The Instrumental Concerto in Dai Fujikura’s oeuvre

Section 2. Dynamics of Search and Transformations in the Musical and Cultural Space of the 20th and

Abstract

Statement of the problem. Despite the increasing role of instrumental concertos in the 21st century, particularly those featuring unconventional solo instruments and extended techniques, scholars’ attention to this genre remains insufficient. This is especially true for Dai Fujikura’s oeuvre, which is one of the most prolific and innovative composers of his generation. Fujikura’s works have been studied mainly in the context of opera and chamber music. Publications by Lu-Han Li, C. Graham, S. Erb, H. Demoz, and S Titus emphasize the timbre and structural complexity of his compositions but do not address to the concerto genre as a coherent and evolving corpus. Objectives, methods, and novelty of the research. The purpose of the study is to identify the structural, dramaturgical, and stylistic principles underlying Fujikura’s approach to the concerto genre, based on an analysis of over twenty works composed between 2004 and 2024. The study highlights the interplay between thematic articulation, soloist-orchestra relations, formal design, and the expressive functions of extended techniques, including in works for ethnic Japanese instruments. The research employs historical and typological approach, structural-functional, and comparative methods to examine the evolution of Fujikura’s concertos in terms of form, orchestration, and timbre dramaturgy. This is the first comprehensive investigation of Fujikura’s concertos from a genre-based perspective.

Research results. Fujikura’s concertos exhibit sonority-based thematicism and favor single-movement, contrast-based forms without traditional tonal development. The orchestra typically serves as an echoic or atmospheric extension of the soloist, rather than an equal partner. Extended techniques are integrated into the core material, not as effects but as primary expressive means. A distinct focus is placed on the acoustic potential of underexplored instruments such as shakuhachi, shamisen, tuba and contrabass flute. In several works, the composer begins with a solo miniature that becomes the seed for a full concerto, preserving the idiomatic articulation of the instrument. While dramatic conflict is largely avoided, the pieces create narrative spaces through sonic metaphor and temporal layering.

Conclusion. Fujikura’s concertos articulate a contemporary vision of the genre, characterized by individualized timbre dramaturgy, monologue soloist expression, and the aesthetic of soundscaping. His works contribute to the genre’s renewal not through structural invention, but through redefining the role of timbre, articulation, and instrument-specific idioms