A Poet and
His Muse——
Yu Kwang-chung’s Poetry in Music
Date |
10/24(Fri) –25(Sat)7:30pm |
Location | Eslite Performance Hall, B2, Eslite Spectrum Songyan Store |
Ticketing | NT$300, 500, 800 |
Duration | Approx. 1 hour 40 mins, with no interval |
Lang | Mandarin |
‘A brand-new experience of poetry and music’
——Hong Kong Economic Journal
‘A unique artistic experience where poetry and music complement each other perfectly’
——Sing Tao Daily, Hong Kong
Shared Nostalgia for the Motherland:
The World of Chinese Poetry and Song
Yu Kwang-chung, one of the foremost literary figures in the contemporary Chinese-speaking world, has been writing for over half a century and his poems number over a thousand. His works are well-known for combining both Chinese and Western sensibilities, and for their rhythmic, melodious qualities. Indeed, many of Yu’s poems have been set to music, and have endured as part of our collective memory and popular culture. The lyricism and power of poems such as Nostalgia, Nostalgia in Four Rhymes and The Night Watchman lie in not only their wistfulness for the homeland and evocation of nature, but also their reflections on the many facets of life.
The concerts will showcase Yu’s works over the past 30 years which have been set to music by composers from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Mainland. Some of these are well-known classics, while others are newly composed. This meeting between music and verse will be held at the beautiful Eslite Performance Hall, in what promises to be an absolutely unforgettable musical experience.
Co-presenters
Forum on Words & Music
Musicality is key to Yu’s poetry. In the forum, Yu will be discussing the relationship between literature and music, and other guest speakers will be sharing their fascinating experiences of singing or performing music based on Yu’s poetry.
Speaker | Yu Kwang-chung |
Speakers | Hui Cheung-wai (Hong Kong Composer), David Quah (Hong Kong Tenor), Chao Ching-wen (Taiwanese Composer) |
Host | Hsing Tzn-Ching (Radio and Television Host) |
Date | 10/18 (Sat) 3:00pm |
Location | Screening Room, 6/F, Eslite Xinyi Store |
Registration | (886) 2 8773 5130 |
Documentary Screening: The Untrammeled Traveler
Directed by Chen Hwai-eng, Taiwanese documentary director famous for his observant, lyrical vision, The Untrammelled Traveller follows the footsteps of Mr. and Mrs. Yu on their travels. The documentary explores many aspects of the poet’s life, including his sense of nostalgia, his literary inspiration and writing style, as well his interaction with other writers and intellectuals. It also delves into Yu’s search for a poetic voice of his own in a time when traditional Chinese literature was quickly absorbing Western influences. Yet perhaps the most touching of all in the film is the depiction of the loving relationship between Yu and his wife.
Director | Chen Hwai-eng |
Summy | 2011 / Color / 75 mins / Mandarin / Chinese sub-titles |
Date | 10/18 (Sat) 7:30pm, 10/19 (Sun) 3:00pm |
Location | Screening Room, 6/F, Eslite Xinyi Store |
Registration | (886) 2 8773 5130 |
Forum on “Setting Chinese Text to Music”
Professor Victor Chan, Professor of Music at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and renowned composer, will be sharing his ideas and experiences with the faculty staff and students of the Music School of the National Taipei University of Arts. The topic of the discussion will be ‘Setting Chinese Text to Music’.
Speakers | Chan Wai-kwong Victor |
Date | 10/24 (Fri) 3:10pm |
Location | School of Music, National Taipei University of Arts |
Notice | By Invitation only |
Cast
Tenor | David Quah |
Soprano | Margaret Yim |
Mezzo-soprano | Emily Liu |
Bass | Edmund Kwan |
Piano | Julie Kuok |
Reader | Hsing Tzn-Ching |
Songs
Titita | Chen Maoshuen |
Nostalgia in Four Rhymes -Quotation of Lo Da-yu’s Melody | Lo Da-yu (Arr. Phoebus Lee) |
The Sunflowers | Tang Lok-yin |
What is the Rain Saying through the Night | Julie Kuok |
Nostalgia in Four Rhymes | Yang Hsien (Arr. Leung Chi-hin) |
The Night Watchman | Hui Cheung-wai |
Nostalgia | Chao Daijian (Arr. Lesley Chan) |
Do You Want to be a Mermaid? (World Premiere) | Chao Chingwen |
Titita | Ma Shui-lung |
The Answer | Jenny Chou (Arr. David Quah) |
The Blind Fortune-teller | David Quah |
Nostalgia in Four Rhymes | Chin Shi-wen (Arr. Dennis Wu) |
Your Smile Last Night | Jenny Chou (Arr. Dennis Wu) |
Firefly | Tai Ching-chuan (Arr. David Quah) |
And When I Die | Richard Tsang |
Strange was the World (World Premiere) | Victor Chan |
Yu Kwang-chung’s Poetry in Music
Ticketing
Tickets now on sale
Booking Hotline
(886) 2 3393 9888 |
Discount Details and Online Booking
ArtsTicket | www.artsticket.com.tw |
Programme Enquiries
Phone | (886) 2 8773 5130 / (852) 2722 1650 |
Discount
- 10% off for Dear Friends of National Theatre Concert Hall and Eslite Bookstore Members
- 20% off for students, military, police veterans
- 50% off for disabled and a minder
- 20% off for group purchase of 20 tickets or above