《鄉愁四韻》為委約改編作品，為現代風格藝術歌曲， 原詩與曲題同名。鋼琴伴奏舉足輕重， 素材獨具匠心 ，於前奏與間奏的獨奏皆見其份量，鋼琴描寫彷效古琴， 風格獨特， 泛音、清韻、散律、空間感，重意境。歌唱旋律淡而深遠，每節調性的轉變及其與伴奏的不同配合和應詩詞的內容。余光中於詩中分別以「長江水」、「海棠紅」、「雪花白」、「臘梅香」加以聯想，借喻「醉酒」、「沸血」、「家信」、「母親」為「鄉愁的滋味」、「鄉愁的燒痛」、「鄉愁的等待」、「鄉土的芬芳」， 意以象言、情以象抒。此作品承繼詩詞脈胳，斜述輾轉難忘的懸宕鄉愁。作品亦參照羅氏舊曲的結構，然而一除民俗風，革故鼎新，蒼涼之意含蓄蘊藉、韻味悠長。

Nostalgia in Four Rhymes is an art song written for tenor or soprano and piano. It is entitled with the adoption of the title of Prof. Yu Kwang-Chung's poem, where the lyrics are borrowed from. 

The harmonic tones and the ametrical treatment of the accompaniment suggests an imitation of guqin, which serves as a core part and a stylistic signature of the piece. Yu, in his poem, associates sensations of nostalgia with 'water of the Yangtze River', 'red of flowering quince', 'white of snowflakes' as well as 'fragrance of wintersweet' - the four rhymes. This art songs echos the structure of Yu's poem intimately. The simple and slightly varied stanzas enters at different keys at times, encountering a longing affection of homing harmonically. The spacious manner of the piano likewise rearticulates the implicit sentimentality. And hence this art song pursues to perpetuate the suaveness of the poem.

Nostalgia in Four Rhymes

《漢柏三匝・樸・源・蒼》
[ Cypresses Triptych・Nature・Root・Vigour ]

I: 樸 [ Nature ]
II: 源 [ Root ]
III: 蒼 [ Vigour ]
IV: 漢柏三匝 [ Cypresses Triptych ]

三段音樂獨立成章，
一描古樸、傲骨崢嶸，
二繪風韻、溯流追源，
三寫蒼勁、纏綿糾葛。
眾章聯疊，縱橫交錯，敍點線、色彩、形態、氣韻與年華。
擬多角度與不同視點以述，喻時空與靈感多元之意。

//

此作品受香港藝術館邀約，為2022年的「吳冠中──速寫生命」展覽的主題作品《漢柏寫生原稿》而創作。作品於展覽中以特設裝置音響面世，亦於網上公開播放。作曲家親自彈奏、錄製並混音。

三段音樂獨立成章，又可疊置成曲，
借喻《漢柏寫生原稿》的縱橫交錯，
吳冠中以不同的視點落墨漢柏的古樸與蒼勁。

Invited by the Hong Kong Museum of Art, this composition is made particularly to respond to the thematic masterpiece “A sketch of Chinese cypresses, the original draft” at the “Wu Guanzhong: Sketching Vitality” exhibition. The composition is premiered through its sound installation at the gallery, which is also available for public online. The composer performed, recorded, and mixed the performance himself.

The three movements are independent, yet by superimposition they form a greater work as its fourth movement. Its form is inspired by intertwinement and multi-perspective of "A Sketch of Chinese Cypresses, the Original Draft", where Wu Guanzhong depicted the aged beauty and the vitality of nature of these ancient cypresses.

Cypresses Triptych・Nature・Root・Vigour 《漢柏三匝・樸・源・蒼》 Complete Movements

Cypresses Triptych 漢柏三匝 Fourth movement

Cypresses Triptych 漢柏三匝 Third movement

Cypresses Triptych 漢柏三匝 Second movement

Cypresses Triptych 漢柏三匝 First movement

O Christmas Tree 1

Chung Chi College Anthem Variation

A bit of anxious and uncertainty, optimism been shaken

2016 25Aug m.d.

Prelude to the Quick Collage Sketches of Rain
《雨的速描拼貼前奏曲》

Performed by Baden Württemberg Youth Wind Orchestra / Felix Hauswirth
巴登符騰堡州青年管樂團、菲利斯・豪斯威特指揮

This composition carries a musical form of novelty which displays an assemblage of various musical textures being superimposed and overlapped, however, as an entire picture over one time-span. The work begins with sporadic raindrops of low ostinato staccato notes and pizzicatos. These prepare the formation of arpeggiated figures by woodblocks, temple blocks and tom-toms, which are later responded by flutes and clarinets. While the texture is thronged with these figures and counter-rhythmic-figures, it gradually submerges into the atmospheric passages by brass. These loosen progressions of brass cultivate an atmosphere of rainy mood and temperament. The polyphonic layers by degrees disperse and amalgamate with each other, and eventually be overwhelmed by the tutti environment of homophonic climax. It sets off the vivacious motions of some long-resonating percussions and marimba, accompaniment by complex stack of chords undergoing transformation by individual liberal change of assigned notes. After all, the composition depicts the beauty of natural irregularity, or in another words, liberty of rhythm, tonality, and texture through the sketches of rain.

