2009/06/28

《貓》和它美麗的“回憶”

《貓》和它美麗的“回憶” ......



據說,直到《貓》Cats 首映的日期都已經很接近的時候,拿恩(Trevor Nunn, the director)仍對劇裏的歌不滿意。他覺得整部劇的高潮部分不夠強烈,應該有更富有感情,更能讓觀眾投入的樂曲。韋伯(Andrew Llyord Webber)起先並不願意,但還是回家重新開始編曲,而且他告訴導演拿恩,不要抱太大的希望。那一晚韋伯回家之後,花了整整一個晚上,寫出了一個曲子。第二天早上,韋伯在排練室的 鋼琴上給拿恩彈奏了他整晚的傑作。拿恩聽完後,對旁邊的人說:“我請你們記住現在的日子和時間。因為你們現在聽到的,就是下一個能稱為傳奇的樂曲。”





這個曲子,就是後來在音樂劇史上流傳得最廣的“回憶”(Memory)。

可是在當時,她還只是一個旋律,根本沒有歌詞。和其他的《貓》歌不同,“記憶”並 不是根據已有的詩編寫的,也沒有其他可以套用的詩。拿恩找了三位詞作家編寫“回憶”, 仍沒有得到滿意的歌詞。那時直到離首映只有幾天了,拿恩回到他在鄉下的別墅,決定由自己來寫“回憶”的歌詞。他花了整整一個星期的時間重新讀過艾略特的詩集,借用了“風夜狂想曲”(Rhapsody on a Windy Night) 和“Grizabella,魅美的貓”作線索,不但寫出了動人心旋的 “回憶”,也更明確了整部《貓》的主題。魅美的貓Grizabella成為《貓》的感情出口, 她在“記憶”裏表白了她在外面世界所受的痛苦,她所永遠失去的快樂和美麗的日子, 以及她歸家的渴望。這首讓人難以忘懷的歌出世了。

(Source: http://www.musical-cat.com/index.html)



按下↓照片,進入該音樂劇欣賞


Grizabella的小故事

魅美的貓,Grizabella 在廢物堆放場出現了,可是她現在又老又醜又髒。因為她年輕時背叛了潔裏珂貓,離開貓族到外面的世界裏闖蕩,嘗盡了冷酷和辛酸。現在 Grizabella 疲憊不堪,獨自一個人回來。可是所有的貓兒不原諒她,並把她趕走。  Grizabella 再次回到舞臺中心,貓兒依然不肯原諒她,這時 Grizabella 第一次唱出了動人心絃的歌“記憶”,Old Deuteronomy 同情地注視著心碎的 Grizabella 再次悄然離場......

Youtube 上這段是在第二幕Grizabella 又一次上場。可是這一次,在她歌唱“回憶”的時候,貓族裏最年幼的小貓,Jemima 用清亮的歌聲回應。這時貓兒們明白了 Old Deuteronomy 對他們講過的話… “提醒他們回憶快樂時光的重要。” 一隻接著一隻,他們原諒了 Grizabella,使她重新回到溫暖快樂的家族裏來。


Jemima:
Daylight, see the dew on the sunflower
And a rose that is fading
Roses whither away
Like the sunflower I yearn to turn my face to the dawn
I am waiting for the day

Munkustrap:
Now Old Deuteronomy just before dawn
Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife
Announces the cat who can now be reborn
And come back to a different Jellicle Life

Grizabella:
Memory, turn your face to the moonlight
Let your memory lead you
Open up, enter in
If you find there the meaning of what happiness is
Then a new life will begin

Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days
I was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again
Burnt out ends of smokey days
The stale cold smell of morning
The streetlamp dies, another night is over
Another day is dawning

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I musn't give in
When the dawn comes tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin

Sunlight, through the trees in summer
Endless masquerading
Like a flower as the dawn is breaking
The memory is fading

Touch me, it's so easy to leave me
All alone with the memory
Of my days in the sun
If you touch me you'll understand what happiness is
Look, a new day has begun

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2009/06/25

預防甲型流感的保健湯水

預防甲型流感的保健湯水

由廣華醫院提供

近日仍有很多新增豬流感個案, 剛收到朋友提供的保健湯水,

與各網友分享, 祝大家抗疫成功, 身體健康!









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2009/06/22

Charity concert at Victoria Shanghai Academy

Charity concert at Victoria Shanghai Academy



This concert is a charity fund raising event for Habitat for Humanity, who "relies on the generosity of supporters from individuals and civic groups to churches and business corporations to fund its activities in the Asia-Pacific region." With the donation, they can run their "community-wide "transformation projects" where housing is one component in larger-scale programs aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty for individuals and their families."

Date:  19 June 2009

Venue:  School hall at Victoria Shanghai Academy

上星期五, DingDing & Friends 獲'Friends of the harp"邀請於上述的慈善音樂會演出.  由於準備時間太短, 我們只能彈奏一些較熟悉的曲目, 如Morning has broken 和月亮代表我的心.




