樂曲解說 Program Notes
11.03 臺灣臺北，國家音樂廳 National Concert Hall, Taipei, Taiwan 11.09 法國巴黎，嘉禾音樂廳 Salle Gaveau, Paris, France 11.11 義大利米蘭，米蘭音樂院威爾第廳 Sala Verdi del Conservatorio, Milan, Italy 11.12 義大利烏迪內，新喬凡尼劇院 Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine, Udine, Italy 11.15 瑞士日內瓦，維多利亞音樂廳 Victoria Hall, Geneva, Switzerland 11.18 德國柏林，柏林愛樂廳 Berliner Philharmonie, Berlin, Germany
指導單位│
主辦單位│
1︱NSO 2013歐巡音樂會
樂曲解說
式、語法上，已比他先前創作的三部音詩 更有所突破。
赫克塔‧白遼士（1803-1869）： 《羅馬狂歡節序曲》
作曲家親自將作品標明為「輪旋曲」 （Rondeau），堪謂別出心裁的創意：「輪 旋曲」非指音樂曲式，係採其多段的特色， 意念上，正適合用來描繪狄爾一個又一個的 玩笑把戲。此外，史特勞斯擅長表現器樂作 品中的「寫實」戲劇性，故於各個樂段可聽 見栩栩如生的「衝向市場人群」、「道貌岸 然的說教」、「調情」與「審判」等等惡作 劇場面。然而，《狄爾》曲式上卻非古典時 期傳統的「輪旋曲」，史特勞斯乃以極自由 的手法處理之。作品中有兩個代表狄爾的主 題（ I、II，譜例1、2），係以各種變形外 貌貫串全曲，並配合各描述場景而有不同的 變形手法，時而獨立發展、時而同時出現。 《狄爾》可謂整合了「輪旋曲、交響式發展 及變奏」的手法，足見新興樂類「交響詩」 的曲式與「文字戲劇」之間的牽扯。
場次：臺北、巴黎、烏迪內
法國作曲家白遼士，因其《幻想交響 曲》被視為十九世紀最重要的作曲家之一。 然而因為他對樂曲結構與聲音美感的大膽創 意，他的作品在當時卻少遇到知音。1938年 時，他以文藝復興時期雕刻家為題材所創作 的歌劇《貝維努托•闕里尼》（Benvenuto C e l l i n i ）首演，因為遭指揮家哈貝內克 （François Antoine Habeneck, 1781-1849）抵 制而失敗。白遼士自己在四○年代之後以指 揮家的身份受邀於歐洲巡演，他也開始將這 部歌劇中精彩的段落重新編曲成為音樂會曲 目，受到熱烈歡迎。 這部被作曲家稱為「性格序曲」 （ouverture caractéristique）的作品，主要採 自該歌劇第二幕的場景，描繪羅馬的狂歡節 景象。樂曲在簡短又熱鬧的開場後，出現一 段優美的抒情旋律，係歌劇第一幕男女主角 的重唱曲。在序曲裡則交給英國管獨奏，為 當時罕見的配器選擇。序曲的後半段進入快 板，則幾乎與歌劇第二幕結尾一致，長達兩 百多小節。打擊樂器與賦格手法的使用，樂 曲在近乎瘋狂的歡樂情緒中劃下句點。
撰文│陳怡文
譜例1:
《狄爾》主題I 。
譜例2:
《狄爾》主題II
撰文│蔡永凱
理查‧史特勞斯（1864-1949）： 《狄爾愉快的惡作劇》
尚‧西貝流士（1865-1957）： D小調小提琴協奏曲
場次：臺北、米蘭、日內瓦
場次：巴黎、米蘭、烏迪內、柏林
Till Eulenspiegel這名字承載了許多流行 於中世紀的故事，他是位傳說中的人物，是 個傲慢不恭的搗蛋者。後來，「狄爾」從傳 說人物成為文學角色。故事裡，狄爾是中下 階層的人民，個性狡獪詼諧、不畏權勢，上 至達官貴人、下至平庸百姓，都是他惡作劇 的對象。儘管他惡作劇的後果，總是讓他遭 逮捕判刑，但他的聰慧及善辯，卻總讓他能 在千鈞一髮之際，順利脫逃。
芬蘭作曲家西貝流士（1865-1957）的 音樂，充滿著對於自己生長土地的熱愛與關 懷，他以來自西歐的樂器與創作手法，融入 了芬蘭豐富的民間音樂素材，吸收著北歐歷 史與傳說故事之養分，建構出他豐富的創作 世界。他曾說：「我愛田野和森林，流水和 山丘中的各種神奇聲音。」也說過：「人 們稱我是描繪大自然的藝術家，我萬分欣 喜，因為對我來說，大自然是真正的書中之 書。」從這樣的觀點來欣賞他的音樂作品， 想必會有更深與更廣的體會與感動。
理查•史特勞斯於 1886 年決定改變方 向，棄交響曲，開始創作「交響詩」，並自 創Tondichtung（音詩）一詞，來稱呼他的交 響詩作品。其交響詩的「寫實」風格，迥異 於前輩李斯特之「寫意」境界。《狄爾愉 快的惡作劇》完成於 1895 年，在音樂的曲
西貝流士九歲開始學鋼琴，十五歲時開 始學小提琴，雖然後來成為作曲家，但是他 對小提琴的熱愛一直不減，他仍然夢想自己 能成為一位出色的小提琴家，有朝一日能在
2︱NSO 2013歐巡音樂會
舞臺上恣意的炫技，這首1903年完成於赫 爾辛基的小提琴協奏曲，應該就是這種夢想 昇華的結晶。在這首協奏曲中，西貝流士藉 著小提琴與壯闊的北國大自然溝通交流，獨 奏聲部像是隻孤傲的蒼鷹，遨翔在管絃樂構 成的壯麗山川美景之上，艱難技巧挑戰著每 位演奏家的極限，也讓它成為最常被演出的 二十世紀小提琴協奏曲。 第 一 樂 章 ： 中 庸 的 快 板 （A l l e g r o moderato），奏鳴曲形式，戲劇性強烈，是 獨奏樂器的技巧與爆發力極度展現，呈示部 的兩個主題表現出不同的性格，第一主題冷 峻而孤傲，第二主題伴隨著獨奏樂器的雙音 技巧，展現著熱情而激動的心境，緊扣人 心。全樂章共有兩個炫技的Cadenza樂段， 第一次出現在開頭的小提琴獨白之後，另一 次則是在再現部之前。管絃樂的間奏以民間 樂器擅用的頑固音型（Ostinato）與生動的 節奏感呈現出芬蘭民間音樂的特質。 第二樂章：很慢的慢板（ Ad a g i o d i molto），歌謠式三段體（Ternary form）， 小提琴的旋律深刻而充滿情感張力。 第三樂章：不過分快的快板(Adagio, ma non troppo)，輪旋曲形式，強烈的民族舞曲 風，獨奏小提琴的雙音、泛音及和絃音技巧 對獨奏家來說是極艱難的挑戰。西貝流士曾 經形容這樂章是一首「骷髏舞曲」（Danse Macabre）從其中狂野而怪誕的節奏與音響 組合，應該不難印證。 撰文│余濟倫
卡米爾‧聖桑（1835-1921）： 第一號大提琴協奏曲 場次：日內瓦