這作品利用抽象的手法，拼貼及重疊對不同雨景的音樂描寫，表現與別不同的音樂織體與曲式。作曲起首以零碎的固定低音為伏筆，一步步塑造出以沒有音高的敲擊樂為主的琶音主題，其後以長笛與單簧管和應。多層次的點描線條相繼累積，然後慢慢被銅管樂的音效淹蓋，和聲中帶點雨水中的愁思。多種音樂織體互相交融，使音樂緊湊起來，推進至全體齊奏的複雜和弦，一瀉而下，引起較長音的敲擊樂與馬林巴琴的迴響，並以半即興半自由的和弦變化描繪雨另一面的連綿與不穩定性，淡去作結。透過自由的節奏處理、多調性使用、織體堆疊等，作品試述大自然與雨景中不規則的美。

Prelude to the Quick Collage Sketches of Rain

吳冠中是當代水墨畫的重要人物，作品揉合中西美學，概有西方技術與意象，亦有中國風格的韻味與內涵。吳冠中曾到法國深造，回國時亦有途經香港的時期。他幾度捐贈一共幾十幅愛好畫作於香港藝術館，對香港情有獨鍾。

看吳冠中的作品，可以看到一位創作者於三十年間的風格脫變，令人動容。

《殘荷垂柳語春秋》以琵琶與室樂團抒發水墨情懷，刻畫「點、線、面」，調和 「濃淡、空間、氣派」。此曲由幾個部份構成，分部副題亦有感於吳氏的畫作：

《岸上垂柳、水裏春秋》（1989），
《海市蜃樓（憶香港）》（1991），
《蘇醒》、《聽驚雷》（2007），
《荷塘》—— 荷花可能是吳冠中畫作中出現次數最多的題材，最為特別的有1995及1997年的《荷塘》和2007年的《殘荷》，以及2009年的《拋了年華》。

吳冠中生前曾說過：「在香港可以看到東方，也可以看到西方⋯⋯所以我喜歡香港。」

Wu Guanzhong is a distinguished figure in modern Chinese ink wash painting, who have idiosyncratically transcended the genre through blending the Western techniques and ideology without neglecting the essence of Chinese aesthetics in his masterpieces. He had been to Hong Kong several times while coming back to mainland from France. Certainly it is a beloved place of him where he had donated numerous cherished works to the art museum.

Acquainting a transformational process of a great creative mind through viewing his works of three decades is touching and inspirational.

Written for pipa and chamber orchestra, Withered Lotuses and Drooping Willows Speak of Our Times expresses a passion for the ink wash painting with its unique kind of ambience being taken into account. Subtitles of sections borrow some of the Wu’s painting captions:

- Drooping Willows by the Shore, Springs and Autumns in the Water (1989),
- Mirage (Reminiscence of Hong Kong) (1991),
- Awaking, and Listening to the Frightening Thunder (2007),
- Lotus Pond —— Lotus may be the mostly adopted topic in Wu’s artworks, which include Lotus Pond in 1995 and 1997, Withered Lotuses in 2007, and Leaving the Youth Behind in 2009.

Wu Quanzhong once said, “In Hong Kong, (we are) able to see the East, and the West… That’s why I like Hong Kong.”

Withered Lotuses And Drooping Willows Speak Of Our Times 殘荷垂柳語春秋

Comissioned by Ensemble Télémaque

Prélude (Prelude)
Le vent (Wind)
La fleur (Flower) 
La neige (Snow) 
La lune (Moon)

It is beautiful, because you believe it is.

As if a glowing light from a candle in the autumn time illuminates the pictures crafted on a folding-screen, the pictures do not speak for themselves but the observer comes up with feelings by what he sees. Music are happenings of raw sound but then is brought to live while one listens.

The title of the piece is inspired by the beauteous scenery depicted by the Chinese poet Du Mu from the Tang Dynasty in the 9th Century, which can be translated literally as “La lumière d’automne de la bougie argentée illumine froidement le pittoresque paravent” (The silvery candle and the autumn light illuminate coldly the picture-crafted folding-screen). And in classic Chinese literature, autumn is often a season associated with sentimentalities.

Phoebuslkt

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