#SCOSoundbites

#SCOSoundbites – Aleppo

Concert: Affinity
Date: 8 September 2023

Sanxian: Huang Guifang
Composed by Wang Chenwei

Eminent as a cradle of civilisation, the 7000-year-old city of Aleppo in Syria has been ravaged by the Syrian Civil War, which broke out in 2011. Much of the Ancient City of Aleppo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies in ruin, and the citizens of Aleppo live in abject misery. Commissioned and premiered by the Taipei Chinese Orchestra in 2017, this piece pays tribute to a rich cultural heritage devastated by war and expresses hope for the city’s restoration.

Based on concepts of traditional Arab music, the seven sections of "Aleppo" each employs different melodic and rhythmic modes, termed maqām and īqā’ in Arabic. Furthermore, many scales involve three-quarter tone intervals, and as the only fretless lute in the Chinese orchestra, the Sanxian is well-suited for playing these microtones.

I. "Hymn from the Ancients": The 1400 BC Hurrian Hymn No. 6 reflects Aleppo’s history as a cradle of civilisation. Found on a cuneiform tablet excavated near Aleppo, this hymn is the oldest notated melody known to exist. (This piece takes reference from Richard Dumbrill’s translation of the cuneiform notation.)
II. "Citadel on the Hill": The grand orchestral tutti depicts the Citadel of Aleppo, symbolic of the city’s political might. As the melody of this section does not involve quarter tones, it can be harmonised with chords.
III. "Bustle of the Souq": Joyful rhythms represent the vibrant marketplace at the Al-Madina Souq, while rapid modulations lead the listener through 13 kilometres of alleys filled with diverse merchants.
IV. "Flames of Resentment": In 2011, uprisings began spreading throughout Syria and eventually escalated into civil war. The Suona’s trills symbolise the flames of war, while tremolos on the string instruments represent rising tensions in the country.
V. "Crossfire of the Armies": As street battles rage, exchanges of gunfire are portrayed by beats of the timpani and Chinese drum. Tremolo slides on the Sanxian imitate wailing sirens, culminating in a chaotic section depicting the collapse of historical monuments that once stood tall and proud.
VI. Tears of the Rubble: Amidst swirling sands evoked by the Huqin, Yangqin and cello, the Sanxian plays the sorrowful maqām ṣabā, lamenting the loss of lives and cultural heritage.
VII. Path to the Future: A bittersweet melody trudges through the ruins, as citizens gradually return to rebuild their home. The Sanxian cadenza revisits the various themes and maqāms of the piece, building up to an optimistic finale with the grand theme from Citadel on the Hill, expressing hope for Aleppo to be restored to its former glory.

View the house programme of “Affinity” here: https://bit.ly/qinyuan

#SCO音乐摘录 - 《阿勒颇》
音乐会：琴缘
日期：2023年9月8日
三弦独奏: 黄桂芳
王辰威作曲

叙利亚七千年古城阿勒颇是人类文明的摇篮，其老城区被国列为世界文化遗产。自2011年叙利亚内战爆发，阿勒颇民不聊生，许多历史古迹毁于一旦。这首曲应台北市立国乐团委托而创作，并首演于2017年，既展现了阿勒颇的文化魅力，也警示人们战争所造成的摧毁力，并祝愿阿勒颇恢复昔日的光辉。《阿勒颇》根据传统阿拉伯音乐理论而创作，七个乐段各采用不同的maqām（调式）及īqā‘（节奏模式）。许多调式含有处于小二度与大二度之间的“中二度”音程，而三弦作为国乐队中唯一无品的弹拨乐器，非常适于演奏这些微分音。

一、 《上古的颂歌》：出土于阿勒颇附近的楔形文字泥板上记载着公元前1400年的《胡里安颂歌》。这首世上最古老的旋律述说着阿勒颇渊远的历史。（本曲参考了Richard Dumbrill翻译的楔形文字谱。）
二、 《傲立的城堡》：雄伟的乐队大合奏描绘了傲立于城中心山上的阿勒颇城堡及其政治地位。此段旋律由于不含微分音，因而可配上和声。
三、 《缤纷的集市》：欢快的节奏体现了繁荣的贸易，频繁的转调引领听众沿着麦地那集市13公里长的小巷，欣赏琳琅满目的商品。
四、 《燃烧的怨恨》：叙利亚的示威活动于2011年开始蔓延至全国多地，冲突逐渐升温，最终酿成内战。唢呐的颤音勾画出“燃烧”的形象，弹拨乐的滚奏和胡琴的颤弓烘托出紧张的气氛。
五、 《激烈的交战》：阿勒颇街头展开交战，定音鼓和大堂鼓的敲击犹如对立的枪炮声，三弦的滚奏滑音模仿防空警报声。乐曲推向激烈的高潮，一片混乱的下行滑音描绘被炮弹击中倒塌的历史古迹。
六、 《泣诉的残垣》：家破人亡，城市夷为废墟，胡琴、扬琴与大提琴漩涡式的音型犹如吹过的沙尘，三弦弹奏最具伤感的ṣabā调式，表达万分的惋惜。
七、 《未来的道路》：随着局势稳定，市民逐渐重返阿勒颇。乐曲忧伤里含着坚强，体现了艰辛漫长的重建道路。三弦的华彩片段回顾了全曲的各主题和maqām调式，并推向壮丽的尾声。大乐队重现「傲立的城堡」主题，祝愿阿勒颇恢复昔日的光辉。

点击链接参阅"琴缘"节目册: https://bit.ly/qinyuan