Poetic Oneirism

煢煢, an old piece of mine

2011-12-31T04:55:00.007+08:00

Thinking about translating this piece into English, written in the year preceding the Millennium. Or perhaps I will continue in Chinese... Something to contemplate/meditate/muse on, this final day of 2011.

09/28/99

煢煢

半圓形的天頂被一層月華光澤的膜緊緻地拉扯住，像一只充滿著水的氣球，虛擬著生腥的焦慮與一種無所事事的、完完全全脫離精神性的美與憂鬱。那個午后，是薄如蟬翼且裹上銀粉的新生的卵，適於討論命理與禪。雲以敏捷的腳步滑行於透明且虛弱的藍，泡沫似的溫順與漠然。青春其實是極度缺乏生命力的。在旺盛與浮躁之中貪慕假象的匱乏，而後需索從不曾或缺的旺盛；在柔弱的本質中渴求堅強與信仰，之後因對於軟弱愚蠢的不自覺與惑於自我宣稱的虛偽堅強而尋覓所謂謙恭溫潤的中庸。青春是僅只存活於對純粹的堅持下、一種具備了美卻不易碎的浪費。如果死的優雅與精神性建構了藝術中闡釋生命的美學，則生不過是為襯托死的一種附屬的存在。但是生命卻是無法磨滅的，即使蒼白而無意義，卻無止盡地散發出猩紅的血的氣味。印度神濕婆在宇宙的輪迴當中毀滅自己所創造的鏡花水月，而後使之重生，不斷重複操縱著生與死的轉輪；祂是否也感受到生命中那種匱乏虛弱的美，以及死亡中屬於生之投影的愛與信念？藍所象徵的嫌惡與非難，以清澈且充滿靈性的美存在於自然界的蒼穹。隅隅獨行的生，幾人在腐臭中仍吟哦走了調的聖詩，又幾人能擺脫所有倫常的帷幕而誠摯地憎恨與厭惡？然而這一切的思索總似時間過度充裕的青春所編織的蛛網，純白得美麗亦膚淺得軟弱。當青春終於被擺脫後，生命開始進入下一段對死複雜的戀慕和禁忌，與對消逝的水光緬懷的遺憾。

artwork inspired by a spider's web at the Setouchi International Art Festival, Inushima Museum, Japan (image via Winged Wheel's p.s. write soon!)

washi paper lantern (also via p.s. write soon!)

Beauty Matters

2011-12-27T18:44:00.001+08:00

"I think that we are losing beauty, and there is a danger that with it, we will lose the meaning of life."

～Roger Scruton, philosopher & writer

于右任　書法四屏

*A micro-website compiled by the National History Museum in Taipei on Yu Youren.

Why Beauty Matters by Roger Scruton, BBC documentary (2009).

*Thank you my dearest Leanne (里杏姊姊♥) ever so much for sending this to me...

Madame Xiang from Nine Songs 九歌之湘夫人

2011-10-18T13:01:00.002+08:00

湘夫人 Madame Xiang

She-shaman princess in a stone boat
in winged dragon-boat
awning of fig-vine
sweet flag paddles magnolia rudder
Rides to that Island, to that Bright Island, abode of light
Swinging her mesmere lamp, her incense burner on a gold chain
She drops her thumb-ring in the Sea
And turning, and turning, stretches her body burning
toward me
(though she told me, told me
she was not
free)
And flying dragons sweep her far away
from me
I gallop my horse in the morning
through the lowlands by the river

(*translation by unknown, via)

湘君：
君不行兮夷猶，蹇誰留兮中洲？
美要眇兮宜修，沛吾乘兮桂舟。
令沅湘兮無波，使江水兮安流！
望夫君兮未來，吹參差兮誰思！
駕飛龍兮北徵，邅吾道兮洞庭。
薜荔柏兮蕙綢，蓀橈兮蘭旌。
望涔陽兮極浦，橫大江兮揚靈。
揚靈兮未極，女嬋媛兮為余太息。
橫流涕兮潺湲，隱思君兮陫側。
桂櫂兮蘭枻，斲冰兮積雪。
採薜荔兮水中，搴芙蓉兮木末。
心不同兮媒勞，恩不甚兮輕絕。
石瀨兮淺淺，飛龍兮翩翩。
交不忠兮怨長，期不信兮告余以不閒。
鼂騁騖兮江臯，夕弭節兮北渚。
鳥次兮屋上，水周兮堂下。
捐余玦兮江中，遺余佩兮醴浦。
採芳洲兮杜若，將以遺兮下女。
旹不可兮再得，聊逍遙兮容與。

湘夫人：
帝子降兮北渚，目眇眇兮愁予。
嫋嫋兮秋風，洞庭波兮木葉下。
白薠兮騁望，與佳期兮夕張。
鳥萃兮蘋中，罾何為兮木上。
沅有茝兮醴有蘭，思公子兮未敢言。
荒忽兮遠望，觀流水兮潺湲。
麋何食兮庭中？蛟何為兮水裔？
朝馳余馬兮江臯，夕濟兮西澨。
聞佳人兮召予，將騰駕兮偕逝。
築室兮水中，葺之兮荷蓋。
蓀壁兮紫壇，播芳椒兮成堂。
桂棟兮蘭橑，辛夷楣兮葯房。
罔薜荔兮為帷，擗蕙櫋兮既張。
白玉兮為鎮，疏石蘭兮為芳。
芷葺兮荷屋，繚之兮杜衡。
合百草兮實庭，建芳馨兮廡門。
九嶷繽兮並迎，靈之來兮如雲。
捐余袂兮江中，遺余褋兮醴浦。
搴汀洲兮杜若，將㠯遺兮遠者。
時不可兮驟得，聊逍遙兮容與。

image & text below via Xue Xue Colors, Taiwan

This beautiful photo brings back such nostalgia and memories... It was my first experience of seeing Cloud Gate Dance Theatre live on-stage (back when I was thirteen years of age), and the work that left the deepest impression on me.

屈原的《九歌》敬天地，祭鬼神，歌頌愛情，悼念國殤，是萬民的禱告。
舞劇以屈原的原作作為想像力的跳板，呈現一場劇場儀式。

然則，神祇從未降臨。

1993年8月10日　台北國家戲劇院首演

雲門二十週年紀念作《九歌》，由屈原的《九歌》出發，發展出融合古今、荷花與燭光、神話與詩的舞作。《九歌》曾在美國華盛頓甘迺迪中心、紐約下一波藝術節、澳洲雪尼奧林匹克藝術節以及歐洲各大城演出，受到國際舞評人一致推崇與觀眾的喜愛。

圖像介紹

編舞家林懷民的舞作《九歌》（1993），二度邀請國際舞台設大師設計。以台灣前輩畫家林玉山早期作品「蓮池」為稿底，再切割為直或橫的布幕，經接合、分離、交錯、昇降等變化運用，令舞台呈現華麗莊嚴又簡潔明快的風格。舞台前的荷花池與舞作中豐美的意象相互呼應，在八百盞燈火綴成的點點燈河中落幕。
1996年，《九歌》的舞台設計獲紐約舞蹈與表演藝術獎，並在隔年的「1997李名覺舞台設計回顧展」中展出。

Know more about Cloud Gate's Nine Songs inspired by Qu Yuan's cycle of poems Jiu Ge written some 2,400 years ago, in this gorgeous microsite here.

*楚辭 Chu Ci on the Chinese Text Project*

And the poetic, oneirique experience of re-/discovering a dried scarlet rose (or a delicate, exquisite veined leaf) amidst the yellowed pages of a beloved old book... Chen Jialing's lotus flower.

Ｌotus, by Chen Jialing, *image courtesy of Sotheby's, Hong Kong.

北斗七星: my Saptarshi (सप्तर्षि) across the blogsphere

2011-07-23T07:56:00.235+08:00

*photo courtesy of 祈光花精 Flamma Flower Essences of Taiwan

Several months ago my little blog here was awarded the "Versatile Blogger Award" by my artist friend Ingrid Lee. Here is what she wrote, "Thanks for sharing your the creative passion with others, you share art and culture which is close to my heart, and I'm always happy visiting your site. So I naturally thought of you when particpating in this award. (...) Poetic Oneirism, by Ting-Jen Hwang, [is] an insight into the beauty and inspiration of music, art and culture." Thank you once again Ingrid and my apologies for the very long delay...

To accept this award, I am supposed to write seven things about myself, in addition to nominating/re-gifting it to seven other - in my own words - 'virtual places of my heart.' However, I decided to instead choose ten (yes!!) songs of my favourite Chinese singer Faye Wong, with a link to each song for all my lovely readers to appreciate. These songs are listed in no particular order and I have also included some of the lyrics that I like very much. Is this not even more fun than talking about myself...? :-)

i. 臉 Face:
呼吸是你的臉你曲線在蔓延不斷演變那海岸線長出了最哀艷的水仙攀過你的臉想不到那麼蜿蜒在你左邊的容顏我擱淺我卻要繼續冒險最好沒有人會明白我說甚麼只有你聽懂我想甚麼你一臉沉默甚麼我沒說甚麼濕濕的汗水不只一點點你眉頭是否碰上黃梅天來吧滋潤我的滄海桑田你每一臉是我一年已好久不見抽煙抽象的眼雨綿綿讓我失眠一點一滴的沉澱累積成我皺紋在你的笑臉
(music: Faye Wong/ lyrics: the *brilliant* Lin Hsi)
*Here is another stunning live version with Faye's signature humming, "invented language"...

ii. 寒武紀 The Cambrian Age:
故事從一雙玻璃鞋開始, 最初灰姑娘還沒有回憶, 不懂小王子有多美麗, 直到伊甸園長出第一顆菩提, 我們才學會孤寂; 在天鵝湖中邊走邊尋覓, 尋覓; 最後每個人都有個結局, 只是踏破了玻璃鞋之後, 你的小王子跑到哪裡? 蝴蝶的玫瑰可能依然留在幾億年前的寒武紀, 怕鏡花水月終於來不及, 去相遇...
(music: Faye Wong/ lyrics: Lin Hsi)

iii. 白癡 Idiot (music: San Bao/ lyrics: Lin Hsi)

iv. 彼岸花 Flowers of Paramita:
看見的熄滅了消失的記住了我站在海角天涯聽見土壤萌芽等待曇花再開把芬芳留給年華彼岸沒有燈塔我依然張望著天黑刷白了頭髮緊握著我火把他來我對自己說: 我不害怕我很愛他
(music: Faye Wong/ lyrics: Lin Hsi)

v. 浮躁 Restless:
九月天高人浮躁九月裡平淡無聊一切都好只缺煩惱
(music & lyrics: Faye Wong)

vi. 誓言 Pledge (music: Faye Wong & Dou Wei/ lyrics: Faye Wong)

vii. 無常 Impermanence:
夜風微涼樹搖月晃雲兒在飛我在想水流花兒香一片夜色放心上喜中帶憂暗中有光怎麼度怎麼量田野山崗美麗之下的凄涼無常你看那山色湖光你看那藍天白楊看不到一絲渺茫你再看海天碧浪你再看晚霞曙光禁不住匆匆忙忙把希望留給失望
(music & lyrics: Faye Wong)

viii. 開到荼蘼 Last Blossom (music: C Y Kong/ lyrics: Lin Hsi)

ix. 討好自己 Ingratiate Oneself:
討好自己現實逃避不知不覺抽離漫天的是非做我的真理一團和氣處事道理遮遮掩掩臉皮其實都自卑其實都自欺討好自己現實逃避不知不覺飄離
(music & lyrics: Faye Wong)

x. 流浪的紅舞鞋 (from 4:35) The Wanderer's Red Dancing Shoes
藍色黃昏流浪兒慵懶的歌紅馬車梧桐遮住了舞蹈的鞋馬戲團描出聲色不管你有一分錢或黃金萬貫不管你是一隻螞蟻還是個上帝我願意翹盼安然的醉酒微酣紅鬍子的老人微笑多恬淡我的舞鞋旋轉歌唱到瘋癲我願棄世登仙旋轉的車輪來為我獻歡我怎會疲倦

*Bonus: 明天我要嫁給妳 I am marrying you tomorrow...
**Bonus ii: 傳奇 Legend (I just love this song...♥)
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And finally, here are my seven blogs of choice (in alphabetical order), which I named after each of the seven stars in Saptarshi asterism, as they are indeed brilliant stars in their own right.

i. 天樞/貪狼 (Dubhe) Alas de mariposa

Like a poem by Edgar Allen Poe, Alas de mariposa is an imaginarium of the darkly fascinating and exquisitely curious. At times achingly beautiful (as well as stunningly grotesque in equal measure), it enchants you with romantic classicism and Gothic lyricism - perhaps not unlike the creative mind behind this oneiric universe, the gorgeous Eurídice, her hair of black satin and skin of pale, translucent alabaster. A world of unchained imagination and poetry beckons...

{*Eurídice is also the author of the entrancing space Gabinete de Curiosidades.}

ii. 天璇/巨門 (Merak) Couleurs

Clouds and sunrays (verso), formerly attributed to Richard Parkes Bonington. Graphite, bodycolour on paper (pale buff, stained)

An ethereal and intoxicating realm of pure elegance and poetry, pure "dreamscapes." A ceaseless stream of jewels and inspirations, with silent melodies filling a musical state of consciousness as beautiful as the sound of jade - 剔透, 清澈, 玲瓏. This is one of my favourite blogs in the virtual world, perfect for one's quiescence of light and solitude.

iii. 天璣/祿存 (Phecda) Eric Hwang Lab

Technically speaking not a blog, but my scholarly brother's brilliant and beautiful website simply has to be included in my Saptarshi (just look at his incredible images!). Although I have mentioned this in my blog before, my brother's encouragement and confidence in me is the reason why Poetic Oneirism is here in the blogsphere today, not only as a collection of my personal inspirations (which was originally my sole intention) but it has prompted precious encounters with other creative/artistic minds and connected me with friends who now introduce me to wonders after wonders, challenge my thoughts and inspire me, in the best of ways!

iv. 天權/文曲 (Megrez) Ingrid Creates

Ingrid is one of the most multi-talented and creative persons I know: all forms of art which include (but not limited to) oil paintings and watercolours, bakery, cake decoration, nail art, porcelain painting, embroidery, writing etc. A self-taught artist who delights in sharing her love and passion, Ingrid very kindly included my little space Poetic Oneirism in her "Versatile Blogger Award" which was the catalyst behind this post.

{*Ingrid now has a new blog, purely about her artwork and journey as an artist - Ingrid Lee Art.}

v. 玉衡/廉貞 (Alioth) Japonisme

Lotusgreen's Japonisme is as exquisite in its poetic beauty as it is rich in its information. It is, quite simply, a blog that you must head over right now to experience the pure loveliness, the pure poetry... Amongst so many things I have learned on Japonisme, one of the most precious discoveries (well, in fact, it was lotusgreen who kindly introduced to me) has to be painter Elyse Ashe Lord. As she so kindly said of my little world,

"...it's always wonderful to be discovered by someone with a blog that makes you, well, swoon. post after post in this woman's blog, poetic oneirism, somehow make you want to use the word utterly."

And this is indeed how lotusgreen's Japonisme makes me feel - swooningly gorgeous, it utterly captivates me...

vi. 開陽/武曲 (Mizar) Tang Dynasty Times: all the peonies of Chang'an...

How can one not fall in love with this blog simply by looking at its name "All the Peonies of Chang'an?" Leanne is a beautiful writer and true intellectual who has created a dreamlike but incredibly knowledgeable world of her thoughtful, poetic, and philosophical meditations which time and time again charm me. When I have a grown-up(!!) blog, I would love for it to be like hers, elegantly written with clarity and insight (alas this shan't happen anytime soon due to my sloth nature)... We share so many similar interests and passions that if one day I do decide to pursue a doctorate degree, I hope very much to have a supervisor as generous, knowledgeable and encouraging as the lovely Leanne. As Kyoto Journal aptly puts it:

"Leanne Ogasawara’s blog, Tang Dynasty Times, was the catalyst for this special themed issue [Silk Roads] of Kyoto Journal. In posts that read as dispatches from outposts on a journey of exploration deep into the history of relations between East and West, she reflects on aspects of what a truly global culture might encompass, presenting Tang multiculturalism and Silk Road cosmopolitanism (and much, much more) as reference points for our present times..."

