此作品《九角子》是取材傳統福建地方戲劇“高甲戲”,實“九角戲”。“九角戲”是由九個角色組成。作曲家嘗試以九大種潮洲傳統器樂演奏,如嗩吶大小鑼鼓,笛套,絃詩樂,細樂,潮堂樂,等,作九個音樂上的角色。
曲中亦節錄福建民謠《苦調》和客民謠《山子歌》作音樂素材。曲中結構以「起」,「承」,「轉」,「合」,和「序」,「破」,「急」作曲式。七小段
一氣而成把音樂上的聲響和樂韻,將傳統潮洲文化精作現代的啟思。

This piece, “Nine Actors” was written for Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Inspired by tradition Hokkien drama, is performed by nine actors. Composers tried to used traditional nine main types of Teochew instrumental music such as suona ensemble, “drum and gong” ensemble, flute and woodwind ensemble, strings ensemble, solo and court music etc. Composer imagined those nine types of instrumental groups as nine different actors to perform the entire composition.

There are two traditional Hokkien and Hakka folk tunes as the main musical elements. There are seven short sections to link the entire piece without break. As the whole work, it contains different tone color and energetic rhythmic motion to reflect a new sound on traditional Teochew culture.

Second concert

Nine Actors 九角子

Biography

"Stephen Yip has an extraordinary way of creating a post-Darmstadtian modernism that incorporates his Chinese roots with a subtlety that gives us a vivid experience of the inner colors of an advanced spatial sense. It leaves us with a feeling of focused tranquility. He is a genuine voice in new music today."
—Gapplegate Classical-Modern Music Review

“…..abound in colourful texture that take their cue from traditional Asian music….and ….Yip’s splendid ear and sophisticated technique stand him in good stead….”
—Gramophone Review

Stephen Yip was born in Hong Kong and now living in U.S.A. He received his doctor of musical arts (D.M.A.) at Rice University and bachelor of fine arts (B.F.A.) at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.  He has attended major music festivals including: Wellesley Composers Conference, Aspen Music Festival, International Summer Course for New Music Darmstadt, Asian Composers’ League, ISCM World Music Days, Chinese Composers’ Festival, Music X, June in Buffalo, IMPULS Ensemble Akademie, California E.A.R. Unit Composer Seminar, the 13th International Summer Program, Czech Republic, International Composers’ Workshop, Luxembourg, the International Summer Course for New Music, Darmstadt, Germany, Wellesley Composers’ Conference. Residencies include: the Atlantic Center for the Arts, Florida, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts , Yaddo Colony, NY and the MacDowell Colony, NH.    

Yip’s works have been performed in the United States, Canada, Costa Rica, Israel, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and Philippines.  He has received several composition prizes, included “Earplay”, “Salvatore Martirano Memorial Composition Award”, “Taiwan Music Center International Composition Prize”, “Robert Avalon Interantional Prize”, “Singapore International Composition Competition for Chinese Orchestra”,  “Haifa International Composition Prize”, First International EPICMUSIC Composition Prize, Italy, International Biennial composition competition, the Debussy Trio Music Foundation, Molinari Quartet’s Third International Composition Competition, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra Emerging, the ALEA III composition Competition, the fourth NACUSA Texas Composition Competition, the International Music Prize for Excellence in Composition 2010, by the National Academy of Music, Thessaloniki, Greece, and the 2010 Alvarez Chamber Orchestra Freestyle Composition Competition, London, England .  

His works have been performed by major ensembles and players such as Alarm Will Sound, Earplay New Music, Mivos String Quartet, New York New Music Ensemble, Great Noise Ensemble, North South Consonance, Brno Philharmonc Orchestra, inFLUX Duo, Windpipe Chinese Orchestra, Little Giant Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra, St. Paul Chambr Orchestra, Curious Chamber Players, TIMF Ensemble, Ensemble El Perro Andaluz, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Singapore Chinese Orchestra, Avanti, Ensemble Kochi, Moscow New Music Ensemble, etc.
  
Yip’s works are recorded in the ERM-Media, PARMA, Capstone, North South recording, Ablaze records, ATMA Classique, and Beauport Classical labels.  Yip is a member of the SCI, NACUSA, and ASCAP. Currently, he is on the music faculty at Houston Community College and works as a freelance composer.

Email: yshukin71@gmail.com 
Web: www.stephen-yip.com

Nine Actors 九角子

Stephen Yip 1