聖桑的第一號大提琴協奏曲創作於1872 年。作曲家在寫作時，試圖實驗出一個不同 於傳統的協奏曲框架。不同於常見的三樂章 結構，作曲家在單一樂章中安排了「快、 慢、快」三個段落。同時，他使用「循環主 題」手法來貫穿這三個段落；「循環主題」 手法由白遼士與李斯特奠定基礎，甚為後續 法國作曲家喜愛。第一段落的流動三連音主 題與第二段落的圓舞曲式的主題，在第三段 落裡被融合使用。這突顯出第三段落的多重 任務：它不僅扮演了第一段落之「再現部」 的角色、也使用第二段落的主題來發展；除 此之外，在類似第一段落的開場之後，第三
段落以更艱深的獨奏技巧開展出更加燦爛華 麗的風格，直到樂曲結束。 值得注意的是，作曲家在這部作品裡， 展現了對於「獨奏」與「樂團」聲響的細膩 處理，讓中低音域的大提琴能夠盡情發揮， 不被樂團所掩蓋，這些特質，都讓它成為大 提琴協奏曲中甚受歡迎的作品。 撰文│蔡永凱
錢南章（1948- ）：《詩經五曲》 場次：臺北、巴黎、米蘭
1978年4月29日，《詩經五曲》於「慕 尼黑新音樂五十週年」（ 50 Jahre Neue Musik in München）系列音樂會中首演， 由柯意爾邁爾（Wilhelm Killmayer）指揮慕 尼黑愛樂（Münchner Philharmoniker）， 女高音杜玲璋演唱，在巴伐利亞廣播電臺 （Bayerischer Rundfunk）音樂大廳演出，電 臺並做全德現場轉播，其錄音也在全歐洲其 他各國播出。 《詩經五曲》（Fünf chinesische Lieder / Five Chinese Songs）。詩經（約2500-3000 B.C. ）是中國最古老的一部詩歌總集，共 有305篇（另有6篇只剩其名，而內文已不 可考）。是當時民間的歌謠、士大夫作品 及祭神的頌辭，蘊含著豐富的語言學及社 會史的資料。 一、〈蓼莪〉 古老的詩，用古老的話語，來形容一 位「人子」的心境：「父母希望我長成如 蓼莪一般肥美的菜蔬，但無能的我，只長 的又瘦又小，如雜草一樣……。」全詩大 意：「人子一方面感到辜負了父母的期 望，愧對父母的辛勞。另一方面，當父母 不在了，頓覺無所依怙，對父母如高山勁 風般的恩情，無以回報……。」 二、〈螽斯〉 螽斯長得有些像蝗蟲，相傳一次會生 99 子。其振翅飛翔，烘烘作響，千百隻飛 向天際時，十分壯觀。中國古代在別人家得 子得女時，常會送一幅匾額，上寫「螽斯衍 慶」，是祝賀人子孫昌盛的意思。每次我在 向大家解釋這首歌曲時，許多人聽了都掩口 而笑。今晚各位在場的聽眾，聽了這首曲子 之後一定會「有福了」，也一定會「多子多 孫」的，祝福大家！
3︱NSO 2013歐巡音樂會
無父何怙，無母何恃。出則銜恤，入則靡至。 父兮生我，母兮鞠我。拊我畜我，長我育我； 顧我復我，出入腹我。欲報之德，昊天罔極！ 南山烈烈，飄風發發。民莫不穀，我獨何害！ 南山律律，飄風弗弗。民莫不穀，我獨不卒！ 〈螽斯〉
螽斯 三、〈鵲巢〉 「鳩占鵲巢」是家喻戶曉的譬喻。「喜 鵲」很會啼叫，築的窩很堅固。「鳩」很笨 拙，又不會築巢，常常住在「鵲」的巢中。 本詩是形容古代迎娶新娘的意思。我用了許 多鳥的叫聲來譬喻「鵲」與「鳩」。如背景 音樂般輕輕的絃樂四重奏，是好像形容： 「在古老的遠方，花轎迎娶新娘的聲音… …。」 四、〈伐木〉 很多情、景及事物的交織：在山谷中伐 木、歌唱、鳥叫、為了宴客而打掃、排列碗 碟、飲酒、吃肉、打鼓、跳舞…這就是尋常 百姓的尋常生活，大家enjoy life 啦！ 五、〈小星、又名曉星〉 歌詞敘述一位夜半工作的人，一直到天 色漸明，才得回家，其心情是多麼鬱悶。 但胡適卻暗指：這首詩其實是指一位「性 工作」者的心境。本曲由一個音G#貫穿全 曲，從最低到最高，共有五個八度。最高的 g#3有「高處不勝寒的感覺，好像曉星掛在 天上」。最低的G#2，襯托著夜半工作者的 心境，無論他/她正在做什麼……。 後記：《詩經五曲》首演的前一年，在 慕尼黑音樂院（Musikhochschule München） 實習演出時，五首歌唱完，全場熱烈鼓掌， 喝采滿堂。後經一位友人汪玨描述，當時我 的作曲老師Wilhelm Killmayer竟然「站起來 鼓掌」！ 撰文│錢南章
螽斯羽，詵詵兮，宜爾子孫，振振兮。 螽斯羽，薨薨兮，宜爾子孫，繩繩兮。 螽斯羽，揖揖兮，宜爾子孫，蟄蟄兮。 〈鵲巢〉 維鵲有巢，維鳩居之；之子于歸，百兩御之。 維鵲有巢，維鳩方之；之子于歸，百兩將之。 維鵲有巢，維鳩盈之；之子于歸，百兩成之。 〈伐木〉 伐木丁丁。鳥鳴嚶嚶。出自幽谷，遷於喬木。 嚶其鳴矣，求其友聲。 相彼鳥矣，猶求友聲；矧伊人矣，不求友生？ 神之聽之，終和且平。 伐木許許。釃酒有藇。既有肥羜，以速諸父。 寧適不來？微我弗顧！ 於粲灑埽，陳饋八簋。既有肥牡，以速諸舅。 寧適不來？微我有咎！ 伐木於阪。釃酒有衍。籩豆有踐，兄弟無遠。 民之失德，乾餱以愆。 有酒湑我，無酒酤我。坎坎鼓我，蹲蹲舞我。 迨我暇矣，飲此湑矣。 〈小星〉 嘒彼小星，三五在東。肅肅宵征，夙夜在公。 寔命不同！ 嘒彼小星，維參與昴。肅肅宵征，抱衾與綢。 實命不猶！
顏名秀（1980- ）：《鑿貫》 場次：烏迪內、日內瓦、柏林
《詩經五曲》歌詞 〈蓼莪〉 蓼蓼者莪，匪莪伊蒿。哀哀父母，生我劬勞。 蓼蓼者莪，匪莪伊蔚。哀哀父母，生我勞瘁。 缾之罄矣，維罍之恥。鮮民之生，不如死之久矣。
《鑿貫》的創作靈感來自於雪山隧道這 項與大自然角力搏鬥的現代工程奇蹟。雪山 隧道為臺灣北宜高速公路的一部分，貫穿雪 山山脈北翼，連接新北市坪林區與宜蘭縣頭 城鎮。由於當地地質結構複雜，加上來自地 下水層的大量湧泉，使得工程耗時十五年
4︱NSO 2013歐巡音樂會
（1991-2006）才得以完工，雪山隧道也因 此被形容為「在水中成長的隧道」。施工期 間，不僅鑿穿隧道的大型機具「全斷面隧道 鑽掘機（Tunnel Boring Machine）」曾多次 遭埋，多位工作人員也不幸殉職。完工時， 這座全長將近十三公里的隧道，乃是世界第 五長及東南亞第一長的公路隧道。 《鑿貫》的樂曲開頭是以多種鼓類樂器 演奏「短—長」的節奏動機，來描述大型隧 道鑽掘機不斷地進行挖掘工作。此段同時使 用向上交疊及不和諧的音響，來象徵雪山嚴 峻的地形與工程的艱巨。 第二大段為一哀傷的慢板，先由低音絃 樂器帶出緩慢且沈重的五度音程，並伴隨木 管哀傷的旋律，其後，木管的旋律進一步轉 化為半音階的形態，並持續作發展與擴張， 藉以描述工程中山泉不斷湧入隧道中的情 景。突然間，所有的聲部同時靜止下來，獨 留小提琴於高音域的微弱長音，就如同一絲 光線躡足走入黑暗。 第三大段使用鐘琴與風鈴的金屬音色， 加上絃樂極高與極低音域的五度音程，跳脫 先前負面的情緒，將樂曲帶入完全不同的神 祕世界。木管演奏由五聲音階轉化而來的旋 律，漸漸發展成重覆出現的快速琶音，此時 光線化作溫暖波光，一陣陣湧入長年被黑暗 吞噬的世界，接著，在鑽掘機「短—長」的 動機不斷地推進下，燦爛耀眼的光芒終於完 全征服黑暗。在多種素材持續發展下，樂曲 在鳥瞰這一壯麗的現代奇景中結束。 《鑿貫》是由臺灣愛樂委託創作，並於 2013年9月的開季音樂會中首演。 撰文│顏名秀
