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獨奏：謝從馨 Solo: HSIEH Tsung-Hsin 指揮：任燕平 Conductor: JEN Yen-Ping 錫穗國樂團 Xisui Chinese Orchestra   / xsco2012   《錫穗風采》2020-08-13 於臺北市國家音樂廳

打擊樂協奏曲《商銅》王辰威 作曲 Concerto for Chinese Percussion «Bronze Age of Shang» Composed by Wang Chenwei https://wangchenwei.wordpress.com/

Three thousand years ago, the Shāng Dynasty bequeathed two cultural treasures to China: the oracle bone script and Chinese bronzeware. The exquisite craftsmanship and design of Shāng bronzeware bear witness to the illustrious history of ancient China. Inspired by an exhibition of Shāng Dynasty ritual objects and musical instruments at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, this concerto exclusively features Chinese percussion instruments. It evokes the grandeur of the Shāng Dynasty through three movements, each themed after a type of bronzeware.

First Movement: Yuè – Battle Axe of Kings

The Yuè was a weapon that doubled as a ceremonial object, symbolising a king’s military command. This movement depicts King Tāng of Shāng rallying his vast army to campaign against the ruthless King Jié of Xià in 1600 BCE.

The soloist performs on the Jiàngǔ (mounted drum) and Páigǔ (arrayed drums) while the wind instruments carry the melody. To evoke the clash of weaponry, the orchestra musicians strike with wooden sticks and stomp their feet to portray infantry drills.

Second Movement: Jué – Wine Vessel of Aristocrats

The Jué was a wine vessel used by rulers and aristocrats on occasions such as forging alliances, going out to war and celebrating victories. This elegant and relaxed movement conjures images of a palace banquet with intermingling winecups and graceful dancers.

The soloist plays rhythmic figures with relative pitches on suspended Chinese cymbals and gongs. Bamboo clappers are used in the middle section. At the beginning and end, the soloist presses a cymbal on a gong while playing tremolo on the gong to imitate the sound of pouring wine. Plucked string instruments are featured for the melody, incorporating techniques like slides, pitch bends and harmonics.

Third Movement: Dǐng – Ritual Cauldron of Sovereignty

The Dǐng, a cooking vessel, became a ritual and ceremonial object symbolising a country’s sovereignty and was adorned with ancient Chinese characters engraved in the bronze script. The movement’s main motif, “D-G-A”, comprises three notes separated by the musical interval of fourths, symbolising the ancient three-legged and four-legged Dǐng.

The soloist plays the Biānzhōng (pitched bells), Yúnluó (pitched gongs), Huāpéngǔ (low drum), Xiǎochǎ (small cymbals) and Fēngluó (thin gong). Some segments involve one hand playing pitched notes on the Yúnluó and the other hand simultaneously playing unpitched rhythmic accompaniment on the drum. The main theme, presented by the bowed string instruments, is stately and dignified, portraying the vast and prosperous lands of the Shāng dynasty.

A highlight of this movement is the recitation by the orchestra of a verse from the poem The Swallow from Poetry Classics: Shāng Odes using Old Chinese pronunciation (a scholars’ reconstruction of Chinese pronunciation two millennia ago). The meaning of the verse is as follows:

Heaven mandated the swallow, To descend and give birth to the Shāng, Dwelling in Yīn, a vast state. God appointed the martial Tāng, To secure the kingdom great.