其中還有這位只學了兩個多月的小朋友演出呢!










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2009/06/20

「太古樂賞:導賞音樂會系列」

「太古樂賞:導賞音樂會系列」




是一個專為有興趣認識交響樂曲的觀眾(十五歲或以上)而設的免費音樂會系列,將會帶您進入樂曲裡頭,深入了解作曲家編寫一首作品的創作歷程。音樂會將透過一節30分鐘的講解和港樂親身示範,為您解構一首大型交響樂曲,將管弦樂的編制藝術及音樂創作的奇妙過程逐一展現。講解和示範環節完結後,港樂並會演出全首作品。

今年的音樂會將於六月二十三日舉行,  其中最吸引的曲目當然是Dan Yu的豎琴演奏.  如有興趣, 引到www.hkpo.com/sci登記並可獲兩張免費門票. 

Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 8:00pm

Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall



WAGNER    Die Meistersinger: Prelude

MOZART    Clarinet Concerto, 2nd movement

SHOSTAKOVICH    Symphony No. 10 in E minor, op. 93, scherzo

E. PARISH-ALVARS    La Mandoline (harp solo)

BEETHOVEN    Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, op. 73, 1st movement

BERLIOZ    Rakoczy March

Conductor/Presenter: Perry So
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2009/06/14

Shain's wedding

Congratulations to Shain & Chad! 

13.6.2009

Hong Kong




Two lovely photo albums created specially for them....









看到好友Shain與Chad陣陣溫馨快樂的面,

回到家後特然看到牆上的小禮物,

陣陣暖意從心中湧起....  




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2009/06/11

牛頓也瘋狂!


newton.jpg

"I can calculate the movement of the stars, but NOT the madness of men!" Sir Issac Newton

日光之下無新事, 明如數學物理學家牛頓, 也在1720年South Seas Company股票泡沫中損失了大量財富! 

網上找來South Seas Company 的小故事, 原來現在的財技早在十八世紀已開始.....

Why is this important for a company like the South Seas?

The company is established in 1911 by the financiers John Blunt and George Caswall, backed by Robert Harley, Lord Treasurer. It's a time of war. The company is granted exclusive trading rights with South America if they take over the national debt caused by the war and consolidate it. Somehow it's established as a sort of parallel organisation to the Bank of England.

After the war Britain is in debt for more than £10 million. (yes, 1713's Pounds, not 2007's). All that debt is funneled through the company transforming short-term debt into stock. In exchange the government is committed to paying £576,534 perpetually, that is roughly a 6% return.

But a trade company needs more than an annuity to exist. That is also provided by the Treaty of Utrecht. In it is also established that the Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland will be able commerce with Spanish South America (something that they already discounted when founding the company). The South Seas company is able to send one trading ship each year.

Astonishingly, the company fails to do any trade for the first four years. Nonetheless it has the backing of the British Government, which soon converts a further £2 million in stock. No actual business, but a promise of a bright future (sound familiar?).

Stocks going up…

But the company is not good enough at trade. What they are increasingly good is into transforming public debt into shares. And they manage to give away enough shares to important people (and rebuy them when they have increased enough) so that most politicians are interested in supporting and backing the South Seas Company. That is, to drive value up.

1719 is a good year for the South Seas company. They offer to buy half of the British national debt: £15 million. That means £15 million more in shares. But demand's pace keep up. There's a huge interest in their shares. After all they continuously rise and lucky owners feel they are richer every day.

1720 is going to be known as the bubble year. Not only will witness the skyrocketing of the South Seas but also the appearance of many similar ventures. The price per share will go from £100 to £1,000. People of all kinds will buy, selling whatever they have, going into debt, it's the South Seas frenzy!


The fall follows the rise

The last idea that the company has is to lend people money to buy the shares. But the money has to be returned. And there is no other way to return it than selling shares again. Until it all collapses and the shares fall back to £150 in september. A great loss for most investors. And from that to obliteration.

Sir Isaac Newton

What about Sir Isaac Newton? Well, he won a lot of money with the South Sea when he sold it, but the shares kept rising and rising. Until he couldn’t resist the temptation to buy again. At the highest price. In the next week they plunged. He lost £20,000.

(Source: http://scarcityrent.com/2007/06/21/the-south-sea-company-or-how-sir-isaac-newton-spurned-the-dismal-science/)

牛頓爵士

牛頓爵士呢?他就像我們許多小股民, 曾因為賣出南海而贏得了很多的金錢,但股價不斷上升和提高。直到他無法抗拒的誘惑而在最高價格再次購入。一星期後股價暴跌, 令他失去二萬英鎊 (約值現在三百萬美金)。從此, 不許人們在他面前再提及South Seas Company這間公司! 