克里斯蒂安‧佑斯特（1963-）： 《臺北地平線》 場次：柏林
作曲家佑斯特說道：「人性最幽微之 處，就藏於那神祕的一刻，也就是創意誕生 之處。」他認為創作家創作的過程是將經驗 與天賦混合後，經由大腦與靈魂過濾，最後 再由創作家的心理與生理轉化成令人讚嘆的 藝術品。 《臺北地平線》是佑斯特於2012年夏季 在臺北居住兩個月時所創作的交響曲。他說 道：「譜寫動機時，我無法確定我心中憑藉
的是對臺北的印象亦或是玩味後的結果，或 者是介於兩者之間。」相對於創作一張「明 信片」似的作品，《臺北地平線》則是佑斯 特利用有限的時間，竭盡所能地捕捉城市中 他所能記憶的一切，並將其親身體驗沈澱、 內化後所譜出的作品。 《臺北地平線》的和聲架構以G小調為 基礎，曲中使用數個動機並將其同時堆疊作 發展。曲中不時出現綿長的旋律線條，配合 聲部間協和與不協和音程使用，更加深音樂 的張力，使聽眾從樂曲開頭即不自覺地受著 音樂的牽引。以G小調為基礎的旋律動機在 樂曲的最後一大段不斷地重覆與堆疊，並發 展成為大合唱般的多聲部對位。當樂曲推展 至最高潮時，沈穩又厚重的持續低音G規律 地出現，將整曲不斷堆疊的對位旋律做了最 後的總結。然而，就在曲終前，一和聲外的 和絃突然如天外飛來一筆般出現，硬生生地 留下一個問號，不禁令人省思。 撰文│顏名秀
路得維希．凡．貝多芬（1770-1827）： 第七號交響曲 場次：米蘭、烏迪內、日內瓦
「交響曲巨人」貝多芬的九首交響曲可 說是前無古人後無來者的創世紀經典傑作， 他為海頓、莫札特的古典式交響曲畫下句 點，更為舒伯特、布拉姆斯的浪漫派交響曲 開啟新頁。其在音樂史上的地位具有承先啟 後的重要地位，無怪乎被尊為「樂聖」。 貝多芬的九首交響曲被稱為「不朽的九 首」乃因為它們是最能代表貝多芬音樂精髓 的樂章，更是最能展現貝多芬生命本質的作 品；它們橫跨貝多芬創作生涯的前、中、後 期，表現貝多芬坎坷卻又豐富的一生。成為 認識貝多芬最佳的途徑。其中第七號交響 曲，卻也如同第三號《英雄》以及第五號 《命運》交響曲一般，顯示了貝多芬一貫 凝聚的精神張力與崇隆的氣勢，依舊被視為 「樂聖」不朽的鉅作。 第七號交響曲寫作於1811年，1812年發 表，當時拿破崙幾度入侵奧國，歐洲社會處 在一片混亂之際，而貝多芬的健康狀態也異 常惡劣，但他卻依舊超越了肉體的折磨，發 揮了心靈極致之意志力，完成此曲。樂曲採 用與第一、第二號交響曲相當的較小編制的 樂團，雖然是不具有標題的純粹音樂，然而
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樂曲中頗為新穎的創新樂念，以及連綿不絕 的想像力，在貝多芬「不朽的九首」中，依 舊十分受歡迎。 貝多芬第七與第八號交響曲的創作， 正有如第五與第六號交響曲的過程。兩首 交響曲差不多在同一時期寫作，也同時舉 行非正式的公演，然而作品性格卻相異， 貝多芬自己宣稱第八號要比第七號好得 多，並分別以「大交響曲」以及「小交響 曲」來稱呼這兩首節奏特質相同，但情感 氣氛卻全然相異的作品。 第七號交響曲具有躍動的節奏和燦爛 的色彩，同時因具有豐富的生命力，令人無 比振奮。李斯特稱此曲為「節奏的神化」， 而華格納則評為「神格化的舞蹈（Apotheose des Tanzes）」，第一樂章以及第四樂章正好 表現如此特徵，尤其是第四樂章強烈卻有近 似顛仆的節奏，猶如酒神在酒酣耳熱之際所 跳的舞蹈，因此這個樂章又被稱為「酒神的 舞蹈」。貝多芬本人就曾表示：「音樂有如 我創作靈感美酒，我就是為人類釀造醇酒的 酒神戴奧尼索斯，敬邀所有的人都來共享這 壺美酒，沈醉在性靈的薰陶裡，唯有我能給 人類靈魂神聖的昂揚。」 撰文│黃哲嶔
安東尼‧德沃札克（1841-1904）： 第八號交響曲 場次：臺北、巴黎、柏林
1889 年，波希米亞作曲家德沃札克為 了答謝「法蘭茲•約瑟夫皇帝學會」對藝 術和文學的贊助，在相當短的時間內完成 了第八號交響曲。雖然這部作品在今日的 名氣不如第九號交響曲（即俗稱的「新世 界」），但是第八號交響曲不管在當時的 接受度或樂曲的價值上，都仍是作曲家的 成功之作。第八號交響曲也常被與第七號 交響曲相提並論，不過相對於第七號的沈 鬱，第八號顯得明快，具有活力，也富有 作曲家擅長的民謠風味。 作品有四個樂章。第一樂章開始，由 單簧管、低音管與大提琴奏出如聖詠般的 g 小調旋律。這一段旋律形成第一樂章的 導奏，在樂章的發展部與再現部前也都出 現，有如曲式段落的標記。樂章的第一主 題由長笛演奏，帶有明顯的附點節奏，具 有田園風味。這個主題也引出德沃札克在
配器上的巧思。當第一長笛演奏第一主題 至最後一個音時，第二位長笛演奏者以短 笛來接續這個高音 D 音，並且延續十個小 節，長笛與短笛的八度疊置，構築出獨特 的空間感。而這也是短笛在整個樂章，以 至於整部作品唯一一次出現！ 第二樂章為慢板，呈現ABA'B'的結構。 A 段裡，先是絃樂問、管樂答，之後則互 換，強調兩者間的音色與音域對比。B段特 色則為木管斷奏、絃樂撥奏，先呈現出小夜 曲般的風味，之後銅管加入，樂章慢慢步入 高潮。第三樂章為一帶有憂鬱風味的圓舞 曲，優美的旋律與黏稠的配器，深受柴科夫 斯基的影響。特殊的是，3/8的圓舞曲，到 樂章的尾聲時突然轉為2/4拍，速度亦由優 雅轉為快速。終樂章由小號所演奏的號角音 型開啟。這個樂章採用變奏曲的手法，主 題由大提琴帶出。經歷過多重風格的變奏之 後，以勝利的雄壯姿態結束全曲。 撰文│蔡永凱
Program Notes Hector Berlioz (1803-1869): Le Carnaval Romain for Taipei, Paris, Udine Surely the most famous of all Berlioz overtures, the Roman Carnival Overture, written in 1844, is yet another example of brilliant re-making. He uses the Mardi Gras saltarello (a skipping dance rhythm) and a quotation from the Act I trio, 'O Teresa', of Benvenuto Cellini to create a brilliant stand-alone. It was premiered on 3 February 1844 by Berlioz himself, who was given one rehearsal and no woodwinds. They were away on National Guard duty and had to read the work at sight. After the enormous success of Roman Carnival, it appeared at Covent Garden and Weimar as a second overture to Cellini. © 2013 Naxos Digital Services Ltd
Richard Strauss (1864-1949) : Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, Op. 28 for Taipei, Milan, Geneva The symphonic poem Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks) is based on some of the adventures of the legendary antiauthoritarian Eulenspiegel - Owlglass or Howleglass in the sixteenth century English version of the German publication of 1519. Eulenspiegel, a
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peasant born allegedly in 1300, here uses an assumed simplicity to deflate authority of every kind, an activity for which he receives a just reward. The orchestral work by R. Strauss was completed in 1895. The first episode in the symphonic poem, itself in something of the form of a rondo, is Eulenspiegel’s mad ride through the market, the second Eulenspiegel theme appearing loudly in the strings as the market-women scatter. The opening figure of the theme shows him escaping in sevenleague boots and, after a pause, hiding in a mousehole. He appears in the guise of a priest, but is seized by foreboding at his own sacrilegious temerity, a solo violin glissando leading him into flirtation. When he is jilted, he reacts in a characteristically impudent way, and then poses impossible problems to a group of pedants, represented here by four bassoons and a bass clarinet, revealing himself and his motives to their discomfiture. There is a street-song, as Till goes on his way, but reflection leads to more outrageous behaviour and to a sentence of death. Till is hanged, with dramatic musical realism, the composer closing the tale with an epilogue that matches the brief introduction with which the story had begun. © 2013 Naxos Digital Services Ltd
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) : Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 for Paris, Milan, Udine, Berlin
slow movement brings a deeply romantic melody, the soloist proceeding to weave his own fantasies above the orchestra. There follows a finale which the composer once described as a danse macabre, providing an opportunity for virtuoso display in a work in which the solo part is generally intertwined with the orchestral texture. © 2013 Naxos Digital Services Ltd
Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) : Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33 for Geneva It was in 1872 that Camille Saint-Saëns wrote the first of his two cello concertos. The Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, Op. 33, has enjoyed much greater popularity than the demanding second concerto of 1902. The former was first performed by Auguste Tolbecque, to whom it was dedicated, in a concert at the Conservatoire. In a single movement, the concerto allows the soloist almost immediate entry, in the first bar, with the principal theme, marked by its triplet figuration, its final rising and falling semitone figure echoed in a lower register. A quieter second subject leads to a brief development, but the expected recapitulation leads, instead, to a minuet-like B flat major Allegretto con moto introduced by muted strings and including a cadenza for the soloist. An oboe reminiscence of the principal theme, taken up by the strings and the soloist, moves on, through the latter's rising and falling semitone figure, to the counterpart of a slow movement, a passage marked Un peu moins vite. The soloist eventually leads the way to the return of the principal theme and a final Molto allegro.
Sibelius completed the first version of his Violin Concerto in 1903 and it was first performed in Helsinki with indifferent results. The concerto was revised and successfully performed in Berlin in 1905 by Karl Halir, under the direction of Richard Strauss. The choice of soloist, however, offended the violinist Willy Burmester, who had originally been promised the work. The earlier version of the concerto was technically ambitious, and as a violinist Sibelius had needed no help with the lay-out of the solo part, although this presented technical difficulties that were beyond his own command. The later version made necessary revisions in the solo part and it is in this definitive form that the work has become a standard part of the solo repertoire. The work was dedicated to the young Hungarian virtuoso Ferenc Vecsey, who had given a later performance of the concerto in Berlin in the presence of Sibelius.
Five Chinese Songs for Soprano and Orchestra were written during my fourth year at the Munich Conservatory (1977). Before that, I had written The Orphan, The East Door, string quartet Flowing Stream, and piano trio and Neun Hand- und Fuss Stuecke, Piano Trio “9 with hand and foot pieces”. The last two were also performed at the Munich Composers Association.
