For solo piano
Composition of 2010. Video in 2021.
「一夜獨坐琴前， 在寂靜裏而有感 ，寫下了幾個聲響。其後餘音裊裊，在心醞釀多時，最終編作成曲。」作品寫於2010年末，當時正值研究生時期，大學之中所學所聞甚有影響，自己對音樂甚至于對其他藝術形式的體會亦與小時侯大有不同。讀過了 György Ligeti 的樂譜，聽過了陳其鋼的音樂，我都被大師揮翰成風的手藝深深打動。然而，對是次作品最有啟發性的，莫過於看過了香港藝術館裏吳冠中的水墨畫。
作品首演於2011年，曲目簡介中寫道：「音樂藝術很有趣，它依賴現在時間而存在，但在表現過程中它又會產生另一個時空。可以認識音樂是很幸褔的事，因為這賦予我們通往另一個世界的門票，從而獲得精神上的滿足。是次作品映照水墨傾情，以《夜雷細雨打梨花，靜聽微風響叮鈴》為題，不求創新，只求優雅、求意景、求神韻，著重空間構造。全曲音律取材細膩，和聲編織嚴謹，撇除俗氣，簡單入耳。音與音之間的距離、每一個強弱的標示、發音法的符號和每一條圓滑線都經過悉心安排、精挑細選，皆具特定意義，為求表現聲音與聲音之間的自然本質，讓精神空間有所提升，聽於當下、超乎現實。儘管如此，作曲家要傳遞完全的演釋理念，單靠筆墨記譜猶如敲冰求火，難以盡錄，因此演奏者的詮釋相當重要，亦從中寄盼從細心的演奏者與聽眾中覓得知音。」
驀然回首，十年過後還未曾再添一首鋼琴獨奏。今年家父離世昊靝罔極，回想畢業出身沒有十年也有八載櫛霜沐露，從前也未曾會想過走上學習弓道、茶道、花道之路，質樸恬淡、和敬清寂、唯真善美。此一時，彼一時，卻對此曲思念甚深，揮之不去，感覺音樂植根心靈，概親切又貼心，是「靈」也是「感」。
一時衝動，焚香襯聲以嘆息，和韻流影意味窮。
二零二一年・夏
Pyrus Flower in Rain, for solo piano, was written in 2010 when I was a postgraduate student in music composition. The most influential inspiration to this work must be the encounter of Chinese ink paintings of Wu Guanzhong at the Hong Kong Museum of Arts at that time.
In the programme notes at the premier in 2011, I wrote, ‘The piece calls for a transcendence of space, from physical and perceptual time-space to artistic and conceptual time-space, when situating music in one’s mind. Simplicity is one of the encapsulating beliefs being made during the compositional process which I preferred less is more. Notwithstanding, delicate articulation markings, refined dynamic markings and assigned slurs set forth the subtleties of the piece. Meanwhile, the interpretation of the performer is very decisive and fateful… The incarnation of the composition title in Chinese depicts a sonic scenery where light-rain drops on the flowers under sporadic thunders and when wind rings the tinkle bells. The piece is set to convey a transcendental construction of temporality.’
It has been a decade, and I have not written another work for solo piano since then. Over the years, matters change and things have not always been easy. I even did not know that I would become a practitioner in kyudo, chado, and kado (the Japanese martial art of archery, the ceremony of tea, and the art and philosophies in flower arrangement) at the moment. This year, I am deeply sorrow over the loss of my father. And I hear Pyrus Flower in Rain hovering in my mind again and again. I believe that it is a work very much reflecting my instinct towards art and music, even now I look back. It’s about a spirit, an attitude, a perspective, a style, a sense, and a touch of emotion.
Summer, 2021