這段小故事令我這小師奶在金融風暴下也感到一點慰藉!   歷史不斷重複, 人們何時才學習到呢?

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2009/06/08

歷史名城-泉州

福建之遊在第三天也加遊了歷史名城-泉州...

 


泉州市地處福建省東南部,是福建省三大中心城市之一。





泉州歷史悠久,經濟開發早在周秦時期就已開始。於唐景雲二年(711年)武榮州改名泉州。泉州是國務院首批公佈的24個歷史文化名城之一,文化積澱深厚,素有“海濱鄒魯”、“世界宗教博物館”、“光明之城”的美譽。




泉州作為古代“海上絲綢之路”的起點城市,伊斯蘭教、印度教、古基督教、摩尼教、猶太教、佛教等世界多種宗教在泉州廣泛傳播,留下大量遺跡。

其中極負盛名的有中國現存最早的伊斯蘭教清真寺



千年古剎開元寺及東西塔








泉州也是南少林武術的發源地,具有薪傳不息、獨樹一幟的武術文化。






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2009/06/05

福建土樓

福建土樓






福建土樓包括閩南土樓和一部分客家土樓,總數約三千余。通常是指閩西南獨有約利用不加工的生土,建築成重生土牆壁所構成的群居和防衛合一的大型樓房,形如天外飛碟,散布在青山綠水之間。主要分佈地區以中國福建西南山區,客家人和閩南人聚居的福建、江西、廣東三省交界地帶。



2008年7月福建土樓46處被正式列入世界文化遺產名錄包括初溪土樓群、田螺坑土樓群、河坑土樓群、洪坑土樓群、高北土樓群、華安縣大地土樓群、衍香樓、振福樓、及懷遠樓、和貴樓。




田螺坑土樓群位於書洋鎮田螺坑上坂村田螺坑,由1座方樓(步雲樓)、3座圓樓(和昌樓、振昌樓、瑞雲樓)和1座橢圓形樓(文昌樓)組成,方樓步雲樓居中,其餘4座環繞周圍,因此有「四菜一湯」之稱。




文昌樓,橢圓形三層土樓,外長徑41.4米,外短徑30.5米,土牆厚一米。各層走馬廊以出跳代替出檐。


風格奇異的土樓民宅散佈在閩西的永定、武平、上杭及閩西南的南靖、平和、華安、漳浦等地。




其造型、裝飾和建造工藝世所罕見,土樓,俗稱“生土樓”。因其大多數為福建客家人所建,故又稱“客家土樓”。




它是以生土作為主要建築材料,摻上細沙、石灰、糯米飯、紅糖、竹片、木條等,經過反復揉、舂、壓建造而成。樓頂覆以火燒瓦蓋,經久不損。土樓高可達四五層,供三代或四代人同樓聚居。



福建土樓多具完善的防禦功能。其外牆厚一至二米,一二層不開窗,僅有的堅固大門一關,土樓便成堅不可摧的堡壘。為防火攻,門上設有漏水漏沙裝置,緊急時樓內居民還可從地下暗道逃出。如今,土樓早已不再是堡壘,但那些完備而精緻的防禦設施,仍讓人們拍案驚奇。







http://www.fjtl.gov.cn/




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2009/06/02

廈門-南普陀寺

廈門-南普陀寺


這次土樓之旅的第一站是位於廈門市區五老峰下的南普陀寺。 



寺前面對龍海市南太武山,南面是廈門大學。  南普陀寺是廈門著名古剎。 



建於明代永樂年間(1403-1424年),明末(1628年)毀於兵火。 清康熙二十三年(1684年),靖海侯施琅將軍重建。因寺院是奉觀音菩薩為主,又位在四大佛教道場之一的浙江舟山普陀山之南,故稱南普陀寺。


大雄寶殿建築,體現了'閩南佛殿'四大特點:

一、牆上有'清影搖風'、'楚江秋吟'等山水花鳥畫,和'神河沐浴'、'六年苦行'等釋迦牟尼誕生故事的連環畫。


二、屋脊是彎月起翹、紫燕凌空,顯得輕巧靈動。




三、構造精巧,技藝講究,屋脊嵌有'九鯉化龍'、'麒麟奔走'、'鳳凰展翅'等圖案,都是剪瓷鑲嵌而成。






四、建築材料取材本地花崗岩、青斗石,所有梁、柱、礎、斗拱、欄干都獨具特色。





從藏經閣後登上台階,石坡上鐫刻著'五老峰'三字,迎面巨石上,刻著一個特大的'佛'字,高四米多,寬三米多,幾乎佔滿整個石面,這字是清朝光緒乙巳年(公元1869年)振慧所書,筆圓潤豐滿,粗獷豪放,剛勁有力,好像用如椽大筆一揮而就,為國內罕見。



(Source: http://photo.poco.cn/lastphoto-htx-id-488045.shtml)

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