Feb 28
Urna Chahar-Tugchi
心境澄明,笑如春山


Urna Chahar-Tugchi: Jigder Nana
(Tal Nutag - Lieder Aus Dem Mongolischen Grasland)


Urna Chahar-Tugchi: Hödöö
(Tal Nutag - Lieder Aus Dem Mongolischen Grasland)

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Dec 14

一整天在聼同一首歌。爲什麽總是最安靜的音樂讓人產生最強烈的熱望。我喜歡 Anouar Brahem 這張照片,以及這一類的照片。好像褪掉了彩色。起初幾乎誤以爲黑白片,可凝視愈久,那一點滴顔料愈豐富,黑愈濃重,白愈分明。

這許多浮想聯翩,也許是,冬天裏的光線和聲響都空洞了,不禁打翻思緒以製造内心的熱鬧。

Anouar Brahem

These pieces emerged from the keys of a piano. Still affected by the powerful emotion of the encounter, and the exhasustion which followed the recording of “Thimar”. I set the oud aside for a few months, something that had never happened to me before. It was as though the music came from there, from the spaces created by that pause. As though it was the very expression of that lack.

…The piano was the main character, the sole protagonist. It was only later on that the oud came in. It joined the piano gradually, discreetly at first, then it assumed its place. It was a long time, on the other hand, before the idea of integrating the accordion came into my head, whereas it seems obvious to me now. It’s like this music’s inner song.

…A tempo passed on to me by the movement of a tree I could see from my window, swaying gently in the breeze.

- Anouar Brahem, Les pas du chat noir


Anouar Brahem: Leila au pays du carrousel (Les pas du chat noir)

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Dec 13

今年的天寒得晚,冬至將臨,才零星下過兩場雨。白天一如既往的明媚溫暖,只有在夜晚,從忘記関緊的窗戶逼進的涼氣,讓人想起穿上襪子,才想起冬天。夜裏濕潤的薄寒,在這個季節,卻似彌足珍貴。有些很鍾愛的碟,對環境的要求卻很苛刻,凡常人心浮躁,難以放來聼,這時候倒是心境恰如其分的詮釋。

Thomas Binkley,1932-1995,魯特琴師和早期音樂學者,1964年領德國慕尼黑早期音樂組 Studio der Fruehen Musik (Early Music Quartet) 錄製了一輯《布蘭詩歌》,摒棄了歌劇弦管,清簡樸素,始終是我最愛。

Tempus transit gelidum
mundus renovatur,
verque redit floridum,
forma rebus datur.
avis modulatur,
modulans letatur
lucidior
et lenior
aeriam serenatur;
iam florea,
iam frondea
silva comis densatur.

Ludunt super gramina
virgines decore,
quarum nova carmina
dulci sonant ore.
annuunt favore
voluchres canore,
favent et odore
telllus picta flore.
cor igitur
et scingitur
et tangitur amore,
virginitues et avibus
strepentibus sonore.

Tendit modo recia
puer pharetratus;
cui deorum curia
prebet famulatus,
cuius dominatus
nimium est latus,
per hunc triumphatus
sum et sauciatus:
pugnaveram
et fueram
in primis reluctatus,
sed iterum
per puerum
sum veneri prostatus.

Unam, huius vulnere
saucius, amavi,
quam sub firmo federe
michi copulavi.
fidem, quam iuravi,
numquam violavi;
rei tam suavi
totum me dicavi
quam dulcia
sunt basia
puelle!
iam gustavi:
nec cinnanum
et balsamum
esset tam dulce favi!


Thomas Binkley: Tempus Transit Gelidum (Carmina Burana)

1990年重版的CD唱片插頁上,他寫道:

在六十年代初,對早期音樂的研習更加注重旋律上的細節:混淆正確和錯誤的音符如同混淆現實與虛構。那時候我們不僅不像現在這樣願意接受一支樂曲可以存在不同的版本、並且每個版本同樣具有相當的藝術價值和可信度,更缺乏即興演奏所需要的對中古樂器及其技巧的熟知。事實上,那時候我們對中古樂器幾乎一無所知,沒有人願意參照中世紀的演奏範例,早期音樂全部使用近代樂器和演奏規則,並認爲製造美麗的音色比製造有特色的樂符更重要。其實,重要的原始素材就在我們面前,只不過都被我們忽略了:我指的是整個中世紀修辭學體系。那時候我們剛剛開始探索和認知由一種樂器對整篇樂曲的色彩能到達什麽程度的影響。直到決定放棄採用文藝復興時期音樂形式的時候,我們才終于取得了一個飛躍:從某些東南亞、中東和北非的音樂形式中我們找到了範曲,那是一種以單部音色為基礎、產生于嚴謹的美學理論的樂器搭配方式,在廣泛的程度上可以應用于西方音樂。我們從未試圖單純效仿東方音樂,而是在探索重現中世紀音樂的過程中得到了一種似乎被“濾”過的西洋樂。

