Dai Fujikura – Ice
A globalized CD: a Japanese composer based in London, an American contemporary music ensemble (ICE: International Contemporary Ensemble) and an Austrian Publisher. 6 works:
- Sparks (2011) for guitar – 1’25
- ice (2009-10) for whole – 21’17
- Phantom Splinter (2009) for ensemble and electronics in real time – 23:53
- Abandoned time (2004-06) for electric guitar and ensemble – 8’57
- I dreamed on singing flowers (2012) electronic registered – 4’22
- Sparking Orbit (2013) for electric guitar and electronic real-time – 17’18
Rare reaction of my daughter when I get the opportunity to put contemporary music on the stereo: « it’s weird but it’s listenable… » This got me some warning… I publish articles on works that I found interesting or enjoyable – see here – I like very much this composer but found musical inspiration of this CD a bit low. Kairos told me that this CD encounters yet a real success in the USA and UK.
3 pieces for guitar:
1, superb guitar solo, is included in the
6 with electronic processing for more than 17′: the beginning offers of large flat electronic piece rather pleasant, but somewhat conventional. It varies a little from 4’40 with crystalline sounds on guitar, 7’30, the sound of the guitar becomes hoarse, in short a succession of dreamlike passages, with beautiful findings, but it tired a little.
4, despite all the virtuosity of the musicians (and with sounds as strange as with electronics, but more striking), is a bit talkative.
2: « Ice » which gives the title of the album: an instrumentarium « Neapolitan » (mandolins), a piece with a certain internal energy, but I’ve found a lot of redundancies, in short it is rather decorative even if you can appreciate the elegance and originality of the writing, in a kind of « zen » atmosphere that can please.
3: Cantilena succeed in a sophisticated orchestration, but nothing happens.
5: Electronic music: it’s also very nice but it passes without keeping attention. Up to you: