Mistakes from June’ Poems by Hui Cheung-wai

Mistakes is the second movement of the substantial suite June’s Poems for flute and guitar by Hong Kong composer Hui Cheung-wai. The suite included four movements with a total duration of 25 minutes. This work was composed between 1991 and 1992 for the incident of June 1989 and premiered in 1992 by Peter Chan (Flute) and Stephen Chau (guitar). 

This second movement proceeds in an unstable manner with sudden clashes, inconsistent rhythms, and peculiar expressions. The coda is totally out of the blue with the playful waltz, which ends the scherzo with a musical irony.

This recording is from the live performance as the same  performers of premiere at June 2013, with the poet Lok Fung recited her poem which inspired by the music. Here’s the poem translated in English and the original Chinese :

Mistakes

The situation takes a sudden turn 

With your back turned towards her you look at me 

I look at you with your back facing her

Only the cell phone is ringing 

Unable to decipher but refusing to listen 

Only the lilies’ pungent pollen is 

Spreading suspicion in the cracks of extended time 

The handrail begins to lose the body it’s supporting 

The stubborn platform sustains the rigid expression 

I’m determined to hook your silhouette with my soul 

Disregarding from where the moonlight or death ray radiates

I shoot a photo in between the blind spot or focus 

Of course both you and I have no reason to believe a frame 

Can keep alive time, smiles and closeness 

When the shutter is pressed, your hair and skin 

My face and looks are long dead 

Still the situation takes a sudden turn

She gets closer to you while you come closer to me 

Unable to move further back, my waist is pressed against the rail; I’m as cold 

As marble, cold to the touch as if I’ve lost all body warmth 

On the wind-swept cliff you and I can fall to our death anytime 

Someone passes the walkway without making a stir in the air 

The wooden door is closed where the light on the glass opens and shuts 

In the broken reflection you shoot at me 

A lasting look more piercing than a cactus 

To answer the call of grit under my feet, I follow you 

Past the boards, the rugs, the tables and chairs, the open air and emptiness 

Past the frame that has been set 

I throw away the stare of relentless stubbornness – no more mistakes 

                                                                                                                         – Lok Fung

錯誤

情勢急轉直下

你背着她看着我

我看着你背着她

祇有手提電話 鳴鳴長鳴的訊息

無法解讀也拒絕聆聽

祇有百合花刺鼻的粉末在時間延宕的

空隙裏 散播猜疑

扶手的欄杆 開始失去支撐的身體

偏執的平台繼續無法進展的表情

立意要用靈魂 勾住你的身影

不管月光或死光從哪兒輻射

盲點或光點的暈盪間拍一張照片

當然你我沒有理由相信定鏡

能夠保住年月、微笑和親近

在快門按下的剎那你的髮膚

我的容顏早已死了

情勢依舊急轉直下

她向你移前你向我走近

欄杆扶著無法後退的腰我冷凍如

大理石像觸手冰涼彷佛沒有體溫

聽風的崖邊你我隨時掉落粉身碎骨

有人走過甬道但搞動不起僵化的氣流

木門被關上玻璃的掩映再開開合合

碎裂的倒照裏你驟然向我刺來

比仙人掌還要刻骨銘心的眼神

腳㡳便磨出沙礫的呼喚於是跟着你走

走過圍板、地氈、桌椅和空曠與虛無

走出被圈定的框架

甩掉死不悔改的凝視 – 再沒有錯誤

                                                                  – 洛楓

Orient Express

This solo guitar piece is the early composition of Carlo Domeniconi which was composed in 1973. The music starts with an oriental introduction follows a very rhythmic and virtuous continuum, imitative of the famous Orient Express train.

Carlo Domeniconi (born 20 February 1947) is an Italian guitarist and composer. Although his compositions include a wide variety of genres and instrumentation choices, he is best known for his works for solo guitar, and particularly the Koyunbaba suite. Domeniconi’s style is characterized by his adoption of multicultural influences. His works explore and borrow from a wide variety of national traditions, including Turkish, Indian, Brazilian, and many more.