Name: Scriabin Preludes Op. 11 no. 1,2,21,22,5,6 by William Fu
Duration: 7 min 25 s
Description: Recorded at Y-studio, Hong Kong, during 2021 Le French May concert - "Grieve in Elegance"

《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

Recorded at Y-studio, Hong Kong, during 2021 Le French May concert - "Grieve in Elegance"

Scriabin Preludes Op. 11 no. 1,2,21,22,5,6

Gymnopédie 1

Recorded in the Dukes Hall, Royal Academy of Music

Chopin Etude Op 10 No 5 Black Keys William Fu

《夜雷細雨打梨花，靜聽微風響釘鈴》

for solo piano

Pyrus Flower in Rain (Premier)

Hong Kong pianist Fu Kat-Ho William is known for his deep understanding and maturity in his playing. In 2018, he got a high recommendation prize in the prestigious Lilian Davies Prize of the Royal Academy of Music, a “ mature and serious” performance of the penultimate Beethoven Piano Sonata, which brought him a further concert at Norden Farm Arts Centre in Maidenhead, United Kingdom. His performance then wins critical acclaim. Notable performance includes a full-house recital in Leighton House Museum and City Lit in London, representing prize-winners from Musical Odyssey Masterclass. Recently, he has frequently appeared in Le French May Festival, gives many chamber concerts and a piano recital, in which William cooperates with other art forms, including animation and choreography, and aiming to bring innovation to the classical music field.

William graduated from the master of music programme from the Royal Academy of Music; bachelor from the music department of Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He studies with Prof. Carole Presland and Raymond Young. He has had masterclasses with Nancy Loo, Eleanor Wong, Nikolai Demidenko, Dmitri Alexeev, Imogen Cooper, Robert Levin, James Kirby, Pascal Gallet, Pascal Devoyon, Giuseppe Albanese, Danny Driver, Thomas Rosenkranz.

Scriabin Preludes Op. 11 no. 1,2,21,22,5,6

William Fu

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