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A portfolio of music compositions / CUHK electronic theses & dissertations collection

This portfolio consists of eight works (five choral, one multi-media, one string quartet and one symphonic orchestra) written during my doctoral candidacy from 2011-2015. They are arranged according to genre - from choral works to instrumental, sorted according to the ensemble size and chronologically thereafter. In these works, there are some common traits – the application of interval of second is found in all pieces with distinctive purposes; the emphasis of poetic image in the aesthetic of Chinese music is observed in some pieces. Furthermore, characteristics of choral music such as homophonic progression among parts and cantabile melodic writing can be traced in the instrumental pieces, particularly in the slow section of the String Quartet. / A substantial part of this portfolio is allocated to choral music. Before admitting to the DMus program, I had been establishing myself as a choral composer and conductor in the local choral communities. The last five years I spent at CUHK inspired me not only on the possibility of new sound and harmonic approaches to this genre, but also, and most importantly, the structure and form of music. The diverse manners to develop a musical piece based on simple motives certainly contribute to consistency and coherence. This is inevitably a major breakthrough in my composition career. / The diverse inspirations are channeled into music compositions through different operations of the interval of a second, which contribute to the formation of individual character of each piece: In Wo Jiang, the permeating taste of primordiality is brought by the continuous repetition of the second interval as a driving agent in the bass part, giving origin to the music developed; where vertically there is overtone singing in the upper part, which combines to create a sense of remoteness. The highest notes in the tone cluster passages are sometimes dissonance of second interval that enables a more ringing sound in the high register, whereas in Huan Hun Cao the vertically aligned second interval appears in the inner voices, specially in soprano two and alto, giving way to the emphasis of the highest note sung by soprano one. On the other hand, the horizontal employment of second interval typifies the opening and ending sections of this piece when the moving line shows some descending half step against the long drones sung by the lower parts. This effectively depicts an eerie but yet spacious sensation with regard to the select texts. The usages of second interval are two-folded in Yi Nian – vertical and ornamental – the pitched water glasses are tuned to A, G and F; the humming passages of the chorus feature a descending step in the first tenor to function as an appoggiatura. These altogether enrich the harmonic progression of the chordal harmonies. Encircled begins with irregular subdivisions of beat on C# within the common time by both first and second sopranos though the first soprano repeatedly drives to a semitone higher on the last note of each phrase. Such metallic sound yet sometimes dissonant connects to the imaginary sword fight. The interval of second in the style of ornaments fits well the flute part in the third movement of Chun Hen – The Reunion to orientalize it into Dizi. Wintry sketches also includes interval of second, especially over long notes in the woodwind section, to make depiction of a uncomfortable and piercing scenery atop of a bare mountain. / 此作品集由八首作品組成,包括五首合唱,一項多媒體創作,一首弦樂四重奏及一首管弦。它們都是於二零一一至二零一五年間,本人為博士研究生時創作。作品集裡的作品都有以下共通點:有目的地運用二度音程及展現中國音樂藝術美學的氛圍與詩意。此外,作品集中的器樂作品,都會帶有一點合唱音樂的特徵。 / 本人入讀香港中文大學音樂博士課程前,已致力發展合唱指揮及創作事業,所以合唱音樂佔整個作品集不少篇幅。於在學五年間,本人於聲音及和聲處理上得到很大的啟發;及於樂曲發展、結構與曲式上,更獲資深的指導,創作中更能強調藝術作品的連貫與統一性,乃本人一大突破。 / 於創作上,透過靈活運用二度音程,此作品集中每首作品皆展現獨特性。《我將》的低音聲部,由橫向重複二度音程句組成,豐富了樂曲的推進性。縱向角度,男高音一使用的泛音唱法,則為音樂營造出遙遠感。於多高音和弦(四個音以上的和弦),最高的兩個音也會出現二度音程。透過產生此類不協調和聲,高音聲部較亮麗的音色會更為突出。而於《還魂草》,縱向二度音程則發生於內聲部,見於女高二音及女低音,並停留於中音區,讓女高音一的旋律性能明顯地呈現。另外,樂曲首尾兩段均應用了橫向二度音程。此手法與其他聲部的持續長音同時發生,使兩個聲部產生渺小卻奇異的音程變化,有效地塑造歌詞表達的空間感。《一念》中,二度音程運用大致見於兩段落:已定音的盛水玻璃杯及合唱部份的哼唱段落。後者的二度音程出現於男高音一的倚音,為和聲發展加添色彩。此種把二度音程應用於裝飾音的技巧,亦出現於《春痕》第三樂章《再遇》。為強調東方感,長笛演奏一系列上、下行的倚音,模仿笛子的加花演奏。《圍》除了強調開首女高音一、二於升C音的重複對唱、不規則的四・四拍分拍外,首段樂句均以二度音程作結,產生一種金屬性的聲音,模仿古代的刀光劍影。《冬之素描》亦包括了二度音程與和聲的運用,尤其於木管組的長音上,描繪於空曠高山上不安及寒風刺骨的感覺。 / Chan, Ka Hei. / Thesis D.Mus. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2015. / Abstracts also in Chinese; includes Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 06, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:cuhk.edu.hk/oai:cuhk-dr:cuhk_1291475
Date January 2015
ContributorsChan, Ka-Hei Lesley (author.), Lee, Wendy (thesis advisor.), Chinese University of Hong Kong Graduate School. Division of Music. (degree granting institution.)
Source SetsThe Chinese University of Hong Kong
LanguageEnglish, Chinese
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, theses, text
Formatelectronic resource, electronic resource, remote, 1 online resource (323 leaves) : music, computer, online resource
RightsUse of this resource is governed by the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons "Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International" License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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