The concerto opens with no lengthy orchestral introduction, the soloist making an almost immediate appearance, accompanied by a Scandinavian mist of muted strings. Although the movement is in the traditional tripartite form, the central development section is replaced by a cadenza-like passage for the violinist. The lyrical
The five Chinese songs are taken from five poems of the Book of Songs, Grieving, Longhorned Grasshoppers, Magpie’s Nest, Logging and Star, which are five art songs for soprano and orchestra. Ling-Chang Du, a voice major at the Salzburg Conservatory, was invited for the public performance through a mutual friend at the Concert
© 2013 Naxos Digital Services Ltd
Nan-Chang Chien (1948- ): Five Chinese Songs for Soprano and Orchestra for Taipei, Paris, Milan
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Hall of the conservatory at the end of the semester. The performance received much praise from the audience. A friend Wu Wang said that my composition teacher, Prof. Wilhelm Killmayer, even “stood up and applauded!” In the second year (1978), my teacher recommended this work to be presented at the series concerts of the 50th Anniversary of Munich New Music. The performance was by Du and Münchener Philharmoniker under the baton of my teacher at the Bavarian Radio Concert Hall while the radio livebroadcast to the whole Germany. The recording was also aired in other countries of Europe. I reached the height of my career during my German stay that evening (April 29 th). I also completed my studies in Germany that summer and then returned to Taiwan. PS. The composition received a Jhongshan Art and Literature Prize in 1978. By Nan-Chang Chien
Lyrics Translation (Sung in Mandarin) 1. Grieving Long and large grows the e; It is not the e but the hao. Alas! alas! my parents, With what toil ye gave me birth! Long and large grows the e; It is not the e but the wei. Alas! alas! my parents, With what toil and suffering ye gave me birth! When the pitcher is exhausted, It is the shame of the jar. Than to live an orphan, It would be better to have been long dead. Fatherless, who is there to rely on? Motherless, who is there to depend on? When I go abroad, I carry my grief with me; When I come home, I have no one to go to. O my father, who begat me! O my mother, who nourished me! Ye indulged me, ye fed me, Ye held me up, ye supported me, Ye looked after me, ye never left me, Out and in ye bore me in your arms. If I would return your kindness, It is like great Heaven, illimitable, Cold and bleak is the Southern hill; The rushing wind is very fierce. People all are happy; Why am I alone thus miserable? The Southern hill is very steep; The rushing wind is blustering. People all are happy; I alone have been unable to finish [my duty].