Elated by the spring breeze
My horse quickens its pace
In but one short day
Do I view all the peonies of Chang'an

昔日齷齰不足誇，今朝放蕩思無涯，春風得意馬蹄疾，一日看盡長安花。

~孟郊《登科後》Meng Chao (中唐, 751-814)

(From one of my favourite blogposts of hers: All the Peonies of Chang'an - although there is not a single article in her Tang dynasty world that I do not love...!)

vii. 瑤光/破軍 (Alkaid) Things of Beauty

Georges de La Tour's Candlelight {via}

My artistic dancer friend Michiko has piercing perceptiveness to beauty. Being aesthetic in everything she does, it is of little surprise that her blog Things of Beauty is an irresistible, inspired collection of art, music, dance, photography, words and so on... She has introduced me to numerous artists (in all artistic fields) whom I now consider to be very dear to my heart, and pieces of music which will stay with me forever. Her blog is a world where I always enjoy being in - the quiet (perhaps above everything else), simple elegance and subtle beauty - distantly alluring and yet it forever draws you in. Like a veiled diamond or Georges de La Tour's candlelight behind a Japanese screen...

I dearly miss our exchanges of each other's love and passion for art, culture, beauty, and basically everything girly. And our little conversations... Hope you are well M, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Meanwhile, one just has to visit your poetic realm even more frequently to make up the void!

The Nature of Poetic Inspiration

2011-07-06T17:57:00.002+08:00

For a poet is a light and winged and sacred thing, and is unable ever to indite until he has been inspired and put out of his senses, and his mind is no longer in him: every man, whilst he retains possession of that, is powerless to indite a verse or chant an oracle. Seeing then that it is not by art that they compose and utter so many fine things about the deeds of men — as you do about Homer — but by a divine dispensation, each is able only to compose that to which the Muse has stirred him, this man dithyrambs, another laudatory odes, another dance-songs, another epic or else iambic verse; but each is at fault in any other kind. For not by art do they utter these things, but by divine influence; since, if they had fully learnt by art to speak on one kind of theme, they would know how to speak on all. And for this reason God takes away the mind of these men and uses them as his ministers, just as he does soothsayers and godly seers, in order that we who hear them may know that it is not they who utter these words of great price, when they are out of their wits, but that it is God himself who speaks and addresses us through them.

~ From Plato's Ion (dialogue)

Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Birds of Paradise, 2008,
Mirror mosaic and reverse glass painting. 180 x 129cm (each).
© of Rose Issa Projects

“Birds of Paradise was inspired by Monir’s love of nature and birds in particular, whom she feeds from her balcony in Tehran and New York. Inspired by the shape and ingenuity of their feathers, she incorporates their perfect form into her geometric compositions, made with mirror mosaics, chalk and three dimensional frames.” (Rose Issa, gallerist)

Kaleidoscope - Convertible Series (more...)

Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian, Convertible Series, Group 5, Versions 1 & 3, 2010,
Mosaic mirrors and plaster on wood, Sizes Variable

Through out her long career, Farmanfarmaian's work exhibits a strong connection to the history of Iranian reverse glass and mirror mosaics, a craft traditionally passed on from father to son.

Her work brings together the tradition and the avant-garde to form colourful and geometric motifs: circles, squares and polygons are skilfully cast within the rigorous mould of classical Islamic geometrical design.

It was in the late 60s when Farmanfarmaian started experimenting with adapting and combining age old techniques of reverse-glass painting, mirror mosaics and Iranian design with a modern abstract expressionism and minimalism. The result is a geometric and reflective kaleidoscope with shard-like forms of colour and light slicing through fragments of mirror. (via The Third Line)

Breaking the Waves, 2008, Mirror and reverse glass, 135 x 86 cm

The Art of Sun Zi in Vadim Repin's Sibelius

2011-06-22T13:50:00.011+08:00

故其疾如風，其徐如林，侵掠如火，不動如山，難知如陰，動如雷震。

～《孫子兵法：軍爭篇》

軍旅行動時，快速如風；靜止時，肅穆嚴整如林木一般；進球敵人時，如燎原烈火，猛不可當；防守時，如山岳一樣，不可動搖；隱蔽時，如烏雲遮天，使敵人無從知曉；快速動作起來，如迅雷不及掩耳，使敵人無從退避。

Ring, 5th-4th century B.C.E., Eastern Zhou dynasty.
Glass, H: 4.0cm, China.
Freer & Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art (via)

A set of six graduated bells (yong zhong),
ca. 6th century B.C.E., Eastern Zhou dynasty
Bronze, H: 28.7cm, W: 13.0cm, D: 10.3cm, China
Freer & Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art (via)

Let your rapidity be that of the wind,
your compactness that of the forest.
In raiding and plundering be like fire,
in immovability like a mountain.
Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night,
and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.

~Sun Zi, The Art of War; Chapter vii: Military Combat
(English translations by Lionel Giles)

Ring, 5th-4th century B.C.E., Eastern Zhou dynasty.
Glass, H: 4.0cm, China.

Freer & Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art (via)

Pendant (long pei) in the form of a dragon,
5th century B.C.E., Eastern Zhou dynasty
Jade, H: 3.6 W: 5.4 D: 0.5 cm, China
Freer & Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian's Museums of Asian Art (via)

One of the most intoxicating qualities of Vadim Repin's interpretation is his freedom and effortlessness, together with the utmost passion (yet always in a wonderfully relaxed, zen manner), as if he was forever deeply in love with the music...

"Music is Russian violinist Vadim Repin’s mother tongue. He is a virtuoso of many voices, and his astonishing ability to draw a rich palette of sound from his instrument, together with his dazzling technique, has enthralled audiences around the globe. Fiery passion with impeccable technique, poetry and sensitivity are Repin’s trademarks." (via)

Vadim Repin plays Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor, conducted by Valery Gergiev, Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, Saint Petersburg, Russia. (Prom 48, live at the Royal Albert Hall, 2006.)

Nathan Milstein and Beethoven's Kreutzer

2011-06-18T06:28:00.001+08:00

Hands, photography by Vladimir Clavijo Telepnev.

易安居士

2011-05-21T02:08:00.008+08:00

《聲聲慢》

尋尋覓覓，冷冷清清，淒淒慘慘戚戚。
乍暖還寒時候，最難將息。
三杯兩盞淡酒，怎敵他、晚來風急？
雁過也，正傷心，卻是舊時相識。

滿地黃花堆積，憔悴損，如今有誰堪摘？
守著窗兒，獨自怎生得黑？
梧桐更兼細雨，到黃昏、點點滴滴。
這次第，怎一個、愁字了得！

溥儒仕女圖; Portrait of a Lady, by Pu Ru (Pu Hsin-Yu).

漱玉詞意圖, 立軸, 劉旦宅繪 (via)

李清照（1084~1155）號易安居士，宋代濟南（今屬山東）人，婉約派代表詞人。父李格非，為元祐後四學士之一，夫趙明誠為金石考據家。崇寧元年（1102），徽宗以紹述神宗為名，任蔡京、趙挺之為左右相，立元祐黨人碑，以司馬光等百二十人為「奸黨」，其父列名黨籍，清照以詩上挺之。崇寧二年（1103），明誠出仕，矢志撰述以訪求、著錄古代金石文字為職志的《金石錄》一書。大觀元年（1107），蔡京復相，挺之卒。蔡京以挺之為元祐大臣所薦，為庇元祐「奸黨」，追奪所贈官。明誠、清照夫婦因此屏居青州（今山東益都）鄉里十年。宣和二年（1120）蔡京致仕後，明誠起知萊州（今山東掖縣），此後又自萊移淄。靖康之難後。明誠奔母喪南下，知江寧府，清照載書至建康。建炎三年，趙明誠卒。離京自建康出走浙中，清照隨亦入浙，經台、嵊、黃岩，從禦舟海道至溫州，復至越州，衢州，於紹興二年（1132）赴杭州。紹興四年，作《金石錄後序》。紹興中，以《金石錄》表上於朝。卒年約七十馀。善屬文，於詩尤工。《宋史·藝文志》著錄《易安居士文集》七卷，俱不傳。清照創詞“別是一家”之說，創“易安體”，為宋詞大家。詞集名《漱玉集》，今本皆為後人所輯。

評價

男中李後主，女中李易安，極是當行本色。前此太白，故稱詞家三李。（沈去矜）

清照以一婦人，而詞格乃抗軼周柳，雖篇帙無多，固不能不寶而存之，為詞家一大宗矣。（《四庫提要》）

李易安作重陽《醉花陰》詞，函致趙明誠云云。明誠自愧勿如。乃忘寢食，三日夜得十五闋，雜易安作以示陸德夫。德夫玩之再三曰：「只有『莫道不銷魂』三句絕佳。」正易安作也。（《詞苑叢談》）

李易安詞，獨闢門徑，居然可觀，其源自淮海、大晟，而鑄語則多生造，婦人有此，可謂奇矣。（《白雨齋詞話》）

易安佳句，如《一剪梅》起七字云：「紅藕香殘玉簟秋」，精秀特絕，真不食人間煙火者。（同上書）

清麗其詞，端莊其品，歸去來兮，真堪攜隱。（趙明誠）

婉約派四大旗幟之一，四旗中號“閨語”。
李清照是中國古代第一位女詩人，亦稱“一代詞宗”。

(文字節錄轉載自)

*李清照詞全集

書法家遆高亮楷書李清照詞

芍藥 Peony, China Tsvetochnoe (via).

Some very old poems of mine...

2011-05-21T00:29:00.030+08:00

玉

蒼白，是血的原色與美學的逆鱗。
他舌尖的蓮消蝕一如
右頰的月光
聲音是時間與蛇的舞姿
交纏蜿蜒的連綴
而生存，歌詠著水波紊亂
殞落著無性之魅
猩紅，似卵與熱的曲線
錯誤的春花秋月
頹萎之靡交合在古印度的菱鏡
天人於是註定了五衰
水面下的墜
玉

蓮之一

透過你 / 的純粹的瞳，凝望
我的世界與我的花
凝煉的藍水晶與
琥珀色貓眼石
而寄託細細思量
清靈我腦海中
浮沉暈厥 / 一千首失血的詩歌。
你的音符將在水月中呼息
婆娑敦煌的精靈之舞
序曲，與
敘事歌的終止式
飄搖 / 呈示部交合的美姿
我每一寸膚澤下
嫩滑著你
的涅槃

蓮之二

當你吟哦下一首佛陀之歌
一束碎裂的光，切割
舌根下深植的透明菱鏡
禁忌與神秘主義的信徒遊戲。
是甜，融化
在眼睫的霜露
再也再 / 也浮不過下一輪宇宙
精神與指，屬於光華的芬芳
美的終極

卜算子

行雲流水的飛揚才華變質為劣等貶抑下的決裂
優美超脫的詩文卻是對淒苦誣陷的掙扎和超越
絕非聖人
敏銳易感的浪漫詩人情懷
你也曾經是那樣地狂歌當哭
你也曾經是那樣地恐懼顫抖
你也曾經是那樣地憂鬱孤寂
你也曾經是那樣地狼狽疲倦
倦於那些讒言譏諷
怠於那些無中生有
這究竟是怎樣一種世俗社會的奇特機制
竟令如你這般的靈魂寂然無聲孤獨哀泣
溫和柔雅似你
林間清風似你
深谷白雲似你
他們逼迫你一點一滴無情地剝除自己身上絲毫的異己成分
你卻能蒸餾昇華回歸於清純空靈
成熟於寂滅過後的再生
滿足於淡泊無聲的定止
由孤傲秀絕的山峰粹煉為圓潤優雅的均夷
是這文化人精神上真正的孤獨無告
引領你進入極美極靜極幽的超脫涅槃

缺月掛疏桐，漏斷人初靜。誰見幽人獨往來？縹緲孤鴻影。
驚起卻回頭，有恨無人省。撿盡寒枝不肯棲，寂寞沙洲冷。

(詠蘇軾)

08' 18' 97

月牙印與泉 – Bhakti

紋理與逆流中的瓊漿。

物，與現世與我執與業
原屬鏡中國度之塵埃
卻是愈歸流麗澄明，似雪蓮與落櫻、似
閃爍浮掠過水菱鏡的漁火
曳曳熠熠翳翳
愛染與濕婆與毘濕奴
婀娜吟哦鷓鴣喃噥
神同人化身鶼鰈
在恆河之風之土之水的曲折臂彎
在祂薰育的曼荼羅

蒼穹之淚生命之舞存在之空
煢煢跫跫嬛嬛

祂說神秘已逝莊嚴隅隅寂寥
精靈與天人與神祇皆騷動
祂的奧義是美學是神諭是終點
姁姁透悟
於是星雲微泛茉莉光澤的胭脂滑行

祂是音符與依存的序曲
馡馡，如華如樂
刺穿薄暮幽玄的靜謐，以
光、以吟頌的詩歌以揭示的秘密獻祭死亡
悲憫垢穢
而神秘不可諭說
祂的涅槃是救贖之荼蘼

我所知的一切
汝卻是全知

祂是隱晦於畫像的箴言
腥紅耽溺如愛，而
清靈無形

如焰

阿修羅

汝愛我心，我憐汝色，以是因緣，經千百劫，常在纏縛。

~ 楞嚴經

若六入緣觸，觸緣受，受緣愛，愛緣取
修羅捨棄神身，寧為善妒挑釁的戰火
即使法界諸行無常，色相生生滅滅
汝仍於菩提樹下
無垠無涯，等待曇花露華
怎奈何花事了
瓣瓣荼蘼送走無愛無恨阿賴耶識的恆常
可是真能捨染得淨、含藏萬法種子？

水清木華
貪染名愛
我的鏡花水月，怎得走火入魔？
汝以毀滅為樂，我在彼岸祈禱
皆熄滅，皆熄滅，生生世世的凝望
修羅，阿修羅
汝能否記住我消失的白髮
記住菩提的種子與佛陀的愛在土壤中萌芽
瞋痴流轉，香塵遷徙
汝能否記住我

記住我笑著遺忘了的
遺忘了的
冷寂戚清的火花

崔護重來伊人已杳，卻是凋殘花樣年華。

The Asuras are powerful beings opposed to the Devas (gods). Originally, in the Vedic times, they were another class of gods, perhaps the indigenous deities. By the end of the Vedic period, however, the Asuras had attained their demonic role. The Asuras are demons capable of assuming the form of animals or humans. They are completely evil, powerful creatures that delight in spreading fear, confusion, chaos, and destruction amongst the humans, sometimes even more powerful than the gods.

07’ Nov’ 00

暗殺者

之後才發覺
眼睛不再是靈長類動物的象徵
鬢角的雲鬚本不是一種降服
之後才出現
黑髮遙遙呼應月華下的寺宇
靈魂與哲學
游離蒸發分裂
之後才渴求
呼喊、思考、嗔笑、狂亂地天真無邪
生不是生
死不是死
黃帝與蚩尤兵荒馬亂
摘取岩壁失了血的氳氤

十億年的永世
天之蝕、光衰竭、月暈眩
之後才會挖掘出相簿裡
蠶食著嗜血的謊言
若冰般晶瑩剔透似琉璃
而冷
一切本是一雙食人獸的掌，掌心的水晶
水晶裡的裂紋、裂紋下的疵點

而現象學裡的精神性，本體論中依存之美
皆胡言

呼吸裡氾濫著牧歌式的甜美
舌尖蔓延著類似亂倫的詩篇
回憶是烙印，似雲母石依順脈理參差剝落
之後融化於下一枚礦石的奢華
之後冶煉
滿空黯淡的星子、滿腔瘖啞的淒涼

蒼老的血，褐色冰雹
蛇吐信
一切庸俗演化變遷
金縷衣的巢穴

08' June' 00

獻詩三島由紀夫 Dedicated to Mishima Yukio

2011-05-20T17:03:00.006+08:00

Mishima Yukio came into my life relatively late, when I was around eighteen. The first book I read was his Forbidden Colours 禁色. I remember how enchanted I was, and how absorbed by the story I was that there was a certain sadness when I was approaching the end of the book, as if I did not want to leave that magical realm just yet. After reading his Golden Pavilion Temple, I would say that my thoughts, views of this world and aesthetics were much defined, perhaps they even found an identity. In a way, I felt a sense of belonging in the intense, exquisite and intricate flashes of poetry in his articulate and abstract writing. Yet how his language and narratives flow. My favourite work of Mishima, and one that influenced me the most, is his final novels - the tetralogy The Sea of Fertility (豐饒之海), composed of Spring Snow (春雪), Runaway Horses (奔馬), The Temple of Dawn (曉寺), and The Decay of the Celestial, or The Decay of the Angel (天人五衰). Although in my opinion these four books are best read in sequence, my personal favourite ones are The Temple of Dawn and The Decay of the Angel. I was deeply moved ("rocked" could be a better word!) by this tetralogy the first time I read it that I wrote poems after each novel, and dedicated to Mishima Yukio, to whom I feel that I am indebted to - for his artistic achievement, aesthetics, thought system, and his love. These poems were all written in 1999.

