Commissioned by Mr. Stephen Carpenter, Music Director of the Ivanhoe Grammar School Orchestra, Melbourne, Australia.
These highly programmatic and descriptive movements are based on Southwestern Chinese folk songs which were extracted, well modified, re-assembled into new melodies, orchestrated for an Western orchestra and specially designed into 4 movements – a grandeur first movement, a serene second movement with exposed solos, a third movement in Ternary form with an Scherzo like middle section featuring the Oboes, and a grand dancing party as the ending movement. The performing duration of each movement was short but well-rounded in itself and giving enjoyable moments.
Song of the lovely Lady Peacock the character gently appears from the bush, elegantly shows and shakes her fancy wide-opened tail to everybody with pride, then lost again into the bush.
Dance by the Lake a pair of lover Peacock dancing timidly along the lake side, sharing a warm moment with intimate dialogue.
Under the Moonlight the pair of lover leisurely strolling under the full moon and all at once unexpectedly swings into a waltz-like dance.
Dance of the Dai People the minority of ‘Dai’ people in southwestern region of China is historically and culturally the same tribe of Thai people, though there’s Thailand the country where the other Thais still live in that region of China.
This movement recalls a festive dancing scene of these ‘Dai People’, introduced by cymbals and drums, followed by the Piccolo and Flutes as a sign of gathering the crowd. Then entered the main section of the dance with Horn signals in between, once again calling the whole village of people to join the party.
受澳洲墨爾本伊凡霍文法學校管弦樂團音樂總監史蒂芬・卡本特先生委約作曲。
這四個高度敘事性與描寫性的樂章，皆取材自中國西南地區的民歌，經過擷取、適度修改、重新組合成新旋律，並以西方管弦樂團編制加以配器，特別設計為第一樂章為宏偉莊嚴，第二樂章寧靜悠然並有獨奏段落，第三樂章採三部曲式，中段如詼諧曲般以雙簧管為特色，終樂章則是一場盛大的舞會。每個樂章的演奏時間雖短，但結構完整，並能帶來愉快的時刻。
孔雀之歌：角色輕輕地從叢林中現身，優雅地展露並搖曳她華麗張開的尾羽，驕傲地示人，然後又消失在叢中。
湖畔舞姿：一對孔雀在湖畔羞怯地起舞，透過親密的對話共享溫馨時刻。
銀月映照：一對孔雀在滿月下悠然漫步，月光灑在湖面上閃爍如銀，牠們忽然心意相通，翩然旋入一支華爾滋的舞蹈。
傣族群舞：傣族（Dai）與泰族（Thai）同屬一族，在語言、文化與歷史上有密切淵源。傣族主要分布在中國雲南，而泰族則在泰國成為主體民族；兩者本源相同，但因歷史遷徙而分開。
此段音樂描繪傣族民眾的節慶舞蹈場景，鑼鼓喧天，接著短笛與長笛響起，隨後進入舞蹈的主要段落，期間以圓號的呼喚，整個村落的民眾都加入盛會。
© Copyright 2005 Yau Yuen Hing
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