"Two Lento," known for Ginji Yamane's harsh criticism that it was "pre-music," garnered varied critiques at the time of its premiere. Taro Hara commented, "This sensibility (including the fact that two Lentos are juxtaposed) is not of today," "a work lacking universality," and "fundamentally incapable of being an artistic state." On the other hand, Kuniharu Akiyama and Joji Yuasa stated, "It was very good. I was moved." And Hidekazu Yoshida, in the liner notes for the record Toru Takemitsu's Music (Victor, 1966), released 16 years after the premiere of "Two Lento," remarked, "While I have forgotten almost all the other pieces performed at that time, I still remember only that piece." He described "Two Lento" as music where "the gentleness of sound and the inclination towards solitude blended, contradicted, and conflicted in a way never before experienced in any music," music possessing "a solitary, unapproachable severity," and music that "sinks ever deeper into its interior."

"Two Lento," which garnered such mixed reviews, is a piano piece composed by Toru Takemitsu when he was 20 years old. At the recommendation of Fumio Hayasaka, it was performed on December 7, 1950 (Showa 25), at the 7th concert of the Shin Sakkyoku-ha Kyokai (New Composers Association).

"Two Lento." First, some might find this title unusual. However, the "Lento" Takemitsu envisioned was not merely a tempo marking. Of course, it differs from a tempo measured by a metronome. It refers to a specific sense of time inherent in the term "Lento." Conscious of Debussy's La plus que lente, Takemitsu sought to weave a multitude of sounds within a leisurely musical flow.

The sounds emanating from "Two Lento" possess a unique color. Around the time he composed this work, Takemitsu was researching the pentatonic scale. "Two Lento" is filled with rich sonic layers that emerge as it transitions from one pentatonic scale to another. Suspensions and passing tones are skillfully employed, transforming even dissonances into subtle charms. After composing the first movement, "Adagio," Takemitsu became acquainted with Messiaen's music. The second movement, "Lento Misteriosamente," created under that influence, became an even more captivating and powerful work. From "Adagio" to the latter part of "Lento Misteriosamente," the music ascends to higher registers with increasing speed and lightness, like a jo-ha-kyu progression.

This "Two Lento" is effectively Toru Takemitsu's debut work. It was performed by Haruko Fujita on piano at its 1950 premiere and again in 1955 on NHK Radio's "Gendai no Ongaku" (Contemporary Music). Although the score subsequently went missing, Takemitsu reconstructed "Two Lento" in 1989, based on sketches held by his friend Kazuo Fukushima, "recalling threads of memory without adding new embellishments," completing the piano piece titled Litany.

References

• Takemitsu, Toru et al. Toru Takemitsu Collected Works, Vol. 5. Shinchosha, 2000.
• Tachibana, Takashi. Toru Takemitsu: A Journey into Musical Creation. Bungeishunju, 2016.
• Narasaki, Yoko. Toru Takemitsu ("Composer: Person and Work" Series). Ongaku no Tomo Sha, 2005.