Alexander Goehr: The Master Said (2016) (Asian première) | Catherine Larsen-Maguire | Leon Ko

Alexander Goehr: The Master Said, Op 99 (2016) (Asian première)
For Narrator & Chamber Orchestra

Conductor: Catherine Larsen-Maguire
Narrator (In Cantonese): Leon Ko 高世章 (HKS Artist Associate 2018-2019)
Hong Kong Sinfonietta 香港小交響樂團

1.6.2024 (Sat)
Hong Kong City Hall Concert Hall
Concert details: https://hksl.org/concert/great-violin...
About Alexander Goehr: https://hksl.org/composer/alexander-g...
HKS Commissions & Premières: https://hksl.org/new-works/
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《子曰》
文字取自孔子《論語》

子曰：「予欲無言。」子貢曰：「子如不言，則小子何述焉？」
子曰：「天何言哉？四時行焉，百物生焉，天何言哉？」

子曰：「我非生而知之者，好古，敏以求之者也。」

子曰：「溫故而知新，可以為師矣。」

子曰：「不憤不啟，不悱不發，舉一隅不以三隅反，則不復也。」

子曰：「賜也，女以予為多學而識之者與？」對曰：「然，非與？」曰：「非也，予一以貫之。」

子曰：「富而可求也，雖執鞭之士，吾亦為之。如不可求，從吾所好。」

子擊磬於衛。有荷蕢而過孔氏之門者，曰：「有心哉！擊磬乎！」既而曰：「鄙哉！硜硜乎！莫己知也，斯己而已矣。深則厲，淺則揭。」子曰：「果哉！末之難矣。」

季路問事鬼神。子曰：「未能事人，焉能事鬼？」敢問死。曰：「未知生，焉知死？」
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The Master Said
Texts taken from the Confucian "Analects"
Translated by James Legge

The Master said, “I would prefer not speaking. ” Zi Gong said, “If you, Master, do not speak, what shall we, your disciples, have to record? ” The Master said, “Does Heaven speak? The four seasons pursue their courses, and all things are continually being produced, but does Heaven say anything?”

The Master said, “I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there. ”

The Master said, “If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others. ”

The Master said, “I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge, nor help out any one who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one, and he cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson. ”

The Master said, “Ci, you think, I suppose, that I am one who learns many things and keeps them in memory? ” Zi Gong replied, “Yes – but perhaps it is not so? ” “No, ” was the answer; “I seek a unity all pervading. ”

The Master said, “If the search for riches is sure to be successful, though I should become a groom with whip in hand to get them, I will do so. As the search may not be successful, I will follow after that which I love. ”

The Master was playing, one day, on a musical stone in Wei, when a man, carrying a straw basket, passed the door of the house where Confucius was, and said, “His heart is full who so beats the musical stone.” A little while after, he added, “How contemptible is the one-ideaed obstinacy those sounds display! When one is taken no notice of, he has simply at once to give over his wish for public employment. ‘Deep water must be crossed with the clothes on; shallow water may be crossed with the clothes held up.’" The Master said, “How determined is he in his purpose! But this is not difficult!”

Ji Lu asked about serving the spirits of the dead. The Master said, "While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve their spirits?" Ji Lu added, "I venture to ask about death?" He was answered, "While you do not know life, how can you know about death?"