The Story of Pearl Milk Tea, for Percussion Quartet (2012)

Yi-De Chen: The Story of Pearl Milk Tea, for Percussion Quartet (2012) [11’16”]

List of performances: 3 previous performances:

Event: Music Taiwan 2015 Concert Series
Date: 19:30, Dec 6, 2015
Location: Exhibition Hall, Wei-Wu-Ying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan

Performers:
Succession Percussion Group

Event: Yi-De Chen’s M.M. Recital
Date: 19:30, May 26, 2014
Location: Concert Hall, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taipei City, Taiwan

Performers:
Yu-Chen Hsiao, percussion I
Ming-Ju Tsai, percussion II
Sheng-Wen Lee, percussion III
Yu-Ru Chang, percussion IV
Su-Han Yang, conductor

Event: Composition Concert for Young Composers Series I
Date: 19:30, May 25, 2013, premiere
Location: Forum Music Auditorium, Taipei City, Taiwan

Performers:
Tan-Ling Wu, percussion I
Huang Li-Ya, percussion II
Yen-Ting Chen, percussion III
Ying-Han Weng, percussion IV

Honors: National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra Composition Commission Distinction Award
Appearance: National ChengChi University Publication, Review of The Story of Pearl Milk Tea for Percussion Quartet (Vol 1545, May 31, 2013)
http://uonlineblog.blogspot.com/2013/05/blog-post_5190.html

Program Note

I associate the sounds of percussion instruments with the quality and flavor of pearl milk tea, a popular and influential cultural element in my native Taiwan. I often think about transforming common elements of daily life into musical compositions and wonder how they might touch an audience. Therefore, I decided to write this piece for pearl milk tea. Pearl milk tea first emerged in Taiwan tea shops in the 1980s. One possible origin is Chun Shui Tang teahouse in Taichung, where Ms. Lin Hsiu Hui accidentally poured sweetened tapioca balls into Black Tea. The drink has become popular with people around the world in recent years.

This piece consists of four parts. I create different atmospheres in each part by organizing diverse timbres and tones. These atmospheres provide contrasts between each part. The first part with abstract atmosphere is mainly comprised of unpitched metallic percussion instrument sounds. Then, the atmosphere of the music turns animated and joyful. In the following part, dramatic changes happen since the extremely contrasting materials and rhythms start to interrupt each other. Finally, the mood of music gradually returns to the abstract status found in the beginning of the piece.

I am excited to use my unique musical language to interpret the history of pearl milk tea and share my own enjoyment, happiness and memories of drinking it.

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陳以德：《珍珠奶茶故事》（給擊樂四重奏）(2012) [11’16”]

展演場次（共計3個場次）：

展演名稱：亞洲作曲家聯盟臺灣總會─音樂臺灣─作品呈現音樂會
日期：2015年12月6日，19:30
地點：衛武營國家藝術文化中心281展演場，高雄市，臺灣

展演名稱：陳以德─作品呈現音樂會
日期：2014年5月26日，19:30
地點：國立臺北藝術大學音樂廳，臺北市，臺灣

展演名稱：十方樂集─陌上花開─給新秀作曲家的室內樂展I
日期：2013年5月25日，19:30，首演
地點：十方樂集擊樂劇場，臺北市，臺灣

樂曲解說

對一位創作者而言，不斷追求並建立自身獨特語彙是重要的，在此同時，偶爾回過頭來關注音樂本身所能帶給聽者的感受，或嘗試以生活中的體驗作為創作發想，也許能讓自己的音樂更為接近聽者。

擊樂器豐富的點狀聲響和特殊殘響，尤其是一些音色甘醇且帶給我精緻印象的擊樂器，如磬和古鈸，常讓我聯想到液態或顆粒狀物質的流動。由於我一直很喜歡喝「珍珠奶茶」，因此決定以這項飲料作為靈感來源。珍珠奶茶是台灣最具代表性的飲料和美食之一，也成為了許多台灣人共同的生活經驗。這項飲料源自於1980 年代的泡沬紅茶店，據說於1987 年由台中春水堂茶舖將地方美食「粉圓」加入調味紅茶中研發製成，由於口感特殊，很快便受到廣大回響，多年來已逐漸流行至東亞、歐洲、美國甚至中東國家等地。

這首作品由四個主要的段落所組成，我透過組織和安排各種質地擊樂器的聲響，製造多樣的音樂情境，讓每個段落各具特色並具對比性。第一段落主要以無固定音高之金屬樂器營造朦朧氣氛，第二段帶有活潑輕快的性格而後轉為抒情，第三段由詼諧轉朦朧並且在音樂上有著較為劇烈的變化和轉折，最後一個段落則又回到全然朦朧的氣氛。

我期待在這首創作中以音樂的方式再現、詮釋珍珠奶茶這項飲品從泡沫紅茶開始逐漸演變，直到後來發展成現今多元而具規模之飲品系列文化的這段發展史。當然，也包含了珍珠奶茶帶給我那獨特的感動、喜悅與回憶。