王辰威：《融》（Confluence）（弓弦樂團版首演）

【2024板橋樂展～印象南島】
演出：指揮/林心智、臺藝弓弦樂團
演出時間：2024/5/27
演出地點：國家音樂廳

王辰威：《融》Confluence
《融》是一首富有新加坡本土色彩的合奏曲，採用西方對位式作曲技法，結合印度與馬來群島的旋律風格，並以華族樂器演奏。
樂曲以峇厘島甘美朗音樂「開花式」全體合奏掀開序幕。第一主題是個悠揚的印度風格旋律，第二主題是個清脆的甘美朗 pelog selisir 五聲音階旋律。
中段是個「賦格」樂段，印度風格的主題與印尼風格的對題交替發展。主題的 4/4 節拍與對題的 3/8 節拍形成交叉節奏，體現了「和而不同、求同存異」的理念。
末段再現了最初兩個主旋律與「開花式」全體合奏，推向華麗的高潮；樂曲的四個主題融合在一起同時奏出，表現新加坡四大種族和睦共處，多元文化相互交融。
《融》於 2009 年由新加坡鼎藝團委託創作室内樂版，後來作者又改編為國樂團、交響樂團等多個版本，2023 年臺灣藝術大學委託改編國樂弓弦樂版。本次演出除了常规编制的高胡、二胡、中胡、大提琴及低音提琴，還運用了殼仔弦、中音板胡及京二胡。
2019 年「新月繆斯」樂團在中國大陸電視節目《國樂大典》演奏《融》。2020 年疫情期間，新加坡華樂團將《融》錄製成線上合奏，新加坡總理李顯龍在其 Facebook 頁面及 2022 年國慶群眾大會上分享，稱此曲展現新加坡人「同舟共濟的精神」。

“Confluence” is a tribute to Singapore’s vibrant and harmonious multi-cultural society. Melodic styles evocative of India and the Malay Archipelago are fused with Western compositional techniques and performed on Chinese instruments.

The piece begins with the full orchestra imitating the “gong kebyar” style of Balinese gamelan. The first theme is a flowing melody in an Indian style, while the second theme is a lively melody in the gamelan “pelog selisir” pentatonic scale.

The middle section is a fugue with an Indian-style subject juxtaposed against a gamelan-style counter-subject. The latter engages in a cross-rhythm of 3/8 against the 4/4 meter, symbolizing the Confucian philosophy of “harmony in diversity”.

The final section recapitulates the first section and builds up to a grand ending, where the four main melodic motifs are presented simultaneously in counterpoint. This encapsulates the spirit of mutual respect among the four main races and reflects the confluence of cultures in Singapore.

Commissioned as a chamber ensemble piece by the Ding Yi Music Company (Singapore) in 2009, “Confluence” was later adapted by the composer for Chinese orchestra, symphony orchestra and other instrumentations. This version for the Chinese bowed string ensemble was commissioned by the National Taiwan University of Arts in 2023. Besides the regular Gaohu, Erhu, Zhonghu, cello and contrabass, this performance also used the Kezaixian, Zhongyin-Banhu and Jing-Erhu.

In 2019, the Xinyue-MUSA ensemble performed “Confluence” on the TV programme “Chinese Music Banquet” broadcast in China. In 2020, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong shared the Singapore Chinese Orchestra’s virtual performance of “Confluence” on his Facebook page and played the same video at the National Day Rally 2022 as an example of Singaporeans’ “strong sense of unity and resilience in times of crises”.