“If, raised by the power of mind, a man relinquishes the common way of looking at things, gives up tracing… their relations to each other, the final goal of which is always a relation to his own will; if he thus ceases to consider the where, the when, the why, and the whither of things, and looks simply and solely at the what; if further, he does not allow abstract thought, the concepts of the reason, to take possession of his consciousness, but, instead of all this, gives the whole power of his mind to perception, … so that it is as if the object alone were there, without any one to perceive it, and he can no longer separate the perceiver from the perception, but both have become one … if thus the object has to such an extent passed out of all relation to something outside it, and the subject out of all relation to the will, then that which is so known … is the Idea, … he who is sunk in this perception is … pure, will-less, painless, timeless subject of knowledge.”

~ Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation, Vol. I., Third Book, p. 231, in the English version trans. by R. B. Haldane and J. Kemp (London, three vols, 1909).

天人五衰，意指天人壽命將盡時，所出現的種種異象。五衰又有大五衰、小五衰兩種。

死亡美學（獻詩三島之金閣）

戰後的廢墟，重建
赭色小提琴喤泣聲線
金箔剝蝕的蒸氣與躁動的香

月華清明塗抹石橋
一如滌淨生的死亡的確知
我兀自佇立文字的金閣
美學修長的眼睫投影
蔭翳，光正自盡。

顫抖顫抖再顫抖，這齣劇本
與血的斑痕纏綿似水
海面痛苦地沉默
光，一如岩礫，一如陰影，光的自縊。

自縊的美學倫理糾結糾結死的似非而，是。
仁波切寂然誦經
呢喃破曉前刻精神與美的歸巢
逐步逐步，緊貼眼睫的哀悽

生的諷刺文體的，死
的潔白墓塚
光正瀉落一湖的私密，若水。

春雪

透過冰寒的指尖傳遞的水晶；
殘雪流麗時節
逝去透明的傷口..

你唇際每一朵薔薇的綻放，便墜落一整季冬夜的星空

鋼琴碎在半透明的睫毛中
之後
音符便似瞳孔灼燙的匕首

奔馬

夢先於現實。
而純粹
似花，似血，似詩
，似枯腐前消逝的生。

曉寺

(薰息，我執，唯識)

緣起於鏡花水月的無常
存活涅槃之花瓣間的阿賴耶識，似
剔透的純藍火焰蘊蓄
鏤花之詩

桃花心木質的鏤空雕花
在蒼白哀傷的殘月撫觸下
散發似水晶斷面般清明露華
濕漉而冷冽的香氛

豐饒之海之天人五衰（獻詩三島由紀夫）

他的世界構築於
對純粹牲祭的行動性
似花之骨髓般的血
他傾洩一身的孤注一擲
於苦痛而豐饒
的虛無之海

如若阿賴耶識是月華的羽翼
飛翔於極度神聖與極度污穢的貝那雷斯
是否沉痛如我執與薰息的唯識色界
得以釋放自殘雪的純粹？

他精神性的美學體系
他對生命、神聖與純粹的無窮需索與追尋
無聲地崩毀於佛陀澄明而冷冽如水的眸子
美麗虛幻而無常若花的微笑
他的生命無聲地崩解於
月之海中虛弱而豐饒的涅槃

而他磅跎的精神體系，與
凝鍊先驗的詩性呢？
恰似無法埋藏於大海中夕陽的掙扎
恰似大自然神聖而無以名狀
的悲苦與愛

而當他的精神現象美學崩毀
當我得以窺視他文字與思想的金閣
當我得以體悟他
不可思議的美與愛
我竟躊躇畏懼掇拾自美的廢墟中
破碎猶濕熱的骨肉
我竟畏懼於參與他壯闊豐饒而苦痛的
精神美之海洋中的呼息
與之共振，並互融為殘春之雪與月
因深恐破碎他幾近完美的神性，驚擾他
悲傷而純粹冷冽的愛

而何處得尋他無我的流動？
何處得覓他阿賴耶識的種子？

長恨歌: Song of Everlasting Sorrow

2011-05-20T11:37:00.018+08:00

"Now from his breast into his eyes the ache

of longing mounted, and he wept at last,

his dear wife, clear and faithful, in his arms,

longed for as the sunwarmed earth is longed for by a swimmer

spent in rough water where his ship went down

under Poseidon's blows, gale winds and tons of sea.

Few men can keep alive through a big surf

to crawl, clotted with brine, on kindly beaches

in joy, in joy, knowing the abyss behind:

and so she too rejoiced, her gaze upon her husband,

her white arms round him pressed as though forever."

~ from, The Odyssey

Homer

translated by Robert Fitzgerald

My friend Leanne's lovely post on 楊貴妃 Yang Guifei has inspired me to re-read Tang poet Bai Juyi's The Song of Everlasting Sorrow (長恨歌), a poetic narrative of the mournful love story of Tang Emperor Hsuan Tzung 唐玄宗 (Xuanzong) and his beloved imperial consort Yang Yu-Huan 楊玉環 (Yang Guifei), and the emperor's perpetual grief and regret at the eventual loss of his love. Yang Guifei is known as 羞花 (xiu hua - literally meaning "shames flowers"), and considered first of the Four Great Beauties of China. 「西施沉魚, 昭君落雁, 貂嬋閉月, 貴妃羞花。」(Xi Shi sinks fish, Wang Zhaojun drops birds, Diaochan closes the moon, Yang Guifei shames flowers.)

In response to Leanne's beautiful post that I enjoyed reading so much, I wrote a rather long comment (see below, after the poem), which rarely happens even in my own blog! I included it here as I write so little these days - where has the writer in me gone...? (A writer friend used to say to me, "Did you choose to write? Or did writing choose you?") At the moment I suppose I am more of a "micro-blog" and visual/sensory type when it comes to recording my daily inspiration... Nevertheless, thank you, all the peonies of Chang'an...

太真外傳 (唱詞)
故事見唐白居易《長恨歌》。梅蘭芳在1925至1926年間根據《長生殿》傳奇改編為京劇，分為四本。自《入選》至《夢會》凡十餘折，蔚為大觀。此劇音樂由徐蘭沅、王少卿精心設計，創造了不少新的板式與唱腔並編配了許多京崑曲牌。

白居易〈長恨歌〉
{see two versions of the translation in English here & here}

漢皇重色思傾國，御宇多年求不得。
楊家有女初長成，養在深閏人未識。
天生麗質難自棄，一朝選在君王側。
回眸一笑百媚生，六宮粉黛無顏色。
春寒賜浴華清池，溫泉水滑洗凝脂；
待兒扶起嬌無力，始是新承恩澤時。
雲鬢花顏金步搖，芙蓉帳暖度春宵；
春宵苦短日高起，從此君王不早朝。
承歡侍宴無閑暇，春從春遊夜專夜。
後宮佳麗三千人，三千寵愛在一身。
金屋妝成嬌侍夜，玉樓宴罷醉和春。
姊妹弟兄皆列士，可憐光彩生門戶。
遂令天下父母心，不重生男重生女。
驪宮高處入青雲，仙樂風飄處處聞。
緩歌慢舞凝絲竹，盡日君王看不足。
漁陽鼙鼓動地來，驚破霓裳羽衣曲。
九重城闕煙塵生，千乘萬騎西南行。
翠華搖搖行復止，西出都門百餘里；
六軍不發無奈何？宛轉蛾眉馬前死。
花鈿委地無人收，翠翹金雀玉搔頭。
君王掩面救不得，回看血淚相和流。
黃埃散漫風蕭素，雲棧縈紆登劍閣。
峨嵋山下少人行，旌旗無光日色薄。
蜀江水碧蜀山青，聖主朝朝暮暮情。
行宮見月傷心色，夜雨聞鈴腸斷聲。

天旋地轉迥龍馭，到此躊躇不能去。
馬嵬坡下泥土中，不見玉顏空死處。
君臣相顧盡霑衣，東望都門信馬歸。
歸來池苑皆依舊，太液芙蓉未央柳；
芙蓉如面柳如眉，對此如何不淚垂？
春風桃李花開日，秋雨梧桐葉落時。
西宮南內多秋草，落葉滿階紅不掃。
梨園子弟白髮新，椒房阿監青娥老。
夕殿螢飛思悄然，孤燈挑盡未成眠。
遲遲鐘鼓初長夜，耿耿星河欲曙天。
鴛鴦瓦冷霜華重，翡翠衾寒誰與共？
悠悠生死別經年，魂魄不曾來入夢。
臨邛道士鴻都客，能以精誠致魂魄；
為感君王輾轉思，遂教方士殷勤覓。
排空馭氣奔如電，升天入地求之遍；
上窮碧落下黃泉，兩處茫茫皆不見。
忽聞海上有仙山，山在虛無縹緲間。
樓閣玲瓏五雲起，其中綽約多仙子。
中有一人字太真，雪膚花貌參差是。
金闕西廂叩玉扃，轉教小玉報雙成。
聞道漢家天子使，九華帳裡夢魂驚；
攬衣推枕起徘徊，珠箔銀屏迤邐開。
雲鬢半偏新睡覺，花冠不整下堂來。
風吹仙袂飄飄舉，猶似霓裳羽衣舞。
玉容寂寞淚闌干，梨花一枝春帶雨。

含情凝睇謝君王，一別音容兩渺茫。
昭陽殿裡恩愛絕，蓬萊宮中日月長。
回頭下望人寰處，不見長安見塵霧。
唯將舊物表深情，鈿合金釵寄將去。
釵留一股合一扇，釵擘黃金合分鈿。
但教心似金鈿堅，天上人間會相見。
臨別殷勤重寄詞，詞中有誓兩心知，
七月七日長生殿，夜半無人私語時：
在天願作比翼鳥，在地願為連理枝。
天長地久有時盡，此恨綿綿無絕期。

* * *

The story of Xuanzong and Guifei, as well as Bai Juyi's Song of Unending Sorrow, are said to have inspired the Japanese Heian literary gem - The Tale of Genji (源氏物語 Genji Monogatari).

* * *

(Here is my comment in response to Leanne's post on 楊貴妃...)

The preservation of Tang dances in Japanese court also interests me very much. In fact Dr. Liu Feng-Xue (founder and artistic director of Neo-Classic Dance Company 新古典舞團, and the first Chinese dance historian/ scholar/ artist/ choreographer to receive a PhD) devotes a large part of her career reconstructing ancient Chinese court music and dance, including getting special permission to study in the royal court of Japan and learning Labannotation from scratch to record the pieces etc. Neo-Classic is premiering Dr. Liu's new work in October, another reconstruction of ancient dance/music - I must be back in Taipei to attend!

I love Dr. Liu's works and have a special affection for Neo-Classic as that was where I learned ballet since 5! I mentioned these in a blog post 唐詩樂舞 Beauty of Tang: Music, Dance and Poetry. (A reader later introduced me to an amazing artist Elyse Ashe Lord. Perhaps you know her work already? If not I highly recommend checking out her paintings...!)

Another gem I adore, Han Tang Yuefu 漢唐樂府, might also interest you - I have almost all their DVDs and CDs. Such beauty... Sigh. I can listen to the music and watch the dances all day long.

I really enjoyed reading the English translations of the Chinese poetry, and must re-read these poems one of these days... I am a lover of Li Bai - when I was a kid it was a drag having to memorise and recite all these classics, but now I realise they do stay with me in my heart (not just poetry, philosophy as well), even though one can no longer recite them! It's fascinating to know that the story of 玄宗 and 楊貴妃 might have influenced 源氏物語, as people tend to associate Tale of Genji to Dream of the Red Mansion, I suppose. I remember when I went to a special exhibition at Kyoto National Museum, I stood in front of a large screen depicting The Tale of Genji, forever. I think I was trying to absorb as much of that quiet yet glorious beauty as I possibly could. A while ago there was a small (yet well-curated) exhibition of noh masks, costumes, manuscripts etc. in Tokyo - it was magical, with quiet gagaku playing in the background at that wonderful little gallery... I miss it.

And the Oedipus Complex (or the reverse) you hinted at the end of this article... How universal and yet how different it is between the East and the West. The stories you mentioned here, and the poems, give me a sense of 無奈, 悵然若失 (I can never seem to find the right words for these in English). These are similar emotions I felt after watching one of my favourite films "In the Mood for Love." A kind of tranquil/peaceful sadness, but perhaps even more heartrending...

I also posted Tamasaburo's Yokihi in my blog post Adieu ma concubine! We do share such similar interests. :) I will search for his Peony Pavilion on YouTube. Do you know Tamasaburo performed Peony Pavilion at the last Hong Kong Arts Festival? Shame I missed it...!! My love for kunqu is even deeper than Peking opera, and Peony Pavilion and Peach Blossom Fan are my favourite.

On a slightly different note, I went to see 北京當代芭蕾舞團 Beijing Dance Theatre's Golden Lotus (adapted from 金瓶梅) at the Hong Kong Arts Festival this year. The choreographer Wang Yuanyuan (王媛媛) also did the full-length ballet drama Raise the Red Lantern, with Zhang Yimou's direction & stage design. Ballet being one of my "core passions," her Raise the Red Lantern is the single best ballet I have ever seen, perhaps as it is very close to my heart (a combination of ballet and Chinese opera - what a dream for me!). Wang Yuanyuan is seriously talented.

Just would like to say again how much I love this post!

Ting-Jen xx

* * *

I will leave you here with a few lines of beautiful poetry exchanged between Genji and Fujitsubo, also from Leanne's post...

"Through the waving, dancing sleeves could you see a heart
So stormy that it wished but to be still?"

"Of waving Chinese sleeves I cannot speak.
Each step, each motion, touched me to the heart."

亙古的貴妃醉酒臥魚之美 Forever enthralled by the drunken princess...

2011-05-17T18:32:00.015+08:00

《貴妃醉酒》的身段一向是我在京劇中很喜愛的折子。之前幸運地找到大師梅蘭芳頗為完整的演出，包括唱腔、銜杯、臥魚、醉步、扇舞等等梅派改良後之美學精髓，很可惜目前只剩下片段。我該去找出DVD好好欣賞... 這裡選的是不同演員詮釋的貴妃醉酒，其中亦有梅派戲劇大師梅蘭芳及其子梅派傳人梅葆玖等精彩演出。貴妃醉酒不愧為京劇中經典之作...

【楊玉環】（唱四平調）

海島冰輪初轉騰，見玉兔，玉兔又早東昇。
那冰輪離海島，乾坤分外明。
皓月當空，恰便似嫦娥離月宮，奴似嫦娥離月宮。
好一似嫦娥下九重，清清冷落在廣寒宮，啊在廣寒宮。
玉石橋斜倚把欄杆靠，鴛鴦來戲水，
金色鯉魚在水面朝，啊在水面朝。
長空雁雁兒飛，雁兒飛哎呀雁兒呀，
雁兒並飛騰聞奴的聲音落花蔭。
這景色撩人欲醉，不覺來到百花亭。

Yang Guifei by Tataku Aigai

一代名伶梅蘭芳於中國抗日時蓄鬍, 拒絕為日軍演出

Photo of Mei Lanfang taken during the Sino-Japanese War

梅蘭芳演譯楊玉環

Mei Lanfang as Yang Guei-Fei in "The Drunken Concubine"

青年時期的梅蘭芳 Young Mei Lanfang

張國榮於霸王別姬片中的角色程蝶衣飾演楊玉環

Leslie Cheung as Yang Guei-Fei in Farewell My Concubine

Forever Enthralled is another film about Peking (Beijing) Opera by the critically acclaimed Chinese director Chen Kaige (best known for Farewell My Concubine). This time the film centres around the life of my Mr. Poetic Oneirism, the legendary Chinese opera artist Mei Lanfang. *Click here for a higher-resolution version, with subtitles in simplified Chinese (unfortunately no English at this time).