2. Longhorned Grasshoppers Ye locusts, winged tribes, How harmoniously you collect together! Right is it that your descendants Should be multitudinous! Ye locusts, winged tribes, How sound your wings in flight! Right is it that your descendents Should be as in unbroken strings! Ye locusts, winged tribes, How you cluster together! Right is it that your descendents Should be in swarms! 3. Magpie's Nest The nest is the magpie's; The dove dwells in it. This young lady is going to her future home; A hundred carriages are meeting her. The nest is the magpie's; The dove possesses it. This young lady is going to her future home; A hundred carriages are escorting her. The nest is the magpie's; The dove fills it. This young lady is going to her future home; These hundreds of carriages complete her array. 4. Logging On the trees go the blows zheng-zheng; And the birds cry out ying-ying. One issues from the dark valley, And removes to the lofty tree, While ying goes its cry, Seeking with its voice its companion. Look at the bird, Bird as it is, seeking with its voice its companion; And shall a man, Not seek to have his friends? Spiritual beings will then hearken to him; He shall have harmony and peace. Xu-xu they go, as they fell the trees. I have strained off my spirits, till they are fine, And the fatted lambs are provided, To which to invite my paternal uncles. It is better that something should keep them from coming, Than that I should not have regarded them. Oh! brightly I have sprinkled and swept my courtyard, And arranged my viands, with eight dishes of grain, along with my fatted meat, To which to invite my maternal uncles. It is better that something should keep them from coming, Than that there should be blame attaching to me. They fell down the trees along the hill-side. I have strained off my spirits in abundance; The dishes stand in rows, And none of my brethren are absent.
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The loss of kindly feeling among people, May arise from faults in the matter of dry provisions. If I have spirits I strain them, do I; If I have no spirits, I buy them, do I; I make the drums beat, do I; I lead on the dance, do I. Whenever we have leisure, Let us drink the sparkling spirits. 5. Star Small are those starlets, Three or five of them in the east, Swiftly by night we go; In the early dawn we are with the prince. Our lot is not like hers. Small are those starlets, And there are Orion and the Pleiades. Swiftly by night we go, Carrying our coverlets and sheets. Our lot is not like hers.
Ming-Hsiu Yen (1980- ): Breaking Through for Udine, Geneva, Berlin Breaking Through is inspired by the modern marvel, Hsuehshan (or Snow Mountain) Tunnel. Built on the Taipei-Yilan Freeway in Taiwan, the tunnel is a symbol of human ingenuity overcoming great challenges of nature. Construction lasted from 1991 to 2006 and was plagued by complications from fractured rock and massive inflows of water. As a result, the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), which formed the tunnel, was buried several times and the project became known as “the tunnel that grew up in water.” Even more tragic, several workers lost their lives during construction. When completed, the nearly thirteen kilometer-long tunnel, bored through the Hsuehshan Range, was the longest road tunnel in East Asia and the fifth longest road tunnel in the world. Breaking Through begins with a strong, “shortlong” rhythmic motive performed by various drums, symbolizing the gigantic TBM continuously breaking through rock. In the first section, dissonant chords, piled up and performed by various instruments, represent the high altitude of the steep Snow Mountain. The beginning of the second section, marked Dolente (sorrowful) and Adagio, conveys a mournful tone with low strings playing in fifths and woodwinds playing weeping, chromatic melodic lines. Through development, these chromatic melodic lines transform into chromatic scales, representing the water ceaselessly flowing into the tunnel. Suddenly, the action comes to an abrupt halt, except for the sound of high-pitched, sustained notes in the violins, like a thin beam of light peering through the darkness.
