Many Japanese composers have shown particular affinity for the guitar, none more so than Tōru Takemitsu. In Toward the Sea Takemitsu expands his unique sensibility and imaginative flair for the instrument’s colours and expressiveness to embrace the warmly elliptical sound of the alto flute. Ichiro Nodaira’s Wave Recollections evokes the earthquake and tsunami of 2011 in its exploration of the guitar’s acoustic properties—the quality of mankind’s relationship with nature runs as a theme through many of the evocative Japanese song arrangements in this programme. ‘This is not music you’ll be able to hear often—and it’s unlikely that you’ll hear it played more beautifully.’ (American Record Guide on Vol. 3, 8.573595)