齊白石與梅蘭芳的書畫師生情

梅蘭芳先生之所以成為中國京劇史上成就最為輝煌的表演藝術大師，是與他在藝術上的勤學苦練、虛心求教分不開的。他向齊白石學畫，並與齊建立了終生友誼就是一例。

1932年，梅蘭芳來北京演出，齊白石觀看完他的演出，佩服得五體投地。恰巧，梅蘭芳一直想向齊白石學畫，通過熟人向齊白石說了想法。齊白石聽說後，立即安排時間見梅蘭芳。

這年9月的一天，齊白石來到了北京廬草園梅宅。二人握手坐定後，齊白石關切地問到：“聽說你最近習畫很用功，看過你的畫，尤其是最近畫的佛像，比以前進步了。”梅蘭芳不好意思，忙答道：“對于繪畫，我是門外漢，笨人一個，雖然拜過很多老師，但都畫不好。我喜歡您老的草蟲、遊魚、蝦米，就像活的一樣，但比活的更美。今天我誠心請您老一畫，我在旁邊學習學習，看看您的筆下功夫，我這就替您磨墨。”說罷，梅蘭芳起身捧出文房四寶，在書桌上磨起墨來。齊白石像個孩童似的打趣道：“讓你這名角給我磨墨，山人委實不敢當。不過，我給你畫蟲草，你回頭唱一段給我聽，怎麼樣？”

“那現成。”梅蘭芳不假思索道：“一會兒我的琴師來了，我準唱。”待磨好墨後，他又鋪開上乘宣紙。齊白石頷首含笑，挽上衣袖，從筆筒裏挑出兩只畫筆，蘸了一些墨，凝神默想片刻。突然，他俯下筆。須臾間，一個毫發畢現、蠢蠢欲動的小蟲便躍然紙上。齊白石下筆極快且準確，梅蘭芳但見“惜墨如金”的齊白石在畫成魚鳥蟲草後，筆池裏的水始終是清的。

琴師到了，梅蘭芳唱了一段《貴妃醉酒》。又一次，梅蘭芳再三邀請師翁到綴玉軒作畫，想讓師翁親自面教。齊白石欣然前往。見面後，梅蘭芳要求觀看作草蟲圖，齊白石答應了。梅蘭芳連忙磨墨理紙。齊白石畫完兩幅草蟲圖後，作詩一首相贈：

飛塵十丈暗燕京，綴玉軒中氣獨清。難得善才看作畫，殷勤磨就墨三升。

梅蘭芳捧詩吟誦，敬禮謝師。從此兩人建立了深厚的友誼，梅蘭芳尊稱齊白石為“老師”。不久，在一位“大官家”的家宴上，二人同被邀請，赴宴那天，齊白石不慎丟了帖子，他身穿深褐色布袍，雖洗得整潔乾凈，但已發白陳舊。如此裝束在滿屋達官顯貴的綾羅綢緞間，實在不起眼。加上他又一時沒找著相熟之人，只能獨坐一隅。偏偏門子不識相，走上前又盤問了幾句。齊白石大窘，悔不該來。這時梅蘭芳進來見到了孤零零的老人，獨自坐在一邊，忙甩開眾人，快步走上前，恭恭敬敬地喚道：“老師。”然後，親自攙扶著他，走上前排。大家一陣詫異，竊竊私語：“這個怪老頭是誰？”

梅蘭芳將頭一搖，自豪的答道：“這是名畫家齊白石，也是我的老師。”

齊白石認為梅蘭芳在關鍵時刻為他“圓了面子”，因此對梅蘭芳十分感激。回家後，精心畫就了一幅《雪中送炭圖》，配詩一首，送給梅蘭芳。詩雲：

曾見先朝享太平，布衣蔬食動公卿。而今淪落長安市，幸有梅郎識姓名。

梅蘭芳收到畫，讀過詩，感慨良久。提筆給齊白石回了一首詩：

師傳畫藝情誼深，學生怎能忘師恩。世態炎涼雖如此，吾敬我師是本分。

(此文轉載自新華網, 2007年8月30日)

*Read more about 齊白石 (Qi Bai-Shi) here {in English} and here {in Chinese}. Master Qi is one of my parents' favourite artists, and I shall certainly write a separate blog post on him in the future. Or more appropriately perhaps, on the inspiration his life and his art have given me.

It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.

2011-05-10T19:33:00.006+08:00

Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O, no! it is an ever-fixed mark,
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

~ Shakespeare, Sonnet cxvi

Nikiya's entrance (Svetlana in La Bayadère)

I think the reason why I love Svetlana Zakharova as a ballerina and find her dacing so entrancing and unique, above everything else, above her musicality, poetry, delicateness, gorgeous linearity and beauty, is that she is regal. She exudes an aristocratic air in almost all her performances, in the best way imaginable. Seeing her dance on-stage is one of the most thriling experiences for me. Her Odette is pure poetry and music, her Odille intoxicating magic, her Giselle moves me to tears whilst her Nikiya literally takes my breath away. It is incredibly beautiful to be so absorbed in an artform, as it is one of the rare moments in daily life when one's aesthetic experience transcends ordinary consciousness to a higher, purer realm. (See also my old post Princess Odette of My Heart, on Svetlana's Swan Lake.)

In one of her 2003 interviews, when asked what she personally saw as her qualities which distinguished her from other dancers, she gave this answer after much hesitation (a truly modest ballerina and a perfectionist!):

"There's one thing which I usually do when I am onstage - I just open myself. I open up my heart. Every time when I am on stage, I keep telling myself, 'You have to give your heart and your soul to the audience!' And this is usually what I do when I am performing. I open up what I have in my heart. This is the exact opposite of what I do in my real life! I am always trying to hide my private life as much as possible."

And this is perhaps how she is able to move her audiences to tears, to make one holds his breath, and how she falls in love with every ballet that she dances - by opening up her heart.

This is my favourite variation of Nikiya in La Bayadère, where she performs the saddest, most heartbreaking dance at the princess's wedding to Solor, the man who swore eternal love to her in front of the sacred fire of the temple. Svetlana's painfully beautiful interpretation, together with the haunting music, make this my favourite version of Nikiya's death scene.

*Darcey Bussell. Temple Destruction Scene, La Bayadere, Gamzatti's Act III Variation*

Also, I love the music and this solo of Princess Gamzatti. For me it is the counterpart of Nikiya's heartbreaking "death scene" variation. Whilst Sveta is my favourite Nikiya, Darcey is my favourite Gamzatti, especially in this variation. In addition to Darcey's brilliant, effortless speed and precision, which adds something extraordinary to her beautifully musical movements in this slow and poetic adage (as if she was floating on air), I think what first attracted me in her rendition is the soft but clear demi-plié following her double pirouettes...

Nikiya (Svetlana) is dancing on the wedding of the man who swore eternal love to her in front of the sacred fire, to the princess of the kingdom. Imagine her heartbreak, sadness, humiliation and helplessness, being a mere temple dancer! Whereas Gamzatti, albeit a precious princess, also has her misfortune - she is married to (and in love with) a man whose only incentive to be with her is for her status and money, for what she has instead of who she is, and eventually she even dies from this cursed union. I find both dances to be highly entrancing and moving. Many classical ballets do touch upon the fundamental problems of human emotions and difficulties - their simplicity as well as complexity...

Darcey's brilliance lies in her speed and precision, and Svetlana (my favourite ballerina) is not unlike Maria Callas in that she has the ability to truly become the characters she's dancing - her musicality and poetry break my heart. Both of them are very lyrical in La Bayadere, in their own different ways.

Hands of Svetlana Zakharova, in La Fille du Pharaon.

Farewell

2011-04-26T03:01:00.008+08:00

I am overwhelmed with indescribable emotions again, after watching this short video clip of the film that "rocked my world" a long time ago... "霸王別姬" (Farewell My Concubine).

I think I fell in love with Leslie Cheung after watching "Farewell My Concubine," another one of my favourite cinematic treasures and probably the first film I felt so strongly about. My love affair with Chinese opera (both Beijing Opera and Kunqu) also started around that time. Since then I constantly dream of Chinese opera, like a stylised and quiet painting depicting exquisite landscapes decorated with tiny delicate jewels, presenting a mixture of its music, singing, movements, costumes, make-up, lyrics, a kaleidoscope of colours and beautiful narratives.

I still remember going to the cinema with my dad when "Farewell My Concubine" was first released - I was 13. I felt as if I was never going to be the same afterwards, and that I was so filled with something inexplicable that I could not allow anything else to enter my psyche for a while. Perhaps one of the definitions of a truly great film is that it gives the viewer a life-transforming, and sometimes out-of-body, experience.

Below is this beautiful video with Leslie Cheung singing the movie theme song, accompanied by some of the most gorgeous, intoxicating, as well as heartbreaking scenes from the film. I really must re-watch this gem one of these days.

張國榮, 著實地傾國傾城...

Ah, looking at Leslie now just makes me want to cry...

張國榮於霸王別姬片中詮釋名旦程蝶衣演繹白蛇傳之白素貞

Bai Su-Zhen of The Legend of the White Serpent, as interpreted by Leslie Cheung in Farewell My Concubine

張國榮於霸王別姬片中詮釋名旦程蝶衣演繹牡丹亭之杜麗娘

Du Li-Niang of The Peony Pavilion, as rendered by Leslie Cheung in Farewell My Concubine

You can see the complete film (at the moment) here.

幽蘭操

2011-04-25T23:11:00.014+08:00

《幽蘭操》唐韓愈

蘭之猗猗，揚揚其香。眾香拱之，幽幽其芳。
不采而佩，於蘭何傷？以日以年，我行四方。
文王夢熊，渭水泱泱。采而佩之，奕奕清芳。
雪霜茂茂，蕾蕾於冬，君子之守，子孫之昌。

~ 出自《全唐詩》

【墨蘭圖】——鄭思肖捲紙本水墨(日)大阪市立美術館藏

此圖以淡墨寫幽蘭一叢，蕭散清逸，風韻自標。無水土雜木，簡潔疏朗，高雅不群。畫家於宋亡後作蘭皆不寫土，人問何故，答日：“土為蕃人所奪，汝尚不知耶?”拳拳愛國之情，於此可見。

鄭思肖(1241 ～1318)，字億翁，號所南，連江(今屬福建)人。宋末曾以太學生應博學鴻詞試，授和靖書院山長。宋亡後，隱居平江(今江蘇蘇州)。坐臥必向南，誓不與北人交往，因號所南。擅畫墨蘭，兼工墨竹。畫蘭根不著土，以寄故國之思。

釋義

　　蘭花開時，在遠處仍能聞到它的幽幽清香；如果人們不去採摘蘭花卻好像它仍然佩戴在身上，對蘭花本身有什麽損傷呢？今日的變故,並非我的過錯。我常年行走四方，看到隆冬嚴寒時，荠麥卻正開始茂盛地生長，一派生機盎然，既然荠麥能無畏寒冬，那麽不利的環境對我又有什麽影響呢？一個君子是能處于不利的環境而保持他的志向和德行操守的啊。

賞析

　　深谷幽蘭，清芳自足，甘于淡漠，正是象徵著一個人不管是做學問還是要成就事業，都要能夠承受寂寞和忍受別人的不理解，用達觀、平和的心境去面對風雨人生。然而，這並不只是某種孤芳自賞的清高，而是因爲學習君子之道的過程本身就是快樂和充實的。

　　【序釋】

　　蘭，在中國文化中，是“入我門中，能諫我心之草”是先祖留給後人的無字天書。

　　孔子酷愛蘭花，有“蘭為王者香”之語。此言含義一是蘭香為香中之王，一株好的蘭花開放的時候，整個山谷聞不到別的花香，這是蘭香香芬豐富的生物學特性。二是，蘭只為王者而香。蘭隱於幽深的山谷中，不開花時，與群草無異，只有王者，才能認識蘭所蘊含的思想價值，從而去深山中尋訪。

　　蘭獨特的生物學特性還有“春化”，就是蘭要經歷一個長期的低溫期(0℃-10℃)才能順利開花，保證花品和香品。野生的蘭花，秋天孕育花蕾，經歷整個冬天的休眠，第二年春天才開花，春分前後花期結束。

　　【總釋】

　　本詞分為上中下三闕。

　　上闕，中心是蘭香是王者之香。

　　譯文：蘭花的葉子，長長的，在風中搖曳，優雅而飄逸;蘭香，在風中升騰，向四方飄揚。蘭香所及之處，所有花香都黯淡無味，並成為蘭香的一部分，眾多的花香拱衛著蘭香，蘭花的芬芳，遠而不淡，近而不濃，幽幽的從中心向八方輸布。蘭是香中之王，如果沒有人認識到而不去采摘佩戴他，對蘭花而言，又有什麼妨害呢。

　　中闕，中心是蘭只為王者而香。
　　譯文：一天接一天，一年接一年，東南西北，四方都走遍，我雖然像香蘭一樣，不以無人而不芳，不過我也在積極地尋找實現自身社會價值的機會。周文王夜夢飛熊入帳，渭水之畔訪遇太公望(姜子牙，因周文王有“興周之業，先祖早寄希望於太公也”之說，故名太公望)，從而奠定周朝八百年基業，這是多麼讓人嚮往的啊。蘭一旦被王者采摘佩戴，定會讓其清雅的芬芳和其間蘊含的思想如日月般光耀。

　　下闋，中心是蘭歷苦寒而成其香。

　　譯文：雪霜鋪天蓋地，樹冠上厚厚的一層，雖是冬天，但看起來萬物都像更加茂盛了一樣。嚴寒中，蘭的花蕾，靜靜的孕育和等待，在忍耐中積累。蘭之所以有王者之香，是因為在寒冬中孕育了花蕾，如果人們能明白這是君子應該遵守的道理和法則，那麼後世子孫必定昌盛。

古琴曲《幽蘭操》又稱《猗蘭操》。“猗”字在古漢語中有四種解釋：一是歎詞，表示贊美，如《詩經·周頌·潛》“猗與漆沮”（漆、沮是河流名）；二是句末語氣詞，如《詩經·魏風·伐檀》“河水清且漣猗！”；三是通“倚”字，依靠，如《詩經·衛風·淇奧》“猗重較兮”（重較是古代卿士乘坐的車子）；四是柔順的樣子，如《史記·司馬相如傳》“猗柅從風”（猗柅又寫作“旖旎”）。 “操”，指琴曲名及演奏方法，如《箕子操》、《龜山操》。

原文

　　習習谷風，以陰以雨。之子于歸，遠送于野。

　　何彼蒼天，不得其所。逍遙九州，無所定處。

　　世人暗蔽，不知賢者。年紀逝邁，一身將老。

　　傷不逢時，寄蘭作操。

出處

　　樂府詩集（郭茂倩編）卷五十八琴曲歌辭二

相傳爲孔子所作。

蔡邕（蔡文姬之父）在《琴操》中說：“《猗蘭操》者，孔子所作也。”“孔子歷聘諸侯，諸侯莫能任。自衛反魯，過隱谷之中，見香蘭獨茂，喟然歎曰，夫蘭爲王者香，今乃獨茂；與衆草爲伍，譬猶賢者不逢時，與鄙夫爲倫也。”“乃止車，援琴鼓之雲：習習谷風，以陰以雨；之子于歸，遠送于野；何彼蒼天，不得其所！逍遙九州，無所定處；時人諳蔽，不知賢者；年紀逝邁，一身將老！自傷不逢時，托辭于香蘭雲。”

　　《古今樂錄》曰：“孔子自衛反魯，見香蘭而作此歌。”
　　《琴集》曰：“《幽蘭操》，孔子所作也。”

　　古詩《幽蘭操》，是精擅琴藝的孔聖人自感生未逢時的絕世作品。唐代著名詩人韓愈曾作同名作品，以唱和孔子。《幽蘭操》只有短短的六十四個字，卻韻味十足，清冽之中隱含冷豔。汲取了史詩與英雄傳說的浩渺氣質，帶著蘭花冷漠的美豔，但又說著人生的變動和永恒。

A Frozen Kiss under Beethoven's Moonlight

2011-04-22T12:58:00.051+08:00

All of a sudden, out of the blue, I decided to look up the Russian figure skating husband-and-wife team Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov, whom I discovered and loved years ago when I was in middle school. I found quite a few video clips of their beautiful 1993/1994 long programme (entitled 'Moonlight Sonata') set to Beethoven's Sonatas Moonlight and Pathétique. Back then it instantly caught my eyes. I fell in love with this unique performance and the very special couple, around the same time I encountered rhythmic gymnast Maria Petrova's beauty, soul and artistry (I have written a post on Maria Petrova before - Silk and Steel). For me, the aura, simplicity, harmony and elegance in their performance, are what distinguish them as artists in the field of competitive sports.

Long program (Moonlight Sonata) 1993-94
Choreography: Marina Zueva
Music: Beethoven's Sonatas: "Pathetique" No.8 and "Moonlight" No.14 (Adagio & Allegretto)
Performances:
Skate Canada (Ottawa) 1993
Russian Championships (Saint Petersburg) 1994
European Championships (Copenhagen Denmark) 1994
XVII Winter Olympics (Lillehammer Norway) 1994

*Read more about Ekaterina Gordeeva & Sergei Grinkov here.