The timbres of the glockenspiel and wind chimes, combined with strings playing in fifths in extreme high and low registers, transcend the frustration of the previous sections. Woodwinds join with melodic lines transformed from pentatonic scales, which later transform into repetitive, arpeggio-like patterns to depict the light as it begins to perpetually flow into the tunnel. Finally, with the development of the TBM’s “shortlong” rhythmic motive, the light overtakes the darkness. The music ends as if overlooking this modern marvel from the sky. Breaking Through was commissioned by the Taiwan Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, for its season opening concert in September 2013. By Ming-Hsiu Yen
Christian Jost (1963- ): Taipei Horizon for Berlin Taipei Horizon, by German composer Christian Jost, is a free meditation inspired by the composer’s two-month stay in the city of Taipei. Describing his experience, Jost writes: “I almost didn’t sleep, since I was crazy to catch up as much as I could within this limited timeframe of my stay.” Cast in a quasi-arch form, Taipei Horizon opens with the slow, unfolding of a tense musical motive, like points of light emerging from the horizon. The work proceeds to explore this motive through a series of contrapuntal transformations in a flowing, tension-release style. The final transformation is a slow, dirge-like chorale played by the entire orchestra in the key of G-minor, essentially the home key of the work. According to Jost, “…Taipei Horizon is not a musical postcard of Taipei, although it could have never been more authentic Taipei-composed as it is.” Ultimately, Taipei Horizon is a self-portrait of an artist coming to terms with his own creative process, absorbing the sights and sounds around him and transforming them into a meaningful work of art. Taipei Horizon was co-commissioned by the Taiwan Philharmonic and Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra. By Matthew Tommasini
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92 for Milan, Udine, Geneva Symphony No.7 in A major, Opus 92, was completed in the spring of 1812, but sketches for some of the material used occur as early as 1809, the year of Haydn’s death. In spite of his deafness
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Beethoven, in his forties, was at the height of his powers, but the new symphony was greeted by some contemporary critics as the work of a drunkard. Weber summed up this opinion of the work: The extravagances of Beethoven’s genius have reached the ne plus ultra in the Seventh Symphony, and he is quite ripe for the mad-house. At the first performance, however, in December 1813, the work was received with considerable enthusiasm. The occasion was a patriotic one, a concert organized by Maelzel, inventor of the new metronome, in aid of the wounded at the battle of Hanau, and the programme included Beethoven’s new Battle Symphony, Wellington’s Victory, a programme piece in which some of the most distinguished musicians of the day took part. Repetitions of the same programme proved much less successful, although the Seventh Symphony was popular enough in Vienna. It is scored for pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, trumpets and drums, with strings. The first movement of the symphony opens with a massive introduction, recalling the beginning of Mozart’s Symphony No. 39. A Vivace follows that has all the exuberance of a peasant dance. The slow movement, marked Allegretto, suggests in its dominant dactylic rhythmic figure, the rhythm so often favoured by Beethoven’s younger contemporary, Franz Schubert. Here, however, the suggestions of a somber march suits well the patriotic mood of 1812. The F major Scherzo is again dominated by a particular rhythmic figure, modified in the contrasting Trio, which is repeated a second time and seems about to emerge once more, to be interrupted by the brusque final chords of the movement. There follows the final Allegro con brio, in the original key of A major, but with harmonic surprises. The whole movement moves to a great climax, a mighty conclusion to a symphony that had made astonishingly powerful use to relatively limited and conventional resources. © 2013 Naxos Digital Services Ltd
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904): Symphony No. 8 in G major, Op. 88 for Taipei, Paris, Berlin Dvořák’s nine symphonies span a period of nearly thirty years. The first two were written in 1865, and the last in 1893. Both the numbering of the symphonies and the opus numbers assigned to them have caused some confusion. The first four symphonies were originally omitted from the list, so that the last five were numbered, although not in order of composition, the basis of the more usual numbering today. Opus numbers were also manipulated to some extent, a simple subterfuge to
outwit Simrock by allocating earlier opus numbers to new compositions, on which he would otherwise have had an option. In 1884 Dvořák bought a small property at Vysoka and it was there that in the autumn of 1889 he wrote his Eighth Symphony, celebrating in the superscription to the score his admission as a member of the Emperor Franz Josef's Czech Academy of Science, Literature and the Arts. The first performance was in Prague in February 1890, followed by a performance in London under the composer’s direction in April and in June in Cambridge, where he received an honorary doctorate. The symphony was published in London by Novello, strong supporters of Dvořák, whose Vienna publisher Simrock had proved keener to buy shorter pieces, for which there was always a ready market. A performance under Richter in Vienna had to wait until January 1891. The symphony, scored for an orchestra that includes piccolo and cor anglais, in addition to the pairs of other woodwind instruments, four horns, trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani and strings, is imbued with the spirit of Bohemia. The first movement opens with a fine G minor theme, scored for cellos, clarinets, bassoon and horn, followed by a cheerful interruption from the flute and a rhythmic additional theme played by divided violas and cellos. There is throughout the movement a mood that changes from major to minor, the former eventually predominating in a cheerful closing section. T h e s l ow m ove m e n t b r i n g s a s i m i l a r ambivalence, the three flats of the opening key signature apparently an afterthought for music which is now in E flat major, before reaching C minor, contradicted by the woodwind. The key signature is replaced before long by a happy C major melody for flute and oboe. The third movement is in the form of a graceful G minor waltz, with a contrasting G major trio section from Dvorřá’s opera The Stubborn Lovers. The trumpets introduce the finale, their strong opening bars followed by a gently lilting cello theme, the subject of a series of variations, interrupted by a sinister soldiery. There is a return to the lyrical principal theme of the movement before the excitement of the closing section, as the orchestra is urged on by the French horns at their brassiest. © 2013 Naxos Digital Services Ltd
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