MUSICAL WORKS

MAK Clarence Wai-chu / 麥偉鑄

2011

Tornado ad infinitum / 無極旋風 / Wu ji xuan feng

Birth Y: 1959 Birth C: HONG KONG Gender: Male

Dest: Concert

Media Specification: Mixed music

Commission: Wuji Ensemble with sponsorship from CASH Music Fund

Performer(s): Wuji Ensemble (Dizi: Zhang Fan, Guzhen: Fu Na, Artistic Director: Solo Theatre)

First perf.: Kwai Tsing Theatre, Hong Kong, 3 Dec 2011

Perf. Country: HONG KONG

Instruments: Computer, dizi and guzheng

Prog. notes: "The word “wuji” originally means “infinity, endless”, and is often refers to an ancient philosophy, the ultimate nature of the concept of “Tao”. The ancient Liezi, driving with the wind, roamed in the infinitive space and time. A poem by Wang Anshi also so described, “Grass on the remnant stele telling the spring while cyclone sometimes bringing off the dust from the ground.” Cyclone really can bring out something from underground for us to see. This piece, in free musical style and with dynamic contrasts, makes use of a rather simple instrumentation – dizi and guzheng, with electronic music, with techniques such as continuoustremolo with pitch bending and circular breathing, as well as the endless glissando in computer sound, not only to depict the surface morphology of the cyclone, but also to express an inner state of mind and attitude towards music, that is to constantly “blow” up the cover of creative arts, and to build up an influential positive trend of music making. This might also be the consistent spirit and the ideology of Wuji Ensemble. 「無極」原指「無邊際，無窮盡」，也指一種古代哲學思想，亦是道的終極性的概念。有 云古人列子駕馭著風，漫遊於無窮無盡的空間和時間。王安石的詩句亦有: 「埋沒殘碑草自春，旋風時出地中塵。」旋風就可以令我們看到平時埋沒在地下的東西起飛。樂曲風格自由而富強弱對比，以簡單的兩件樂器，笛子和古箏，配合電子音樂。當中應用了箏左壓弦下的持續顫音和循環換氣的技巧，還有無盡滑音的電腦聲效，不單是去描繪旋風的表面形態，更要去表達一種內在的心境和音樂態度，就是不斷的、持之以恆的將可能被忽略的精緻藝術創意展現出來，形成一種有影響力的正面風氣，這或許也是無極樂團一貫的精神和理念。"

Editor: Ka Lun CHEUNG

Comment: See: http://www.hugodisc.com/upload/無極旋風中英曲目介紹.pdf, http://www.rhapsoarts.com/2011_Wuji_e.html.