黃眞伊之詩: Poetry of Hwang Jin-Yi

2011-04-19T15:45:00.001+08:00

冬至漫長夜

截取冬之夜半強，春風被裡屈幡倉。有燈無月郎來夕，曲曲鋪舒寸寸長。

“ 我要把這漫長冬至夜的三更剪下，
輕輕捲起來放在溫香如春風的被下，
等到我愛人回來那夜一寸寸將它攤開。”

— 陳黎譯

青山裡的碧溪水

青山裡碧溪水，莫誇易移去，一到滄海不復還。明月滿空山，暫休且去若何？

“ 青山裡的碧溪水啊不要誇耀你的輕快，
一旦流到滄海你將永遠無法再回來，
明月滿空山何不留在這兒與我歇息片刻。”

— 陳黎譯

時調中的「碧溪水」指的是黃真伊一位筆名為「碧溪守」的李朝宗室友人，在韓文中水與守同音，「明月」又是黃真伊的妓名，此詩寫於與碧溪守於窄橋上相遇，詩中具有挑逗的情意。

"동짓달 기나긴 밤을.."

동짓달 기나긴 밤을 한 허리를 버혀 내어
춘풍 니불 아래 서리서리 넣었다가
어론님 오신 날 밤이어든 굽이굽이 펴리라

Oh that I might capture the essence of this deep midwinter night
And fold it softly into the waft of a spring-moon quilt,
Then fondly uncoil it the night my beloved returns.

"청산리 벽계수(靑山裏碧溪水)야..."

靑山裏碧溪水 (청산리벽계수)
莫誇易移去 (막과이이거)
一到滄海不復還 (일도창해부복환)
明月滿空山 (명월만공산)
暫休且去奈何 (잠휴차거나하)

청산리 벽계수(靑山裏碧溪水)야 수이 감을 자랑 마라.
일도창해(一到滄海)하면 다시 오기 어려우니
명월(明月)이 만공산(滿空山)할 제 쉬어간들 어떠리.

Respectable Byuk Kye-Soo, do not boast of leaving so early.
When you venture out to the sea, it will be difficult to return.
The full bright moon above the empty mountain, how about staying here to rest.

(*Two sijo attributed to Hwang, translated by Larry Gross, via)

About Hwang Jini (Hwang Jin-Yi)...

黃真伊（諺文：황진이，朝鮮漢字：黃眞伊，約1506年－1544年），朝鮮王朝‎時期女詩人，亦是一位著名的妓生（藝妓），京畿道開城人，別名真娘，妓名明月（명월），父親是黃進士，母親金氏（一說為盲妓生陳玄琴）為黃進士之妾，因此她是庶女。為松都三絕之一絕（另二絕為松都景點朴淵瀑布、理學家徐敬德）。

十六世紀是韓國文學的黃金時代，而黃真伊是當中最出色的詩人，擅寫時調。其詩作的風格委婉含蓄，以描寫愛情為主，有人認為其詩作風格像十七世紀善用曲喻的英國玄學詩派。她的詩作是現今韓國中學課本的教材。

古時記載黃真伊才貌出眾，使她很快成為著名的妓生，獲文人雅士垂青。相傳她在十六歲時與一個地方官的兒子和在成年後與一個王室宗親相戀，可是依照當時的從母法，她繼承了母親的賤民身份，不能作士大夫和貴族的妻子，致使這兩段戀情最終不能開花結果。

Hwang Jin-i (1520c.-1560c.), also known by her gisaeng name Myeongwol (literally bright moon), is one of the most famous gisaeng of the Joseon Dynasty who lived during the reign of King Jungjong. She was noted for her exceptional beauty, charming quick wit, and extraordinary intellect. Her personal life has become almost myth-like, having inspired movies, a 2006 TV series, operas, and numerous novels. Due to her renowned assertive and independent nature, she has become a modern popular cultural icon of Korea.

Although only a handful of sijo and geomungo pieces exist today, they nonetheless show skilled craftsmanship of words and of musical arrangement. Her sijo often describe the natural beauty of Gaeseong and its famous sites such the palace of Manwoldae and the Pakyon Falls. Others hint at the tragedy of her lost loves. Some are also responses to numerous famous classic Chinese poems and literature, the majority of them reflecting on lost love.

(中文資料轉載自; English text & information via)

Wie lange noch?

2011-04-19T10:45:00.005+08:00

Wie lange noch? - the song (and ballet) that made me fall in love with Kurt Weill's music. I later discovered Teresa Stratas' album "The Unknown Kurt Weill" whilst searching for Wie lange noch? and enjoyed her interpretation as well as many other Weill songs...

‎I will confess there was a night when I willingly gave myself to you.
You took me and drove me out of my mind.
I believed that I could not live without you.
You promised me blue skies, and I cared for you like my own father.
You tormented me -- you tore me apart.
I would have put the world at your feet!
Look at me.
When will the day come that I will be able to tell you: it's over.
When that day comes... I dread it. How much longer? How long?

I believed you. I was in a daze from all your talk and your promises.
I did whatever you wanted.
Wherever you wanted to go, I was willing to follow.
You promised me blue skies, and I -- Ah! I didn't even dare to cry.
But you have broken your word and your vows.
I have been silent and tortured myself.
Look at me!
When will the day come that I will be able to tell you: it's over.
When that day comes -- I dread it.
How much longer?
How long?

Author: Weill, translations via.

*About Wie lange noch?

Kurt Weill’s “Wie Lange Noch,” with an enigmatic text by his fellow German-Jewish emigré Walter Mehring, was written for broadcast behind enemy lines on Radio Free Europe during the Second World War. Reworking a tune he had set previously to a French text, in“Wie Lange Noch,” Weill speaks of lost trust and the betrayal of a man who had promised and inspired a nation with dreams of hope in the guise of a torch song. The sparse opening begins with a painfully beautiful duet between Julie Baumgartel (violin) and Paul Pulford (cello), which is marked by starkness and quiet desperation. With the change in tonality from minor to major, a sense of light and hope glimmers in the distant future. The accordion here becomes musical portrayal of a sorrowful memory while the intensity of this text explodes in the questioning of time, as Mehring desperately asks: Wie lange noch—how much longer. The underlying meaning of the words cannot possibly have been lost on Germans listening to this song in 1944.

{info from Radioindy.com}

Listen to a beautiful rendition of this song by L'Accordéoniste here...

Kurt Weill at the piano, Dessau, 1916.

Ballet choreographed by Krzysztof Pastor (director of the Polish National Ballet) and set to Kurt Weill's Wie lange noch?

Margot's Princess Aurora

2011-04-03T19:17:00.032+08:00

I am in love... Such a Princess Aurora simply does not exist in the ballet world nowadays. Wish I could see Dame Margot Fonteyn dancing The Sleeping Beauty on stage. And this DVD (if it is released as one at all) is a must-find/must-have for me!

Margot Fonteyn as Aurora in Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Marius Petipa at Covent Garden theatre, photo Houston Rogers. London, England, c.1960 {via V&A}

Margot Fonteyn's tutu from Act I of The Sleeping Beauty 1946, designed by Oliver Messel

Costume for Princess Aurora in Act l of 'The Sleeping Beauty'

worn by Margot Fonteyn

The Royal Ballet, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London

1960

Museum no. S.301 - 2001 {via V&A}

Left: Coppelia costume (1954). Right: The Sleeping Beauty costume (1946)

"How to put something so visual, so potent with theatrical moment that even film cannot capture it, into plain words? How to explain why it is that when, to a particular strain of music, an ordinary mortal steps forward on one leg, raises the other behind her and lifts her arms above her head, the angels hold their breath?"

(from the prologue of Margot Fonteyn, by Meredith Daneman)

*See also here for Margot's Entrance of Aurora & Rose Adagio...

長江的百年孤獨: Nadav Kander's Yangtze River series - The Long River

2011-03-31T15:22:00.001+08:00

I recently came across the work of photographer & artist Nadav Kander, and was instantly drawn to his Yangtze River series of photographs. There is an intense, and yet ethereal, layer of loneliness and quiet poetry in the vast space depicted in these images. Loneliness particularly in the emptiness, colour schemes, and feelings of displaced human condition/ disconnect with nature for the people living along the river. Quietness albeit the industrial development which is clearly in progress along the Long River of China, shown in these photographs. Curiously and alluringly, instead of the peacefulness and tranquillity that is often associated emotionally with vast, empty spaces (here Kander echoes beautifully with the Chinese aesthetic concept of 留白 liu bai - literally "leaving blank"), one senses unrest and unease, which perhaps fuels certain undercurrent revolution. As Peter Nitsch puts it, "river is the metaphor for constant change."

Nanjing IV, Jiangsu Province

Mouth I (Wusongkou, where river meets sea), near Shanghai

Three Gorges Dam II, Yichang, Hubei Province

Changxing Island I (Island of Oranges), Shanghai

Mouth IV, near Shanghai

Three Gorges Dam V, Yichang, Hubei Province

Wu Gorge, Hubei Province

Xiling Gorge I, Hubei Province

Xiling Gorge IV, Hubei Province

New Fengdu (looking at Old Fengdu), Chongqing Municipality

Chongqing XI, Chongqing Municipality

Qinghai Province II

Qinghai Province III

(all images from Nadav Kander's official website)

*Read more about Nadav Kander's Long River Series here and here.

These photographs somehow remind me of the beauty of loneliness, and a paradoxical sense of agitation which unfurls in Ravel's Tzigane, performed here by one of my favourite violinists Henryk Szeryng.

Kubla Khan and the Eden of a cruel world

2011-02-19T18:01:00.000+08:00

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And here were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.

But oh! that deep romantic chasm which slanted
Down the green hill athwart a cedarn cover!
A savage place! as holy and enchanted
As e'er beneath a waning moon was haunted
By woman wailing for her demon-lover!
And from this chasm, with ceaseless turmoil seething,
As if this earth in fast thick pants were breathing,
A mighty fountain momently was forced:
Amid whose swift half-intermitted burst
Huge fragments vaulted like rebounding hail,
Or chaffy grain beneath the thresher's flail:
And 'mid these dancing rocks at once and ever
It flung up momently the sacred river.
Five miles meandering with a mazy motion
Through wood and dale the sacred river ran,
Then reached the caverns measureless to man,
And sank in tumult to a lifeless ocean:
And 'mid this tumult Kubla heard from far
Ancestral voices prophesying war!

The shadow of the dome of pleasure
Floated midway on the waves;
Where was heard the mingled measure
From the fountain and the caves.
It was a miracle of rare device,
A sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice!

A damsel with a dulcimer
In a vision once I saw:
It was an Abyssinian maid,
And on her dulcimer she played,
Singing of Mount Abora.
Could I revive within me
Her symphony and song,
To such a deep delight 'twould win me,

That with music loud and long,
I would build that dome in air,
That sunny dome! those caves of ice!
And all who heard should see them there,
And all should cry, Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

*Poetry: Kubla Khan (A Vision in A Dream) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, completed in 1797 and published in 1816.
*Melody: String Sextet in D minor, "Souvenir de Florence," Op.70, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, composed in 1890. This piece is used in James Kudelka's 1994 ballet Cruel World.
*Image: Holograph copy of Kubla Khan, via Wikipedia.

梅蘭芳的遊園驚夢: My Mr. Poetic Oneirism

2010-12-15T22:43:00.002+08:00

《遊園驚夢》中，梅蘭芳扮杜麗娘，言慧珠扮春香

《遊園驚夢》上

梅蘭芳在《遊園驚夢》中扮杜麗娘

《遊園驚夢》下

《遊園驚夢》中，梅蘭芳扮杜麗娘，俞振飛扮柳夢梅

More precious & beautiful photos of Mei Lanfang here (he is, after all, my Mr. Poetic Oneirism).

《遊園驚夢》是梅蘭芳學出的昆曲代表劇目。此劇是《牡丹亭》中的一環。劇情是：杜麗娘背父母及塾師與春香至後花園春遊，見斷井頹垣，陡起傷春之感。遊倦歸房，夢中與書生柳夢梅至後園相會，園中花神皆出護翼，二人訂情而別，杜母恰至喚醒麗娘，見其恍惚，囑勿常遊園，麗娘卻心向夢境不已。梅蘭芳在劇中飾杜麗娘。在唱念做工方面都有許多突出的地方，不僅表現出杜麗娘的溫婉、嫻雅貞靜的性格，還把這位深鎖幽閨的少女心靈深處的寂寞、惆悵、徬徨的心情恰如其分地表露出來，演得層次分明，不同凡響。是梅蘭芳下功夫最大，演出場次最多的一出戲。早在1918年演出時，由姜妙香配演柳夢梅，至1933年在上海演出時又得與昆曲名家俞振飛合作，由俞飾柳夢梅，均相得益彰。此後梅與俞合演多年，並博取眾家精華，不斷對此劇進行錘煉和提昇，遂臻化境。堪稱中國戲曲藝苑中的奇葩。1915年12月梅蘭芳應邀在北京電影製片廠，將此劇搬上銀幕，當時領導非常重視。組成優秀攝製組拍攝。仍請梅蘭芳和俞振飛分飾杜麗娘及柳夢梅，梅的弟子言慧珠飾丫環春香。歷時兩月，梅蘭芳和全組工作人員，以極大的熱情，圓滿完成了符合電影藝術和時代思想要求的拍攝任務。

*文字轉載自梅蘭芳紀念館: 戲曲知識

關於梅蘭芳之延伸閱讀... (More about Mei Lanfang...)

屋漏痕之美: The Beauty of Water Stains on the Wall

2010-12-08T21:22:00.008+08:00

‎Water Stains on the Wall is Mr. Lin Hwai-Min's fourth piece inspired by the aesthetics , spirit, beauty and philosophy behind the art of Chinese calligraphy and writing (after the breathtaking Cursive Trilogy: Cursive, Cursive II and Mad Cursive). Inhabiting a rather different sphere - "air" (clouds were his original source of inspiration in the creative process of Water Stains on the Wall, and images of clouds are used lavishly and beautifully in the stage design of this piece), for me, Water Stains on the Wall is perfection, transcendence, magnificence, the purest form of poetry and consciousness. I think I might be even more in love with it than with Moon Water, which is my favourite piece in Mr. Lin Hwai-Min's oeuvre and what started my profound love affair with Cloud Gate Dance Theatre...

It was a magical evening, when I saw ethereal yet exquisitely powerful swans gliding in space with perfectly controlled 氣 ("chi" or "prana"). The dancers' breathing was as beautiful as a calligraphic work, as the movements and music themselves...

水痕夏雲飛鳥與驚蛇

唐朝，代宗大曆7年，西元772年，狂草大師懷素，在洛陽拜謁書法界的老前輩顏真卿。

顏真卿問他，對書法有什麼見解。

懷素說，他觀察到夏天的雲彩變化萬千，有如峻奇的山峰，經常揣摩學習，寫起字來「其痛快處如飛鳥出林，驚蛇入草，又遇坼壁之路，一一自然。」

顏真卿問：「何如屋漏痕？」

據說，懷素欣然起座，握住顏真卿的手說：「得之矣。」

傳說的另一個版本說，35歲的「狂僧」懷素激動地抱住顏真卿的腳，吼道：「賊！」

《屋漏痕》是滲入牆壁的雨水，逐漸在壁上浮現的痕跡。

也有人說，《屋漏痕》是穿透窗戶或屋舍裂縫，投到房裡的斑剝日光。

這個書法史上的軼事讓我著迷。水痕，漏光，乃至懷素提到的夏雲，飛鳥，驚蛇，都是大自然的狀態。

醞釀多年，我決定以《屋漏痕》為題編舞，看看自己能不能觸及那「一一自然」的境界。

文／林懷民 (雲門舞集創辦人暨藝術總監)

「行草三部曲」之後，林懷民再與古代書魂邂逅，打造奇幻山水《屋漏痕》。

雲門舞作《九歌》的荷花、《流浪者之歌》的黃金稻米、《水月》的流水、《花語》飄舞的粉色花瓣，是林懷民的大自然物語，《屋漏痕》再以自然為素材，移山引水進劇場。

傾斜8度的白色舞台，雲影飄移，舞者是水墨精靈，是身手矯健的俠客，雲裡雲外飛騰，飄忽如夏天的雲，虛靈如白壁上的水痕，雲峰霧海處舞影躍動，用身體繪出一幅奇幻壯麗的潑墨山水，在陡峭如山的斜坡上。

*{此段轉載自雲門舞集官網; images and the above paragraph: via Cloud Gate's official website of Water Stains on the Wall.}

Water Stains on the Wall rehearsal (see also here), and choreographer/ artistic director Lin Hwai-Min talks about this piece.

