Congratulations to Michael Taplin (PhD candidate, Faculty of Music), on being awarded the 1st Prize at Toru Takemitsu Composition Award.
When screening the score for selection, judge Jo Kondo wrote: "What impressed me about this work, which consists of the juxtaposition of prolonged chords, is the extremely detached attitude taken by the composer towards the sounds. The composer is standing outside of the sounds, neither involved nor intoxicated with them, observing them with serene eyes, and placing them calmly on the canvas of time. Each chord appears to be, though embracing rich linear movements within it, static in nature, and never serves to form any directional progression through its harmonic structure. The overall form of the piece, which is but mere juxtaposition of three blocks with no teleological orientation, is non-directional, never suggesting any developmental or narrative discourse. This music stands still quietly in front of the listener, as if it were something extrinsic to human being. This speculation on the work may sound idiosyncratic to most of the public. Still, this is how I found the piece."
Upon awarding Selvedge first prize Jo Kondo noted: "In fact, my impressions didn’t change that much even after today’s performance...When I read the score of Selvedge by Michael Taplin, I felt that he had an extremely detached attitude towards the sounds and his music. He is looking at his music from a certain distance, and it is as if he is making a piece of sculpture of sounds. That made his music very original and beautiful, different from the others."
Furthermore, Selvedge will be broadcast twice on NHK Japanese Radio next month.