Toru Takemitsu Composition Award

Being conscious that there can be no single unassailable set of criteria in the judging of works of art I examined all submitted scores twice before engaging with the preliminary selection process, thus assuring myself of a wide contextual perspective. At this point I began a third reading with a view to whittling the original total of almost eighty scores down according to criteria I will enumerate below. This was an intense process in that the general quality of submitted scores with respect to their idiomatic employment of the orchestral apparatus was very high. After this third reading a dozen outstanding scores remained. I sat for a week with these works on my desk before progressing further, since each piece demanded to be evaluated according to its unique qualities.

In making my final selection I have tried to find a balance between (1) degrees of performative difficulty (2) originality of concept (3) skill and imagination in sustaining and exploiting the given materials and, lastly, something very hard to define, namely 'individuality'.

• As regards the first of these criteria I noted that the majority of submissions, while remaining by and large within what might be considered ‘normal’ techniques, nevertheless imposed severe demands on the performers by reason of consistently high degrees of virtuosity required throughout. This was true most often in the strings, where complex material was made more difficult by the requirements of unison figurations more appropriate in chamber music.
• Originality of concept is difficult to define: in my view, however, one must be able to sense a background set of intentions over and beyond the wish to compose a ‘good’ piece. Many of the submitted works made sincere efforts to assure the listeners that some consistent and meaningful cumulative perspective was being articulated.
• A very important point, for me, is evidence of skill in extending, developing and rendering whatever initial materials are chosen in an aesthetically consistent whole. Particularly with large formations this can be challenging, and I felt that some works were not able to convincingly sustain their discourse in this manner, no matter how striking their basic premises.
• What is individuality? I can only reply that, after many years of engagement with new music, I believe that I know it when I encounter it. If the composer is convinced, it is likely that we, the listeners, will be also.

At the end of this lengthy process I chose four works from the final group which I believe exemplify, each in its own unique way, a viable combination of the above points.

I congratulate all participants most sincerely and am grateful to have had this opportunity to sample the enormous creativity displayed.