台北天空日落日岀屋漏痕
Water stains on the wall, Taipei skies at dusk & dawn...

Dolls

2010-11-15T03:02:00.002+08:00

*Lucia Lacarra as Swanhilde in the ballet Coppélia

Coppélia is a sentimental comic ballet with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon to a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter and music by Léo Delibes. It was based upon two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann (The Sandman), and Die Puppe (The Doll). The ballet premiered on 25 May 1870 at the Théâtre Impérial de l´Opéra, with Giuseppina Bozzacchi in the principal role of Swanhilde. Its first flush of success was interrupted by the Franco-Prussian War and the siege of Paris, but eventually it became the most-performed ballet at the Opera Garnier.

The team of Saint-Léon and Nuittier had a previous success with the ballet La Source (1860), for which Délibes had composed the music jointly with Ludwig Minkus.

Giuseppina Bozzacchi as Swanhilde in the Saint-Léon/Delibes "Coppélia," Act I, Scene 2. Paris, 1870.

The story of Coppélia concerns a mysterious and faintly diabolical inventor, Doctor Coppélius who has made a life-size dancing doll. It is so lifelike that Franz, a village swain, is infatuated with it, and sets aside his true heart's desire, Swanhilde, who in Act II shows him his folly by dressing as the doll and pretending to come to life. The festive wedding-day divertissements in the village square that occupy Act III are often deleted in modern danced versions, though one of the entrées was the first csárdás presented on a ballet stage. If Mary Shelley's Frankenstein represents the dark side of the theme of scientist as creator of life, then Coppélia is the light side. If Giselle is a tragedy set in a peasant village, then Coppélia is a comedy in the same setting.

Giuseppina Bozzacchi as Swanhilde in the Saint-Léon/Delibes "Coppélia," Act I, Scene 2. Paris, 1870.

(Text and images via Wikipedia)

*Also, from Takeshi "Beat" Kitano's ravishing and heartrending 2002 film Dolls... (I literally had to hold my tears while watching its premiere at the Renoir Cinema in London...)

forgetting if, remember yes

2010-11-12T14:19:00.002+08:00

Adolph de Meyer (American, born France, 1868–1949)

view through the window of a garden

in time of daffodils(who know
the goal of living is to grow)
forgetting why,remember how

in time of lilacs who proclaim
the aim of waking is to dream,
remember so(forgetting seem)

in time of roses(who amaze
our now and here with paradise)
forgetting if,remember yes

in time of all sweet things beyond
whatever mind may comprehend,
remember seek(forgetting find)

and in a mystery to be
(when time from time shall set us free)
forgetting me,remember me

~ edward estlin cummings

*Thank you Alain, for this thoughtful and exquisite poem by e.e. cummings. Thank you M♥, for Harmonic Progression of My Sorrow. And thank you Couleurs, for the two beautiful Adolph de Meyer photographs.

Adolph de Meyer (American, born France, 1868–1949)

view through a gateway into a garden

寂天的雲上之國: 不丹 / Bhutan, Kingdom above the Clouds

2010-09-30T23:07:00.006+08:00

I offer every fruit and flower
And every kind of healing medicine;
And all the precious things the world affords,
With all pure waters of refreshment;

Every mountain, rich and filled with jewels;
All sweet and lonely forest groves;
The trees of heaven, garlanded with blossom,
And branches heavy, laden with their fruit;

perhaps my favourite photo amongst everything I took during this trip to Bhutan - a local woman walking in the rice paddies we saw on our way to the Divine Madman's Temple in Punakha

a pink rose at the gate to the National Museum in Paro

at the Garden of Dreams, Kathmandu, Nepal (we flew to Bhutan via Kathmandu, a city I shall never return to)

The perfumed fragrance of the realms of gods and men;
All incense, wish trees, and trees of gems;
All crops that grow without the tiller’s care
And every sumptuous object worthy to be offered;

Lakes and meres adorned with lotuses,
All plaintive with the sweet-voiced cries of water birds
And lovely to the eyes, and all things wild and free,
Stretching to the boundless limits of the sky;

fresh flower offerings (from the pink roses right outside the gate) at the entrance of Paro Dzong

following the monk's footsteps near Paro Dzong

I simply adore these divine Bhutanese mountains. They are even more beautiful than paintings...

I hold them all before my mind, and to the supreme Buddhas
And their heirs will make a perfect gift of them.
O, think of me with love, compassionate lords;
Sacred objects of my prayers, accept these offerings.

(The Way of the Bodhisattva, by Shantideva)

Weaving/textile is the national art and treasure of Bhutan. Some of these extremely intricate "kira" (traditional Bhutanese costume for women) cloths require painful precision and tremendous patience. The finished textile features such delicate patterns that at first glance they resemble embroideries, and yet everything is woven and a tiny knot is tied at every single thread, every time... For an experienced weaver it can take 2 to 4 months to finish a single piece for the kira.

Punakha Dzong, with the magnificent view of the confluence of the bluish grey Mo Chhu (Mother River, left) and the white Po Chhu (Father River, right). Yin and Yang in perfect harmony. In winter the Mother River turns deep blue whilst the Father River stays white. Taiwanese artist Prof. Dan-Fong Liang (梁丹丰) painted a watercolour of this heartbreakingly beautiful sight.

The temple inside Punakha Dzong. The ceremony to consecrate the festival starting next day was about to take place. We joined in, and it was surreal. My favourite was the Dance of Heroes performed by young monks (no filming/photography allowed) - the whole experience there with the lamas chanting, amazing music and stunning dance, followed by meditation, was mesmerising and hypnotic. It is something I will never forget.

I celebrated my 30th birthday in the magical mountain kingdom Bhutan, and had the most unforgettable and incredible time. It had always been a dream of mine to visit the Land of the Thunderdragon, and Bhutan turned out to be more stunning and magnificent than I could ever imagine. I will perhaps write more about this trip later, but at the moment I feel that the beauty and wonder of Bhutan are impossible to describe with words. There are so many stories to tell, so much beauty to share, and yet when encountered with such pure beauty I was left feeling speechless. I already started missing Bhutan at Paro Airport on the day we left, and now I miss it even more every single day. Bhutan is utterly unique. It is the most special and beautiful country I have ever seen. I cannot wait to be back...

simple life at the nunnery

the nuns (many of them extremely young), living high up in the mountain with clouds

gorgeous rainbow over the emerald valley of Paro

On our way to the Divine Madman's Temple. The landscapes and rice fields were so unimaginably beautiful that I felt as if I was walking inside Millet's painting "The Gleaners" (although Millet's painting depicts wheat fields)...

If you catch a fragrance of the unseen,
like that, you will not be able
to be contained.
You will be out in empty sky.

Any beauty the world has, any desire
will easily be yours.

As you live deeper in the heart,
the mirror gets clearer and cleaner.

~Mevlâna Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks

flying prayer flags near Tiger's Nest (Taktsang Goemba)

young monks at Paro Dzong (where "Little Buddha" was filmed)

me in front of my favourite Punakha Dzong at the confluence of Mo Chhu and Po Chhu - a breathtaking sight to behold

*A compilation of super short videos we took in Bhutan (and last few in Nepal)... In addition to being quite fun to watch and wonderful to reminisce, videos do give you a very realistic sense of the space which is rather different from what might be conveyed in photographs.

*Undoubtedly, I took a tremendous amount of photographs in Bhutan. You can look at them in my online photo albums here, here and here.*

Morning mountain trek on my 30th birthday!

The Poetic Dream Argument

2010-08-30T10:03:00.028+08:00

This place is a dream.
Only a sleeper considers it real.

Then death comes like dawn,
and you wake up laughing
at what you thought was your grief.

But there's a difference with this dream.
Everything cruel and unconscious
done in the illusion of the present world,
all that does not fade away at the death-waking.

It stays,
and it must be interpreted.

And this groggy time we live,
this is what it's like:

A man goes to sleep in the town where he has always lived
and he dreams he's living in another town.
In the dream, he doesn't remember
the town he's sleeping in his bed in. He believes
the reality of the dream town.

The world is that kind of sleep.

The dust of many crumbled cities
settles over us like a forgetful doze,
but we are older than those cities.

We began as a mineral.
We emerged into plant life
and into the animal state, and then into being human,
and always we have forgotten our former states,
except in early spring when we slightly recall
being green again.
That's how a young person turns
toward a teacher. That's how a baby leans
toward the breast, without knowing the secret
of its desire, yet turning instinctively.

Humankind is being led along an evolving course,
through this migration of intelligences,
and though we seem to be sleeping,
there is an inner wakefulness
that directs the dream,

and that will eventually startle us back
to the truth of who we are.

~ Mevlana Rumi; translation by Coleman Barks

Bucheinband, 18th century book cover

Coloured Baroque so-called paper rose, embossed papers,with stencils and gold.

Ex Bibliotheca Gymnasii Altonani (Hamburg)

{*image via The Book Aesthete}

銅鏡、饕餮、天人 Chinese Bronze Mirrors

2010-08-26T22:01:00.006+08:00

Although having always been attracted to ancient Chinese culture and artefacts, I only fell in love with Chinese bronzeware "properly" during the studies of Chinese art and archaeology in my first year of university. Amongst various beautiful objects, the mystical and highly aesthetic bronze mirrors are my favourite.

Bronzes (simplified Chinese: 青铜器; traditional Chinese: 青銅器; pinyin: qīng tóng qì; Wade-Giles: ch'ing t'ong ch'i) are some of the most important pieces of Chinese art, warranting an entire separate catalogue in the Imperial art collections. The Chinese Bronze Age began in the Xia Dynasty, and bronze ritual containers form the bulk of the collection of Chinese antiques, reaching its zenith during the Zhou Dynasty. The appreciation, creation and collection of Chinese bronzes as pieces of art and not as ritual items began in the Song Dynasty and reached its zenith in the Qing Dynasty in the reign of the Qianlong emperor, whose massive collection is recorded in the catalogues known as the Xiqing gujian (西清古鑑) and the Xiqing jijian (西清繼鑑). Within those two catalogues, the bronzeware is categorised according to use:

Sacrificial vessels (祭器),
Wine vessels (酒器),
Food vessels (食器),
Water vessels (水器),
Musical instruments (樂器),
Weapons (兵器),
Measuring containers (量器),
Ancient money (錢幣), and
Miscellaneous (雜器).

The most highly prized are generally the sacrificial and wine vessels, which form the majority of most collections. Often these vessels are elaborately decorated with Taotie (饕餮) patterns.

漢四神博局銘文鏡徑11.8 x 厚0.5

臺灣國立歷史博物館

Han Dynasty bronze mirror, National History Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

宋龍紋綾花鏡直徑16.9公分

圓鏡，作八尖瓣菱花形，鈕有傷缺。鏡背飾龍紋與壽山福海。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Song Dynasty bronze mirror, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

唐月魄鏡直徑18.2公分

圓鏡，作八瓣菱花形、龜形鈕。鏡背飾嫦娥、月兔、臼杵、玉桂樹與蟾蜍，間飾雲紋，鏡緣則以卷雲與花枝間隔排列。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Tang Dynasty bronze mirror, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

周羽狀紋鏡徑11.1X厚0.3

器形：鏡/ 功能：生活用具/ 技法：塊範法/ 紋飾：四葉捲草紋，瑞獸

臺灣國立歷史博物館

Zhou Dynasty bronze mirror, National History Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

In China, the greatest part of discovered and preserved bronze items were not forged to ploughs or swords but cast to sacrificial vessels. Even a great part of weapons had a sacrificial meaning like daggers and axes that symbolised the heavenly power of the ruler. The strong religious sense of bronze objects brought up a great number of vessel types and shapes which became so typical that they should be copied as archaic style receptacles with other materials like wood, jade, ivory or even gold until the 20th century.

The ritual books of old China minutely describe who was allowed to use what kinds of sacrificial vessels and how much. The king of Zhou was favoured to use 9 dings and 8 gui vessels, a duke was allowed to use 7 dings and 6 guis, a baron could use 5 dings and 3 guis, a nobleman was allowed to use 3 dings and 2 guis.

{Information via Wikipedia}

西漢四乳草葉銘紋鏡徑14 x 厚0.35

臺灣國立歷史博物館

Western-Han Dynasty bronze mirror, National History Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

唐玉匣鏡直徑16.0公分

圓鏡，圓鈕、四葉紋鈕座。內區飾四獸紋與規矩紋，外區銘文帶二十字。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Tang Dynasty bronze mirror, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

宋謝少塘造青鏡直徑11.3公分

圓鏡，橋鈕、圓鈕座。鏡背飾乳丁紋與雲紋。有銘二處各四字。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Song Dynasty bronze mirror, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

Bronze mirrors were produced in China from neolithic times until the Qing Dynasty, when western glass mirrors were brought to China. Bronze mirrors were usually circular, with one side polished bright, to give a reflection, and the reverse side with designs. They often had a knob in the center so that they could be attached to clothing. Some of the earliest examples of Chinese bronze mirrors belonged to the Neolithic Qijia culture from around 2000 BCE. However, until Warring States times, bronze mirrors were not common with approximately only twenty having been discovered. During the Warring States period, mirrors became particularly popular. It was during the Han Dynasty, and the introduction of the TLV mirror, that mirrors started to be mass-produced. Both Han and Tang mirrors are considered to be the most technically advanced. Bronze mirrors continued to remain popular up through the Song Dynasty, but then gradually lost their popularity and ceased to be produced after the arrival of Western mirrors during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

{via: Wikipedia}

隋末唐初瑩質鏡直徑16.1公分

圓鏡，半球鈕、圓鈕座。鏡背飾瑞獸葡萄紋，最外圈有銘：「練所神冶，瑩質良工。如珠出匣，似月停空。當眉寫翠，對臉傳紅。綺窗繡晃，俱含影中」。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Bronze mirror, late-Sui/ early-Tang dynasties, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

元四獸四鳳紋鏡直徑24.8公分

圓鏡，圓鈕、花瓣形鈕座。內區飾異獸，外區飾鳳紋與花卉。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Yuan Dynasty bronze mirror, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

五代星官紋鏡直徑14.5公分

圓鏡，圓鈕。鏡背飾兩仙人，一坐於樹下、一坐乘浮雲，旁有龜與鶴鳥。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Bronze mirror, Five Dynasties Period, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

唐雙魚紋鏡直徑11.9公分

圓鏡，橋鈕。鏡背飾魚紋，銘文帶模糊不清。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Tang Dynasty bronze mirror, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

唐雙魚紋鏡直徑17.1公分

圓鏡，橋鈕。鏡背飾魚紋。

臺灣國立故宮博物院

Tang Dynasty bronze mirror, National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

古代少女閨房私物：葵花銅鏡

唐代海獸葡萄紋銅鏡

1980年陜西漢中地區西鄉縣出土，直徑29釐米，陜西歷史博物館藏。

圓形，臥獸鈕，鏡面分兩區。內區飾六隻瑞獸攀援葡萄枝蔓，外區飛禽、異獸同向穿梭于葡萄枝葉之間，生動活潑。圖案立體感極強。

Tang Dynasty bronze mirror, Shannxi History Museum, China.

漢四孔草葉銘文鏡徑13.8 x 厚0.4

臺灣國立歷史博物館

Han Dynasty bronze mirror, National History Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

*References and further readings:

中國銅鏡藝術 The Art of Chinese Bronze Mirrors (only in Chinese)

臺灣數位典藏聯合目錄銅鏡藏品 Digital Archives Taiwan - bronze mirrors

臺灣國立歷史博物館 National History Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

臺灣國立故宮博物院 National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan.

Photography of the Shannxi History Museum, China - a set on Flickr

Shannxi History Museum on Wikipedia

The Violin of Eugène Ysaÿe

2010-08-21T18:22:00.000+08:00

"It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. It has the beauty of loneliness and of pain: of strength and freedom. The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature, and everlasting beauty of monotony."
— Benjamin Britten

Ysaÿe's hand

David Oistrakh plays Eugène Ysaÿe's Sonata for Solo Violin in D Minor, Op. 27, #3.

"Music, of all the arts, stands in a special region, unlit by any star but its own, and utterly without meaning ... except its own."
— Leonard Bernstein, The Joy of Music

Selections from Eugène Ysaÿe's Six Sonatas for Solo Violin, Opus 27, performed by Ilya Kaler. (Thank you, GeorgeEnescu, for sharing such beauty.)

