交響素描《木及》第一軸
MU JI – Symphonic Sketch for Orchestra
管絃樂 Symphonic Orchestra | 2023 | 4’00”
「 單音」是構成音樂的最小單位，不同的文化對「 單音」有著不一樣的理解和實踐方式。
美籍華裔作曲家周文中先生是最早在創作中實際運用並提出單個音理論的華人作曲家。他於1968年 在美國大學作曲家協會發表論文《 把單個音看作音樂創作的統一體: 對各種音響特徵中的具有結構 性的偏離的探討( Single Tones as Music Entities: An Approach to Structured Deviations in Tonal Characteristics)》*。對「 單音」提出思考、歸納與整理，不僅是作曲家學術追求的體現，更是展 開人類對自 身文化根本的追尋與認識。
本作的開端，便是我對「 單音」的嘗試。嘗試的目標是為——以貼近自身文化的聲音，展現自身文 化的精神面貌。我的成長背景是不同文化的雜糅，也因此在這部作品中，我希望締造一種跳脫單一 文化框架，卻又能盡可能清晰體現本人對於自身文化的理解與想像。同時，在這部作品中我也嘗試 尋找一種符合當代氣質的聲音。
「 學術性的思考，應體現於可為常人所感知的聲音當中」， 這是當下本人創作的核心精神， 亦是本人想在作品中闡釋的美學觀。
本作意在描寫過去百年來先祖的際遇， 曲中使用了華樂五聲音階、琉球音階、日 本都節音階及甘美 朗音階( 後兩者尚未在本試演版本中體現)。
*引述自 趙冬梅博士論文《 中國傳統音樂的音高元素在現代音樂創作中的繼承與創新》第7頁
"Single tones" are the fundamental building blocks of music, and different cultures have distinct understandings and practices regarding these "single tones." Mr.Wen-chung Chou, a Chinese-American composer, was among the first Chinese composers to practically apply and propose a theory of individual tones in his compositions. In 1968, he presented a paper at the American Composers Association titled "Single Tones as Music Entities: An Approach to Structured Deviations in Tonal Characteristics." *
His exploration and organization of "single tones" not only represent the academic pursuit of composers but also serve as a means to explore and understand one's cultural roots at their core.
The inception of this work is, in essence, my exploration of "single tones." The objective of this endeavor is to use sounds closely aligned with my own culture to manifest the spiritual essence of that culture. My upbringing has been a blend of different cultures, and therefore, in this piece, I aim to create a sound that transcends a singular cultural framework while vividly expressing my personal understanding and imagination of my cultural heritage. Simultaneously, in this work, I also attempt to discover a sound that aligns with contemporary sensibilities.
The central ethos of my current composition is that "academic reflection should be manifested in sounds perceivable by the common person." This is the aesthetic perspective I wish to expound within my work.
This work aims to depict the experiences of my ancestors over the past century. In the composition, I have incorporated the pentatonic scale of Chinese music, the Ryukyuan scale, the Japanese Tōzetsu scale, and the Gamelan scale (the latter two of which have not yet been represented in this preliminary performance version).
Reference:
* Dong-mei Zhao, "Inheritance and Innovation of Chinese Traditional Music Pitch Elements in Contemporary Music" (PhD diss., China Conservatory of Music, 2012.), 7.
