Cultural intersection and integration in two concertos for saxophone and chinese orchestra by yiu-kwong chung: A fusion of horizons

Abstract

In today’s era of globalization, the collision of different cultures is inevitable. Hans-Georg Gadamer’s concept of “Fusion of Horizons” provides a philosophical possibility for different cultures to merge and grow mutually after collision. Yiu-Kwong Chung’s two concertos for saxophone and Chinese orchestra are concrete examples of this fusion. The two concertos employ Western compositional techniques, while also demonstrating a crossover between Eastern and Western cultures in terms of instrumentation, compositional materials and inspiration, use of musical elements, and saxophone performance, demonstrating an expansion of this musical genre and a fruitful way of possibility. This article will proceed in four parts: “composer and his compositions,” “specific materials in the concertos,” “elements of traditional Chinese music,” and “saxophone imitations as fusion of horizons,” to exploit the concrete ways of cultural fusion in the two compositions.