"... music, since it passes over the Ideas, is... quite independent of the phenomenal world, positively ignores it, and, to a certain extent, could still exist even if there were no world at all, which cannot be said of the other arts."
— Arthur Schopenhauer, The World as Will and Representation

Taipei: My City, My Home (updated)

2010-08-05T17:04:00.185+08:00

Points of Interest in Taipei:
old houses, scholars’ dens, art spaces, tea culture & gardens etc.

Taipei is by far one of the most dynamically artistic and cultural cities in the world, with its own distinctive and profound heritage. I have compiled a list of places of interest in this wonderful city where I grew up and am becoming more and more fond of.

*This post is being constantly updated - please check back often. Also, most websites/links have an English and/or Japanese version, so do click away and explore!*

林語堂故居 (images via official Facebook page)

滿溢著藝術氣息的師大夜市一隅

寶藏巖歷史斷面夜間燈光音樂藝術展 Bejewelled lights and melodies of a violin at Treasure Hill Artist Village, Taipei.

紫藤廬 Wisteria House (image via official Facebook page)

《學者故居》 Scholars' Dens

林語堂故居 The Lin Yutang House (台北市仰德大道二段141號, Tel: 02-2861-3003) *See a beautiful photo album of Lin Yutang's residence.
殷海光故居 Yin Foo-Sun's Residence (臺北市大安區溫州街18巷16弄一之一號) {A good blog/reference site of many interesting old buildings}
李國鼎故居 Li Guo-Ding's Residence (臺北市中正區泰安街2巷3號, Tel: 02-2393-5991 要先預約) See also here.
錢穆故居 The Ch'ien Mu House (臺北市士林區臨溪路72號, Tel: 02-2880-5809)
嚴家淦故居 Yen Jia-Gan Residence (台北市中正區重慶南路二段2號、4號) *目前暫不開放參觀

林語堂故居

溫州街小巷, 近殷海光學者故居

紫藤廬 Wisteria House (images via official Facebook page)

《老建築》 Old Buildings and Houses

台北賓館 Taipei Guest House (台北市凱達格蘭大道); 參觀資訊 http://tgh.mofa.gov.tw/ {Great photography on this blog.}
撫臺街洋樓 (台北市延平南路26號, Tel: 02-2314-5190) - No official website, but here's a wonderful blog full of info on old buildings.
市長官邸藝文沙龍 The Mayor's Residence Arts Salon (台北市徐州路46號, Tel: 02-2396-8198)
台北市中山堂 (臺北市延平南路98號, Tel: 02-2381-3137)
西門紅樓 The Red House (台北市萬華區成都路10號, Tel: 02-2311-9380)
牯嶺街小劇場 (台北市中正區牯嶺街5 巷2 號, Tel: 02-2391-9393)
台北故事館 Taipei Story House (台北市中山北路三段181-1號, Tel: 02-2596-1898)
台北之家/ 光點台北 Taipei House/ Spot Taipei (台北市中山北路二段18號, Tel: 02-2511-7786)
朝北醫院 (台北市萬華區西園路一段181號) *目前只能看外觀
古城老街區 (台北市中正區延平南路)
臺北縣立淡水古蹟博物館 Dansui Historic Sites, Taipei County (臺北縣淡水鎮中正路28巷1號, Tel：02 2623 1001)
北投溫泉博物館 Beitou Hotspring Museum (臺北市北投區中山路二號, Tel: 02-2893-9981)
台灣民俗北投文物館 Taiwan Folk Arts Museum (臺北市北投區幽雅路32號, Tel: 02-2891-2318)
吟松閣老溫泉旅館 (台北市北投區幽雅路21號, Tel: 02-28912063)
《玫瑰古蹟》蔡瑞月舞蹈研究社 Tsai Jui-Yueh Dance Institute (臺北市中山北路二段48巷10號, Tel: 02-2523-7547)
*士林官邸 (台北市福林路60號, {士林區中山北路5段460巷1號, 福林路口東南側}, Tel: 02-2881-2512, 02-2881-2912) Where the annual chrysanthemum exhibition is held: 士林官邸菊展.

殷海光故居

林語堂先生的打字機

殷海光故居門口

Above two: Taipei Story House during the Taipei Flora Expo - see more here.

紫藤廬攝/孟湘

紫藤廬 Wisteria House (images via official Facebook page)

《博物館/藝廊/表演藝術中心》 Museums, Galleires & Spaces for Performance Arts

國立歷史博物館 National Museum of History (臺北市南海路49號, Tel: 02-2361-0270) *新網頁好美; 記得順道參觀植物園
國立台灣博物館 National Taiwan Museum (臺北市中正區100襄陽路2號, 二二八和平公園內; 02-2382-2699)
紀州庵新館 (台北市中正區同安街107號, Tel: 02-2364-0651)
上古藝術館 Sogo Art (台北市建國南路一段160號B1, 忠孝東路口; Tel: 02-2711-3577)
佛光緣美術館 Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery (台北市信義區松隆路327號十樓之一, Tel: :02-2760-0222)
楊英風美術館 Yu Yu Yuan Museum (台北市重慶南路二段31號, Tel：02-23961966)
岩筆模 MBmore (台北市捷運中山站地下書街B39, 近R9出口)
南海藝廊 Nanhai Gallery, National Taipei University of Education (台北市重慶南路二段19巷3號, Tel: 02-2392-5080)
台北戲棚 Taipei Eye (台北市中山北路二段113號, 錦州街入口; Tel: 02-2568-2677)
台北偶戲館 Puppetry Art Centre of Taipei (台北市松山區市民大道五段99號2樓, Tel: 02-2528-9553)
台北市立美術館 Taipei Fine Arts Museum (臺北市中山北路三段181號, Tel: 02 25957656)
台北當代藝術館 Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (台北市大同區長安西路39號, Tel: 02-2552-3721轉301)
瑩瑋藝術翡翠文化博物館 Museum of Jade Art (臺北市104中山區建國北路一段96號1樓)
台北服飾文化館 Taipei Costume and Culture Centre (台北市萬華區西園路二段9號, Tel: 02-2304-4088)
中正紀念堂展場 National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall
國父紀念館展場 (國父史蹟紀念館) National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall
兩廳院: 國家戲劇院/ 國家音樂廳 National Theatre & Concert Hall
國立故宮博物院 National Palace Museum, Taipei (Always worth a visit, in any case...)
市長官邸藝文沙龍 The Mayor's Residence Arts Salon (台北市徐州路46號, Tel：02-2396-8198)
臺北縣立鶯歌陶瓷博物館 Taipei County Yingge Ceramics Museum (台北縣鶯歌鎮文化路200號, Tel: 02-8677-2727)
華山1914創意文化園區 Huashan 1914 Creative Park (台北市中正區八德路一段1號/ Tel: 02-2358-1914)
草山國際藝術村 Grass Mountain Artist Village (台北市北投區湖底路92 號, Tel：02-2862-2404)
台北國際藝術村 Taipei Artist Village (台北市北平東路7號, Tel：02-3393-7377)
凱達格蘭文化館 Ketagalang Culture Centre (台北市北投區中山路3-1號/ Tel: 02-2898-6500)
梅庭 The Plum Garden, Beitou (台北市北投區中山路6號, Tel: 02-2897-2647)
表演36房 Performing Arts School 36 (台北市文山區木新路二段156之1號, Tel: 02-2939-3088)
芝山文化生態綠園 Zhishan Cultural and Ecological Garden (台北市雨聲街120號, Tel: 02-8866-6258)
臺北市電影主題公園 Taipei Cinema Park (臺北市康定路19號, Tel: 02-2312-3717)
台北數位藝術中心 Digital Art Centre, Taipei (台北市士林區福華路180號, Tel: 02-7736-0708)
台北探索館 Discovery Centre of Taipei (臺北市市府路一號, Tel: 1999 {外縣市 02-27574547} 轉4547)

*Below four outside Taipei ~
國立台灣文學館 National Museum of Taiwanese Literature (台南市中西區中正路1號, Tel: 06-221-7201)
國立台灣美術館 (台中市西區五權西路一段2號, Tel: 04-2372-3552)
泰郁美學堂 Taiyu Beaux Arts Salon (嘉義市600大雅路二段452號, Tel: 05-278 5864)
國立傳統藝術中心 Centre for Traditional Arts (宜蘭縣五結鄉季新村五濱路二段201號, Tel: 03-970-5815). Two lovely exhibitions - 情結古今蝶戀花: 明&愚編飾創作展 "An Encounter with Colourful Butterflies and Flowers: Ming & Yu Design Collection" {see also 珠寶設計古玩生香 Ming & Yu Jewellery Design}; 路轉青山巧手遇: 傳藝刺繡特展 "An Encounter with Ingenious Hands: A Special Exhibition of Traditional Embroidery."

嚴家淦故居

李國鼎故居

Spot Taipei 光點/台北之家 is the former residence of the American ambassador to Taiwan (long long ago...), now an hauteur/art cinema, bookstore & cafe in one. David and I adore the al fresco cafe - ah, the resplendence of trees...

溫州街巷弄裡的殷海光學者故居

紫藤廬 Wisteria House (images via official Facebook page)

《品茗》 Tea Culture/ Teahouses

小慢 Xiaoman (台北市泰順街16巷39號, Tel: 02 2365 0017) - It immediately became my favourite teahouse in Taipei after only one tea session, perhaps even in the whole world. One of the most beautiful places in Taipei, and so close to where I live! (See more photos & Facebook page...)
紫藤廬 Wisteria House (台北市新生南路三段16巷1號, Tel：02 2363 7375 & 02-2363 9459); see also the Facebook official page of Wisteria House.
爾雅書馨一庭之廣生食品行 (台北市泰順街38巷25號, Tel：02 2363 3414) - Reminiscent of the nostalgic old Shanghai, visiting this teahouse is always on our to-do list whenever David and I come to Taipei. The owner used to have a fascinating and gorgeous antique shop nearby, where we discovered loads of treasures, but it seems to have closed down. Click here and here for more photos and information (in Chinese).
紅樓茶坊 Cho West Cha at The Red House Theatre (台北市萬華區成都路10號, Tel: 02-2311-9380)
撫臺街洋樓「午後茶韻」 (台北市延平南路26號, Tel: 02-2314-5190)
布拉格 There's No Place Like Café Prague (台北市泰順街40巷30號, Tel: 02 2369 7722)
明星咖啡館 Astoria Café (台北市中正區武昌街一段7號2樓, Tel: 02 2381 5589)
中山堂堡壘咖啡 Fortress Café (台北市延平南路98號2樓, Tel: 02 2381 3137)
二條通綠島小夜曲 The Island (台北市中山北路1段33巷1號, Tel: 02 2531 4594)
采采食茶文化 Cha Cha Thé (台北市復興南路一段219巷23號, Tel: 02 8773 1818/ 台北市敦化南路一段132號, Tel: 02 8773 5838)
老樹咖啡 Oldtree Café (台北市中正區新生南路一段60號, Tel: 02 2351 6463)
朵兒咖啡館 Daughters' Café (台北市松山區富錦街393號, Tel: 02 8787 2425)

《Reference Websites》

台北市古典建築
台灣古蹟列表 (on Wikipedia)
台灣美術館及博物館
台北市政府文化局 Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government
文化快遞 Taipei Culture Express
文化資產 Taipei Cultural Heritage Sites
*藝遊網*
台北旅遊網 Taipei Travel Net
節氣與農諺 {臺灣節慶之美}
2010 臺北古蹟日 ~ 花現臺北城嬉遊古蹟
國立臺灣工藝研究發展中心 National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute (南投縣542草屯鎮中正路573號, Tel：049-233-4141)
AIR Taipei 藝術進駐
學學文創志業 Xue Xue Institute (台北市內湖區堤頂大道二段207號, Tel：0800-068-089)

Bejewelled lights and melodies of violin in Treasure Hill Artist Village, Taipei. 寶藏巖藝術村歷史斷面

紫藤廬一景 Wisteria House

*Musical landscapes for this post - Igor Stravinsky's Agon.

無題 (ii)

2010-07-20T12:49:00.001+08:00

(Photo via Stacey)

O Man! Take heed!
What says the deep midnight?
"I slept, I slept—,
from a deep dream have I awoken:—
the world is deep,
...and deeper than the day has thought.
Deep is its pain—,
joy—deeper still than heartache.
Pain says: Pass away!
But all joy
seeks eternity—,
—seeks deep, deep eternity!"

~ From Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 3 (4. Sehr langsam. Misterioso)

Intermezzo from the opera Manon Lescaut by Giacomo Puccini

Giacomo Puccini: Intermezzo from the opera Suor Angelica
Karajan and Berliner Philarmonicker

Hands

2010-06-18T18:16:00.005+08:00

In celebration of my obsession with hands, I have compiled some photographs which I find infinitely beautiful and mesmerising. As a pianist and lover of Chinese opera, I find hands to be the most sensual, mysterious and magical part of a human body. They are also the most "narrative."

How To Sleep: With forearm tensed, model shows relaxed way of dropping hand, by Gjon Mili, New York, 1943

How To Sleep: With forearm tensed model shows tense way of dropping hand, by Gjon Mili, New York, 1943

梅蘭芳手指尖上的傾國傾城 {via}

Hand Gestures of the Legendary Peking Opera Master Mei Lanfang (Mr. "Poetic Oneirism")

梅蘭芳手指尖上的傾國傾城 {via}

Hand Gestures of the Legendary Peking Opera Master Mei Lanfang (Mr. "Poetic Oneirism")

“蘭花指”之擺手式

Hand Gesture "Orchid Fingers" in Chinese Opera

Mei Lanfang's Hand Gestuality in Beijing (Peking) Opera

Book Negs, Casals, by Gjon Mili

Hand of Bassist Red Callender During Filming of Jammin' the Blues, by Gjon Mili

Pianist Clara Haskil's Hands {unknown image source}

Josef Hofmann's Hands in Action, by Gjon Mili, 1940

Film Still from "Late Spring" directed by Ozu Yasujiro

Hand of cellist Gregor Piatigorsky whilst playing Schubert

{film still via YouTube}

Jam Session: Hand of unident, bass player on the strings during jam session at photographer Gjon Mili's studio

By Gjon Mili, New York, 1943

The Graceful Hands of Ballerina Tilly Losch, by E. O. Hoppe, 1928 {via}

Close-up of woman's graceful hands (old print), by E. O. Hoppe, United Kingdom, 1925

Sinuous and sensitive hands of artist Blair Leighton, by E. O. Hoppe, United Kingdom, 1920

Close-up of a woman's graceful hands with ring and necklace in foreground (old print), by E. O. Hoppe, United Kingdom, 1925

Tango {unknown image source}

Stroboscopic image of the hands of Russian conductor Efram Kurtz whilst conducting, by Gjon Mili

The Baton, by Gjon Mili

中國戲曲之手勢“蘭花指”

Various Hand Gestures of "Orchid Fingers" in Chinese Opera

Svetlana Zakharova's hands in "La Fille du Pharaon"

The Grand coda from La Fille du Pharaon

Kim Yu-Na's hands in "Bond Girl," 2009

*Also watch Kim Yu-Na in her stunning long programme Scheherezade (2009 Figure Skating World Championships), a magical firebird on ice.

*All Gjon Mili and E. O. Hoppe images via the LIFE photo archive hosted by Google
**Thank you Photography Influences and Couleurs for introductions to Gjon Mili's How to Sleep photo and E. O. Hoppe's Close-up of woman's graceful hands respectively.

