Tuba Concerto (Fujikura)

From Wind Repertory Project
Dai Fujikura

Dai Fujikura


General Info

Year: 2016 / 2017
Duration: c. 17:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Ricordi
Cost: Score and Parts - Unknown   |   Score Only (print) - £30.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
Solo Tuba
Flute I-II (both double Piccolo)
G Alto Flute
Oboe
Contrabassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
C Piccolo Trumpets I-II
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Tuba Concerto was written for the tuba player Øystein Baadsvik.

Whenever I write a concerto, I always collaborate closely with the performer who is going to premiere the work. There are lots of exchanges of files, me sending the screenshot of the score I have written that day, the performer recording him/herself playing that and emailing it back to me. We do this multiple times before my score reaches the final bar line. We did the same with Øystein.

This time, I was interested to know “What is the most appealing thing about the tuba as an instrument?” And, “When you play the tuba, when do you feel most ecstatic?”

I love writing concertos. The real pleasure of writing concertos is that I can create the “world” which makes the best use of the characteristics of the solo instrument, and the orchestra acts as the “world” which hosts the environment of the solo instrument.

The tuba is by far one of the sexiest instruments. It is sad how this instrument was used in traditional classical music, not taking advantage at all of this sensual, sensitive instrument.

I thought I could try making tuba the sexiest instrument of all, at least in the world of my Tuba Concerto. This concerto is very emotional, and the orchestra part and long melody of the tuba are entwined, like the moment when you watch ice cream melt, slowly.

After a conversation with Øystein, I understood that horns and trumpets often have melodies in orchestral works and there are players who play long solo melodies in orchestra, but the tuba is often treated only as the necessary bass note of the orchestral chord when needed. Therefore, there are only a few tuba players that can actually play solos. In this concerto, the solo tuba has long, wide range of melody which I hope sounds quite sensual.

- Program Note by composer, edited by Alison Phillips


Commercial Discography


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

  • Dai Fujikura website Accessed 19 January 2021
  • Fujikura, D. (2016/2017). Tuba Concerto: 2016/2017. [score]. Ricordi: Berlin.
  • The Horizon Leans Forward..., compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 327.
  • Perusal score