsu's Voice and Karlheinz Stockhausen 's Zungenspitzentanz''. 2016. University of Northern Colorado, D.A. dissertation. https://digscholarship.unco.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1391&context=dissertations A performance of the piece typically lasts around six minutes. It is divided into three sections: "Encounter", "Active", and "Calm".

Composition

''Voice'' is notable for its use of

extended techniques In music, extended technique is unconventional, unorthodox, or non-traditional methods of singing or of playing musical instruments employed to obtain unusual sounds or timbres.Burtner, Matthew (2005).Making Noise: Extended Techniques after Expe ...

for the flute, including key slaps, multiphonics, and a variety of articulations.Robinson, Elizabeth A. Voice'','' Itinerant'', and'' Air'': A Performance and Analytical Guide to the Solo Flute Works of Toru Takemitsu''. 2011. Ball State University, D.A. dissertation. https://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/194718/RobinsonE_2011-2_BODY.pdf?sequence=1 While writing the piece, Takemitsu likely consulted

Bruno Bartolozzi Bruno Bartolozzi (8 June 1911 – 12 December 1980) was an Italian composer and pioneer in the development of extended techniques for wind instruments. He was born in Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the ...

's book ''New Sounds for Woodwinds''. As suggested by the piece's title, the flautist is required to speak sing, shout, hum, growl, and click the tongue throughout the piece. Over the course of the work, a spoken text is also delivered; for this, Takemitsu used a line from the poem ''Handmade Proverbs'' by Shuzo Takiguchi, first recited in French and then in English: " (Who goes there? Speak, transparence, whoever you are!)" ''Voice'' also shows influences from

Japanese music In Japan, music includes a wide array of distinct genres, both traditional and modern. The word for "music" in Japanese is 音楽 (''ongaku''), combining the kanji 音 ''on'' (sound) with the kanji 楽 ''gaku'' (music, comfort). Japan is the world ...

and

theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actor, actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The p ...

, with comparisons being drawn to

shakuhachi A is a Japanese and ancient Chinese longitudinal, end-blown flute that is made of bamboo. The bamboo end-blown flute now known as the was developed in Japan in the 16th century and is called the .

music and

Noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

References

{{Toru Takemitsu Compositions by Tōru Takemitsu 1971 compositions Contemporary classical compositions Solo flute pieces