In the early 1960s early-music specialists greatly concerned about the details of the melodies: the ambiguity of right notes versus wrong notes was regarded as being similar to the ambiguity that exists between fact and fiction. At that time we did not easily accept as we do now, that there could be multiple versions of a piece of music, each with equal artistic merit and historical credibility. There was no clear understanding regarding the details of instruments and their playing techniques, so important in devising an improvisatory performance style. Indeed, very little was actually known about medieval instruments. No one performing medieval music at that time was willing to trust the performance paradigms of the Middle Ages, everyone employed instruments from more recent times and applied modern “quality control” to performance standards, believing that it was more virtuous to make a beautiful sound (whatever that may be) than to select interesting notes to play. Although an important original source for historical performance was readily available, we did not recognize it: I am thinking of the whole complex of medieval rhetoric. At that time we were just beginning to understand to what extend the characteristics of an instrument condition the tonal picture. When we stopped projecting Renaissance musical characteristics back into the Middle Ages we made a great leap forward: our new models were found in selected practices from South-East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, music based upon monophony and instrumental applications growing out of a serious aesthetic theory which in very general terms could be applied to Western music. We never directly imitated Eastern music, but passed what we had learned through what might be termed a “Western filter” in an attempt to recreate the lost art of medieval instrumental performance.

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Dec 08

The world was all before them, where to choose
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide.
They hand in hand, with wand’ring steps and slow,
Through Eden took their solitary way.

- John Milton, 1608-1674, Paradise Lost, Book XII


Andreas Scholl: With Wand’ring Steps (The Merchant of Venice)

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Sep 25

….09.29….10.15.2006…


Tom Waits: On the Other Side of the World (Night on Earth)

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Jul 31

當當的包裹寄到了──
 

崔健: 農村包圍城市 (給你一點顔色

你們有甚麼了不起的
要不是我們農村 你們到哪兒吃東西呀
毛主席說啦 「農村包圍城市」
現在我們來到你們這兒又能怎麼著吧

你們有甚麼呀 瞧給你們慣的
這個不行 還那個不行 有甚麼呀
不就是多讀過幾年兒書嗎
那沒讀過書的人就不是人嗎

我們沒偷你們的 也沒搶你們的
我們每天干的活兒都是你們不想幹的
你們在領導面前都像孫兒似的
可一到我們面前你們都跟大幹部似的

甚麼身份證兒 暫住證兒 健康證兒
難道你們城裡就不是我們中國嗎
誰心裏都明白 這話該咋兒說咋兒說
誰也不比誰機靈 誰也不比誰傻呀

…給我碗水喝

再說了 你們的前幾代也都是我們農村兒的
現在你們一轉臉兒變成貴族了
這些年你們到底幹了些甚麼
各種各樣運動都是你們弄出來的

你們讀書人最愛變了
好話壞話都讓你們說了
世界上有兩件事最容易
一個是吹牛 一個就是寫字兒

有知識和有良心是兩回事兒
沒有良心有知識又有啥用啊
你們敢說你們說的每句話都是真的嗎
寫的每個字兒都是用了心的嗎

我才不信吶 你們才沒這膽兒呢
你們現在火起來了是暫時的
用良心換知識 我還不換呢
我要是有個兒子 才不跟你們學呢

…給我碗水喝

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May 12

友鄰來問,你聼 Madredeus,哪一張好呐?舉棋不定半晌,忍不住把舊碟一張張翻出來重溫。

第一次聼 Madredeus,是在雕刻時光。一九九八年,雕刻時光還是北大東門外巷子裏的一間小平房。周末晚上放電影,通常是一盤錄影帶,十幾二十個頭顱擠得整間屋子影影綽綽。在那裏我們看了東京兄妹,鸛鳥躑躅,霧中風景,我最想念的季節,還有許多 …… 碧海藍天的VCD,比之平日看的錄像,既清楚顔色又好,留下不可磨滅的印象。另外哪個日本電影,沒有字幕的,請了兩個北大的學生作同聲口譯,是很奇怪的觀影經歷。

巷子裏那時候還有一間名為『閑情偶寄』的茶室,萬聖書園也在不遠,小小的,冬天的門上挂著厚厚的棉帘子。我們總是周末電影開始前的傍晚騎車過去臨近的鋪子裏先吃晚飯。有一家回人的麵館,一盤番茄青椒牛肉片的燴麵,好吃得緊。

那時候的墨工和我似乎都是不喜熱鬧的人,揀一本書,泡一壺茶,一言不發坐上半天。去得久了,進門不過點一個頭,笑一下,不會去主動找老闆搭訕。夏天的柳橙冰茶,冬天的柳橙紅茶,現在想起,舌尖依然酸酸甜甜的。音樂大多是爵士一類,似有若無,正是咖啡館的氣氛,不惹人注目。有一天,老闆的太太起身去換了一張碟。第一支曲子播完,我聼得忘記手裏的書,忙討得唱片封套來看,那是第一次看到 Ainda 這個名字,Madredeus。再去,常常忍不住要央店裏的小妹再放這張來聼,但又常常被自己的羞赧怯住了。

後來移居夏洛忒,終于自己買作收藏。又從學校圖書館借來看完《里斯本故事》,更放不下那音樂,魂牽夢縈地。每天下午上課的去路和歸途翻覆地聼同一張碟,以致現在每次聽到綿長那一聲風琴,就仿佛看到驕陽下滿街盛開的梨花。

再後來,碟一張一張置的大約齊了,聼的卻越發少了。照片上的 Teresa,從來雙唇緊閉,一抹閑定卻好像轉瞬即逝的微笑,一雙黑瞳望得人怔忡。她唱歌的時候,總是輕輕地頷著頭,眼瞼低垂。記不得從哪裏看來關於他們這樣的文字──

a quiet storm…
gossamer vocals imbue the poetic lyrics with the melancholy nostalgia…

Os Dias da Madredeus Existir Lisboa O Espirito da Paz

Ainda O Paraiso O Porto Antologia

Palavra Cantadas Movimento Electronico Euforia

Um Amor Infinito Faluas do Tejo

出第一張 Os Dias da Madredeus 的時候她十八嵗,聲音還有點單純。不知道是不是在教堂裏錄製的緣故,整張碟聼起來有些嗡嗡的。後面的 Existir,O Espirito da Paz,Ainda,O Paraiso,好似一個故事的四段,之間有千絲萬縷的聯係一般,節奏和旋律,總讓人走著走著忘記停下來似的。之後的 Movimento,沒有風琴,色彩不免單薄。Electronico 向電子方向的嘗試,在我看來是場敗筆。並非不喜歡電聲的緣故,實在是此非彼所長。Euforia 那張變成古典樂的也並不好,出於同樣的原因。本來是清淡舒緩的音樂,被大樂隊一烘托,好像古琴簫管被推上大舞台,很難堪。

Madredeus 聼了這麽久,即使偶爾耳朵生繭,隔些時辰又會想念。


Madredeus: A Andorinha Da Primavera (O Paraíso)

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May 11

A happy one ─

Your herb is still sitting in the fridge. It’s so precious and I’m so waiting for the right moment to dive into the joy that it just never happens. But I managed to come to ecstasy with this new petty discovery, which is also from the grassland.


Urna Chahar-Tugchi: Ordosiin hawur (Jamar)

Urna

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Apr 30

零四年三月。晚上和希去林家的聚會,忽然心下索然,執意要回家,也執意不要他額外開車送我一趟。借著昏黯的路燈走路回家。天格外暖和了,時常讓人誤以為是夏天。一件短袖,竟不感到寒涼。風裡夾帶著無名花粉的氣息,軟軟的撲在臉上,像每一個春天一樣,又回想起和箏穿絨線衣坐在她家樓下花園裡說話的那個傍晚。每一個第一次讓我回憶起那個晚上的日子,就是我自封一年中的“春至”吧。

有多久沒有散步了?他是永遠不會去散步的人。一個沒有時間定義的、起點即是終點的步行,他,是不會去作這樣的無用功吧?最後一次和哲妻去散步的那天,我看到了綠光。我不知道我這一生還會有多少次看到綠光。

人變得十分懶惰。接連錯過幾場計劃去看的電影,有痛惜感。人生漸有座渡船過岸的感覺,仿佛身不由己地到彼岸去,船卻是自己當初一腳踏上去的。


Israel Kamakawiwo’ole: Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World (Facing Future)

這是一首30年代的老歌,被一個無比肥胖的名字叫做 Israel Kamakawiwo’ole 的夏威夷人翻唱,是我最喜歡的版本。 兩年前的健身課的老師是個擁有甜美笑容、體裁豐腴、蜂蜜色皮膚的女孩。每次有氧運動之後做伸展,她都會放這首歌。想象一身汗濕幾乎虛脫的時候,躺在墊子上做仰臥起坐,隨著吉他聲音從院子裡吹過陣陣涼風…四月的 Santa Barbara 是我最喜歡的季節。

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Apr 28


Françoiz Breut: Km 83 (Une Saison Volee)

A song I came across a few days ago.
And have been playing it nonstop ever since.
It slowly put me in a trance.
Creeps beneath the crawling skin.
It made me want to start drawing again, and to abandon everything but.
You may like it.

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