Fu II
for Pipa and 5 Western Instruments
Fu literally means ambush, while in terms of pipa technique, Fu is the action of abruptly stopping the strings after striking them violently. This extreme contrast between sharp percussive attack and silence provides the generative kernel for Fu II.
In addition to the ensemble version of Fu II, there is a solo version of this piece entitled Fu I. The addition of an ensemble in Fu II puts the pipa in a new dimension as the relationship between soloist and ensemble is developed. In the first part of Fu II, the soloist and ensemble are in direct opposition in terms of texture, dynamic and character. As the piece unfolds, they begin to appropriate materials from each other and eventually, in the last third of the work, they share similar materials.
Fu II was made possible by a grant from the Fromm Foundation at Harvard University.
《伏二》創作的靈感來自中國樂器琵琶中的「伏」，也就是：當彈奏者用右手撥掃琵琶弦 之後，立刻用左手上煞音的技巧。《伏二》全曲分為三段。首段，琵琶和西洋樂器間為對 立的情勢，中段時開始相副模仿，最後琵琶則和西洋樂器融合為一，齊奏出合協、優美的 弦律。
《伏二》由美國哈佛大學「現代基金會」（Formm Foundation）委託作曲。
Shih-Hui Chen