郎世寧 Giuseppe Castiglione

2010-06-16T19:08:00.003+08:00

清郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊聚瑞圖局部 (畫心)

郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊荷花慈姑花圖 (畫心)

絹本設色縱33.3厘米横27.8厘米台北故宫博物院藏

Giuseppe Castiglione（1688年7月19日－1766年7月16日），中國名郎世寧。意大利米蘭人。天主教耶穌會傳教士、中國宮廷畫家，以西洋寫實畫風紀錄了清朝初期的中國宮廷人物與景色。十九歲入天主教耶穌會為修士，習畫兼習建築。二十七歲來華傳教，後以繪事供奉朝廷，歷仕康熙、雍正、乾隆三朝。兼善人物、花卉、鳥獸；動物中，以馬畫最多，亦最傳神。

生平
郎世寧出生於義大利米蘭的聖馬塞蘭諾（San Marcellino），青年時期隨卡洛科納拉（Carlo Conara）學習繪畫與建築，並在1707年左右加入了熱那亞耶穌會。剛開始只為義大利的教堂畫壁畫，1714年居住於葡萄牙里斯本及科英布拉。幾年後對中國產生了相當大的興趣，1715年前往中國。期間曾於澳門學習中文、並以「郎世寧」作為漢名。

郎世寧在一生大半待在中國，歷侍康熙、雍正、乾隆三朝，計約有50餘年。1715年到中國時，被康熙帝以藝術家的身份召進宮中，曾協助圓明園的規劃設計，他引進西方文藝復興時期開創的明暗寫實畫法，並改用膠狀顏料在宣紙上作畫，也就是今日的膠彩畫作法，他曾試圖要求康熙帝開辦學習用西方透視原理來繪畫的繪畫學校，但不被採用，後來與中國學者年希堯一起出版了一本《視學》，是中國第一部透視學專著。

郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊牡丹圖

絹本設色縱33.3厘米横27.8厘米台北故宫博物院藏

郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊芍藥圖

絹本設色縱33.3厘米横27.8厘米台北故宫博物院藏

1757年，乾隆帝曾為郎世寧舉辦七十歲大壽，證明他在宮中頗受禮遇及恩寵。晚年亦為乾隆帝及其妃留下不少的肖像。最後官至三品的郎世寧于1766年在中國去世，再追封侍郎銜。享年78歲。葬於滕公柵欄。

在他之後的西洋傳教士畫家有王致誠（Jean Denis Attiret）、艾啟蒙（Ignaz Sichelbarth）、賀清泰（Louis dePoirot）、潘廷章（Giuseppe Panzi）等。

今日郎世寧的畫作在中國畫拍賣市場中是相當高價的作品，2000年他的《蘋野秋鳴》賣出價是1765.5萬港幣，是當時第二高價賣出的中國畫。

清郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊石竹圖 (畫心)

絹本設色縱33.3厘米横27.8厘米台北故宫博物院藏

郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊菊花圖

絹本設色縱33.3厘米横27.8厘米台北故宫博物院藏

郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊虞美人與蝴蝶花圖

絹本設色縱33.3厘米横27.8厘米台北故宫博物院藏

傳教
郎世寧雖然以傳教士的身份來中國，但在康熙、雍正、乾隆三代對基督宗教的壓制中，他並沒有被逐出紫禁城，反而極受禮遇，有很大一部分的原因是，他在清朝宮中僅有宮廷畫師的職位，凡是有任何企圖傳教的舉止，都會被禁止，因此在中國，多稱他為宮廷畫師，而少稱他為傳教士。

代表作品
郎世寧的代表作品有《八駿圖》、《聚瑞圖》、《嵩獻英芝圖》、《大閱圖》、《百駿圖》、《弘曆及後妃像》、《平定西域戰圖》等。後世藝評家認為他畫馬最為傳神。

參看
蘇立群，《郎世寧傳》（1998年由中國文學出版社出版；2004年，中國作家出版社以《宮廷畫師郎世寧》名重新出版）

{文獻參考: 台灣國立故宮博物院 & 中文維基百科}

【名稱】清郎世寧聚瑞圖【年代】清代

【簡介】立軸，絹本，設色，縱109．3厘米，橫58．7厘米。上海博物館藏。

Giuseppe Castiglione was born on July 19, 1688, in the central San Marcellino district of Milan, Italy, the site of a renowned Botteghe degli Stampator painting studio. As a youth, Castiglione learned to paint from Carlo Cornara at the studio, and he also came under the influence of the famous painter Andrea Pozzo, a member of the Society of Jesus at Trento. In 1707, at the age of 19, Castiglione formally entered the Society and traveled to the prosperous city of Genoa for further training. By this time, he had already achieved some repute as a painter and was invited to do wall paintings at Jesuit churches. At the age of 27, he received instructions to go to China, and, on the journey, did wall paintings in Jesuit churches in Coimbra (Portugal) and Macao. Castiglione's style was based on the emphasis on color, perspective, and light found in Italian Renaissance art. In China, where Castiglione went by the Chinese name Lang Shih-ning, he came to the attention of the Ch'ien-lung emperor (r. 1736-1795) and served as an artist for the court. Castiglione eventually became a respected painter and earned the appreciation of the Ch'ien-lung emperor, which was a considerable honor for a foreign artist at the time.

清郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊聚瑞圖

Following the taste and tradition of painting in China, Castiglione was able to forge a new style that combined elements with his Western training in art. His paintings were done with Chinese materials but often incorporate Western techniques of shading and atmospheric perspective. (...) Using perspective to suggest depth and shading for the effect of light, Castiglione has used Chinese materials and Western techniques to impart a sense of realism to this native theme. In addition to the shadows, Castiglione has adapted the traditional texture stroke methods of Chinese painting to give the objects even more substance. The emphasis on washes of color, however, still reveals the focus on native techniques. This painting [One Hundred Horses - see link], done in 1728, represents an early masterpiece in Castiglione's syncretic style of East and West.

{Text via: National Palace Museum, Taipei, Taiwan}

郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊罌粟圖

絹本設色縱33.3厘米横27.8厘米台北故宫博物院藏

郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊桃花圖

絹本設色縱33.3厘米横27.8厘米台北故宫博物院藏

*To see and read more...
郎世寧宮廷畫欣賞

郎世寧仙萼長春圖冊賞析

The soul is here for its own joy

2010-06-14T11:50:00.001+08:00

Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story...

~ The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald (1961)

Vladimir Horowitz performs in Moscow in 1986 {image via}

Horowitz plays Mozart Piano Sonata in B flat Major, K. 333

Vladimir Horowitz in his final recital, 21st June 1987, Hamburg, Germany. Mozart Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, K. 333. This recording was never commercially released.

*I love this brilliant YouTube channel, full of Horowitz treasures...

Mitsuko Uchida plays Mozart Piano Sonata in B flat Major, K. 333

The Legend of Love

2010-06-13T22:31:00.005+08:00

Irma Nioradze in The Legend of Love

A ballet in three acts
Music by Arif Melikov
Choreography by Yury Grigorovich (1961)
Libretto by Nazim Khikmet
World premiere: 23 March 1961, Kirov Theatre, Leningrad
Running time 3 hours 5 minutes
The Performance has two intermissions

Bolshoi Ballet's performance of The Legend of Love (1990)
Maria Bylova - Mekhmene Bahnu
Alla Mihalchenko - Shyrin
Irek Mukhamedov - Ferkhad
Gediminas Taranda - Vizier

Synopsis

Act I
Scene 1
A chamber in the palace of Queen Mekhmeneh Bahnu. Her younger sister, Princess Shyrin, is suffering from a deadly illness. The Queen´s heart is heavy with grief. Her attendants and the Vizier are in despair.
Warriors usher in a stranger, who claims he can cure the Princess. Mekhmeneh Bahnu throws gold at his feet, but the stranger refuses to accept it. The Queen offers her crown as a reward if he cures Shyrin. The stranger rejects this too. He demands that Mekhmeneh sacrifice her beauty to save her sister´s life. The Queen consents.
The stranger restores Shyrin to health. She rises from her death-bed; Mekhmeneh´s face, however, is so disfigured and ugly that Shyrin merely stares at her sister without recognising her.

Scene 2
The garden near Princess Shyrin´s palace. Some artists, including the young Ferkhad, are decorating an arch.
Mekhmeneh Bahnu and Shyrin enter the garden, accompanied by their attendants. They have come to see the new palace. The sisters are struck by Ferkhad´s handsome features and are unable to take their eyes off him.
The procession moves on. Ferkhad remains alone, engrossed in his work. Suddenly, Shyrin calls to him. The young people are irresistibly drawn to each other. Ferkhad, however, learns that the maiden to whom he has given his heart is Princess Shyrin. It is therefore hopeless for him, a humble painter, to dream of ever winning her.

Svetlana Zakharova in The Legend of Love

Act II
Scene 1
The people are standing around a spring which has run dry. They will have to cut through a high mountain in order to open up a channel for the stream of water – a task way beyond any human effort. Water is brought from afar, but only for the inhabitants of the palace.

Scene 2
The Queen is tormented by her passion for Ferkhad. The jesters fail to divert her. She realises what a huge sacrifice she has made for the sake of her sister. Mekhmeneh Bahnu is young, she longs for passion, but now she is ugly and Ferkhad will not love her.

Scene 3
Ferkhad´s devotion has made Princess Shyrin supremely happy. The young man makes his way into her chamber. Their love culminates in a perfect union of their two fervent hearts.
Shyrin cannot bear the thought of leaving Ferkhad. The Princess resolves to leave the palace and without hesitation follows her beloved.
The Vizier learns of Shyrin´s flight, and brings the unwelcome tidings to the Queen. In a fit of rage, Mekhmeneh gives an order that her ungrateful sister should be seized and brought back.
Warriors overtake Ferkhad and Shyrin.
The Princess entreats her sister not to separate her from Ferkhad. The Queen is beside herself with anger and mortified pride.
She challenges Ferkhad to complete an impossible task – he must cut a channel through the mountain to let the waters of the upland streams flow down into the valley. Only then may Shyrin be his wife.

Ulyana Lopatkina in The Legend of Love

Act III
Scene 1
It is night. Ferkhad is in the mountains, alone. He fancies that he has already cut through the rock and that a little stream of water is running slowly out of the opening. He imagines he sees his beloved in the flowing water.

Scene 2
Mekhmeneh Bahnu has lost her peace of mind. She loves Ferkhad to distraction. She thinks of him day and night. In her imagination, she has regained her beauty; Ferkhad loves her and she is happy at last!
Shyrin runs into the chamber, shattering her dreams. The Princess cannot live without her beloved; she implores the Queen to go with her into the mountains to find Ferkhad.

Scene 3
Hope has brought the people to the mountains. If Ferkhad accomplishes his task, their suffering will end. Every blow of Ferkhad´s pickaxe resounds in the people´s hearts.
Mekhmeneh Bahnu and Shyrin arrive. Ferkhad is overjoyed – Shyrin has come and will remain with him. Mekhmeneh, however, is cunning; she promises not to part the lovers only on the condition that Ferkhad gives up his work, throws down his pickaxe and leaves with Shyrin. Ferkhad knows that this is impossible, as he cannot betray the hopes of the people. Shyrin understands this too. They bid each other farewell, to part forever.
Ferkhad stays with the thankful people whose happiness is dearer to him than Love itself.

{*Text reference: The Mariinsky Theatre}

Objects of Desire

2010-06-09T17:19:00.000+08:00

People are distracted by objects of desire, and afterwards repent of the lust they've indulged, because they have indulged with a phantom and are left even farther from Reality than before. Your desire for the illusory is a wing, by means of which a seeker might ascend to Reality. When you have indulged a lust, your wing drops off; you become lame and that fantasy flees. Preserve the wing and don't indulge such lust, so that the wing of desire may bear you to Paradise. People fancy they are enjoying themselves, but they are really tearing out their wings for the sake of an illusion.

Jalaluddin Rumi
1207-1273, Afghani-Turkish Sufi Mystic, Poet
“Wings of Desire,” Mathnawi III, 2133-38
The Pocket Rumi Reader, Kabir Helminski, ed., 2001

This World Which is Made of Our Love for Emptiness

Praise to the emptiness that blanks out existence. Existence:
This place made from our love for that emptiness!

Yet somehow comes emptiness,
this existence goes.

Praise to that happening, over and over!
For years I pulled my own existence out of emptiness.

Then one swoop, one swing of the arm,
that work is over.

Free of who I was, free of presence, free of dangerous fear, hope,
free of mountainous wanting.

The here-and-now mountain is a tiny piece of a piece of straw
blown off into emptiness.

These words I'm saying so much begin to lose meaning:
Existence, emptiness, mountain, straw:

Words and what they try to say swept
out the window, down the slant of the roof.

~ Rumi

Bui Huu Hung's Lacquered Noble Women

2010-06-05T19:58:00.000+08:00

Bui Huu Hung was born in Hanoi in 1957. He graduated from the Hanoi Fine Arts University in 1975 and began his study of traditional lacquer techniques after graduation. In 1986, he established the Nha Son Studio in Hanoi. The studio, located in a traditional wooden house on stilts, is home to a number of young lacquer artists who share the work space while developing their own styles.

Hung's works are varied but center around a common theme of recollection. He believes that new events, impressions and knowledge are built upon life's historical foundations. He strives to preserve the past by blending it with present day elements so that "it does not become reduced to lifeless words without visual detail."

Hung's works have been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout Asia, Europe and the United States. His works are in the permanent collections of the Orient Museum of Russia, the Singapore Art Museum and the Modern Art Museum in Melbourne. "If a picture is worth a thousand words, Bui Huu Hung's haunting paintings tell a hundred stories." (Heritage Magazine, August 1998.)

{*Text via: Toriizaka Art}

Isolde's Liebestod

2010-05-31T10:37:00.005+08:00

Tristan and Isolde (1912), by John Duncan

"As I have never in life felt the real bliss of love, I must erect a monument to the most beautiful of all my dreams, in which, from beginning to end, that love shall be thoroughly satiated. I have in my head 'Tristan and Isolde,' the simplest, but most full-blooded musical conception. With the black flag which floats at the end of it I shall cover myself to die."

~ Richard Wagner in a Letter to Liszt

Herbert von Karajan conducts the prelude of Tristan und Isolde.

Karajan rehearses a performance of Richard Wagner's Isoldes Liebestod ("The Love-Death of Isolde") with Jessye Norman, followed by the actual concert.

Bernstein conducts the finale of Tristan und Isolde.

(Isolde, aware of nothing round about her, fixes her gaze with mounting ecstasy upon Tristan's body.)

Isolde's Aria

How softly and gently
he smiles,
how sweetly
his eyes open -
can you see, my friends,
do you not see it?
How he glows
ever brighter,
raising himself high
amidst the stars?
Do you not see it?
How his heart
swells with courage,
gushing full and majestic
in his breast?
How in tender bliss
sweet breath
gently wafts
from his lips -
Friends! Look!
Do you not feel and see it?
Do I alone hear
this melody
so wondrously
and gently
sounding from within him,
in bliss lamenting,
all-expressing,
gently reconciling,
piercing me,
soaring aloft,
its sweet echoes
resounding about me?
Are they gentle
aerial waves
ringing out clearly,
surging around me?
Are they billows
of blissful fragrance?
As they seethe
and roar about me,
shall I breathe,
shall I give ear?
Shall I drink of them,
plunge beneath them?
Breathe my life away
in sweet scents?
In the heaving swell,
in the resounding echoes,
in the universal stream
of the world-breath -
to drown,
to founder -
unconscious -
utmost rapture!

(Isolde sinks gently, as if transfigured, in Brangaene's arms, on to Tristan's body. Those standing around are awed and deeply moved. Mark blesses the bodies. - The curtain falls slowly.)

*Translations of libretto via.

Jessye Norman performing "Mild und leise wie er lächelt" (Isoldes Liebestod), with Wiener Philharmoniker, conducted by Herbert von Karajan. (C) 2005 DOR Films

Isolde's Liebestod (The Love-Death of Isolde)

Pas de deux from the ballet "Tristan and Isolde," staged by choreographer Krzysztof Pastor to the music of Richard Wagner, performed by Svetlana Zakharova and Andrei Merkuriev.

I had the pleasure of seeing this performance in person on the "Homage to Nureyev" gala evening at the London Coliseum on 21/March/2010. One online review reads, "Zakharova was fluid, willowy, with great extensions and… well, she just reminded me of a naiad in a painting by Waterhouse." I cannot agree more. I feel that Svetlana, as one of the best ballerinas of our time, is still getting better and better. In the gala performance of Tristan and Isolde, she was like water, like prana, like 'chi,' she was one with her dance and her dance was an extension of her.

All about Wagner's Tristan und Isolde:

Bilingual side-by-side German English Libretto (also in Italian)
Wagner Operas. A comprehensive website featuring photographs of productions, recordings, librettos, and sound files.
Richard Wagner - Tristan und Isolde. A gallery of historic postcards with motifs from Richard Wagner's operas.
Recordings of Tristan and Isolde rated. Recordings reviewed by Geoffrey Riggs.
Discography of Tristan und Isolde. List of recordings and videos from 1901–2004 by Jonathan Brown.
Wagner's Tristan and Isolde BBC / Metropolitan Opera synopsis
Tristan und Isolde resource site Comprehensive website containing source material and musical motives
Tristan und Isolde Performance Watch the opera free of charge
Seattle Opera Performance Seattle Opera link
Tristan und Isolde on Wikipedia

Tristan and Yseult (1887), by Jean Delville