古思寻根 前卫找路——从林乐培八十大寿音乐会作品看他的寻索之路

Taking Roots on the Traditions and Seeking Paths for the Future:Looking at the Way of Lin Lepei's Exploration from His 80 ^(th) Birthday Concert

当乐团奏出《生日快乐》的旋律在香港文化中心音乐会响起,从后台推出生日蛋糕,但见仍然是“带着谦虚却又自然流露着理所当然的自豪”的银髯寿星公林乐培在热烈的掌声下主持了切蛋糕的仪式,台下的新知旧友便蜂涌上台向他道贺,拍照留念......为2006年香港艺术节中最具香港色彩和最有香港意义的一场音乐会写下完满的记号!亦成就了2006年香港乐坛的一项大事!(香港艺坛著名编剧家陈钧润形容林乐培丰采语)

For dozens of years,Maestro Lin Lepei,often called by his colleagues as 'Father of Hong Kong New Music',has made tremendous contributions to the music culture of Hong Kong,where his influences have been spread to various aspects of music life such as distribution,promotion,exchange,education,copyright and composition.In terms of the latter,his works have unprecedentedly been played by 230 TV and radio stations in 49 cities in the whole world.These include several full-length Chinese orchestral pieces commissioned in the 1980's especially for the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra.They become the orchestra's 'trademark masterpieces',which have been performed by all the major Chinese orchestras.More importantly,these works have also produced far-reaching influences on the development of symphonized Chinese orchestras,and also brought great inspirations to the composers of his time.His achievements in music have even been recognized by the authoritative New Grove Dictionary of Music & Musicians,making him the first Macao native who has the honour of being selected into this dictionary.Since the start of his composition career in early 1950's,Lin Lepei had already determined to'search for the New Music of China'.In the early stage,he often adopted the forms of chamber music,vocal music and orchestra.In late 1970's,when the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra became a professional group,he dedicated more to the development of new music in China by working more for Chinese orchestras in the manner of 'taking roots from the traditions and seeking paths for the future'.His idea of becoming 'Father of Hong Kong New Music' was initiated in early 1950's when he was studying in Toronto.After he failed to find any scores composed by Chinese in the university library,he made up his mind to compose contemporary classic music for the Chinese.From then on,he had been searching for the answer through several dozen years'endless practices with the aim to find the path for the contemporary Chinese music.However,it was not to be an easy road for Lin Lepei.After graduation he returned to Hong Kong and published many works,which became so controversial that some critics made cynical remarks on his new compositions and even some of his colleagues and professional musicians rejected his works instinctively.In spite of all these,Lin never gave up.He kept on composing in order to justify his theory,and moreover,he promoted his new ideas through radio and television programmes as well as publication of his articles,only for the purpose of encouraging more local musicians to write music for the modern Hong Kong.Meanwhile,he lobbied for the establishment of music copyright theory and system to protect the legitimate rights of composers and to promote their social status.On the other hand,by making more international music exchanges,he brought to Hong Kong such international music activities as ACL General Assembly and ISCM General Assembly where he introduced the achievements of contemporary Hong Kong composers to their overseas counterparts.It is these contributions he made that won him the title of Father of Hong Kong Modern Music.Nevertheless,more significantly,it is his artistic achievements in composition that have had great impacts on the later generations.Lin Lepei is not a voluminous composer.But due to his unceasing efforts to try all the different styles and genres,his works cover not only full-length Chinese and Western orchestra music and chorus music,but also piano,violin,flute solos,chamber music and art songs,and even Catholic sacred music.Of all these works,there is one thing in common:each of them contains new inventions and new initiatives,and never repeats itself.This is one of the very reasons why the number of pieces for each form or style is limited.