Score Preview: PDF

​

Text in Original Language:

我是天空裏的一片雲，

偶爾投影在你的波心——

　　你不必訝異，

　　更無須歡喜——

在轉瞬間消滅了蹤影。

你我相逢在黑夜的海上，

你有你的，我有我的，方向；

　　你記得也好，

　　最好你忘掉，

在這交會時互放的光亮！

​

Programme Notes:

I am a cloud in the sky,

casting random shadow in your heart;

you need not startle,

nor take delight

for I'd forthwith vanish without a trace.

You and I met in the darkness of night at sea,

You have your destination, I have mine;

You may remember,

though it'd be best if you forgot,

we glowed as our paths crossed and brightly shined.

 

By Chance is an exquisite and delicate poem. Symbolic for its structure, this poem encompasses contrasting motifs, “cloud” and water, “you” and “me”, which vivifies the concept of encounter “by chance” through creating an abstract spatial, temporal impression, thus adding a philosophical taste to the poem.

 

The intervals of fourths and fifths in this piece set the scene of clouds in the sky. The first subject is sung by the second tenor. The arrangement of voices is inspired by the style of recitatives; the expression, on the other hand, should be performed with reference to the style of arias.

 

There is a strong hint of contemporary musical features in this piece. Apart from the use of quartal and quintal harmonies, the contemporary choral elements, such as direct speech, convey the message of this poem,” do not be surprised or elated over an encounter in a flash” and “do not regard a mere encounter with nostalgia”. This is complemented by the use of ad libitum to foreground individualism amongst the crowd. In the end, special harmonies and clapping are used to intensify the evanescent dazzle of “encounter by chance”.