In traditional Taiwanese culture, a year is divided into twenty-four solar terms based on the lunar calendar. Among them, spring is considered to be the most important term because it makes the beginning of the Lunar calendar, a time of rebirth and renewal. There are different customs and traditions on specific days during the Spring Festival, featuring family reunions, feasts, and various cultural activities. The ancient writing of spring in Taiwan’s history 萅 can be broken into three parts, from top to bottom, with 草 meaning “grass,” 屯 meaning “store up” and 日 meaning “sun.” This represents that a good year begins with grass growing upward, roots going down and the sun which is specially put in the bottom of the character delivers the meaning of it's warmth gently melting away the harsh coldness that covered the land to “revitalize the earth.” Since ancient times, people would worship the sky and hope for favorable weather so as to yield a good harvest. Today, Taiwanese people celebrate the Lunar New Year to wish good fortune and prosperity because of the tradition and the way of thinking from the ancestors.

 
 

In Spring for erhu and string ensemble, the music portrays the flourished image, folklore and the inherited meaning of spring in Taiwanese culture. The piece is written in single movement, including eight continuous sections: 1. Spring Returns to the Earth; 2.The Messenger from the God of Spring Arrive, and People Prepare for the Spring Festival; 3. The Arrival of the God of Spring and Celebration; 4. Monster Nian and People’s Resistance; 5. Firecrackers, Gong and Drums; 6. Victory and the Celebration of the Lunar New Year; 7. Escort the God of Spring; 8.The Villages under the Magical Blessing of the God of Spring.

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By exploring the instrumental techniques of both solo erhu and string writing, Spring blends with the sounds and colors of Fujian and Hakka’s folk music (Taiwanese Han ethnic groups), harmonizing together Eastern and Western elements. During the entire piece, the music presents the virtuosic abilities of erhu reflected in the running gestures and melodic line, richly giving voice to both the expressive sound and also the poetic qualities of erhu. The strings alternate between the lyrical and percussive capabilities of the instruments throughout, especially the specific arrangement of bowing, pizzicato and glissando not only creates unique harmonic language but also carries musical and theatrical elements from the traditional Taiwanese orchestra and temple music.

 

Resonated with historic significance and custom, the symbol and essence of spring in Taiwanese culture are also presented throughout the entire piece. For example, the first section opens grandly with an atmosphere of powerful and brilliant of the string ensemble which conveys the Taiwanese ancient character of spring 萅, depicting the arrival of the spring that revitalizes the earth. Following this opening song, the music revels in the rich singing sound of the solo erhu. Here, the unique arrangement of glissando and tremolo creates birds singing and chirping sounds in early spring, echoing the Taiwanese proverb in depiction of the spring “twittering of birds and the fragrance of flowers”, and with running and melodic lines over the string ensemble accompaniment, the song-like section evokes the proverb “all creations are reborn”. In the third and seventh section, both the glissando and double stop tremolo in erhu writing deliver the horse whinnying sound and the noise of carrying sedan chair. Paralleled with the lyrical lines full of percussive rhythm in string ensemble with the accented bow stroke and grace note exploited at specific beats, the two sections build the sacred and ritual scenes, depicting people grandly welcoming and escorting the God of Spring, since in Taiwanese culture, spring is deified as the God of Spring. In fifth section, the music weaves the propulsive percussive abilities of both erhu and strings into a powerful orchestral energy. By using the unique fingering techniques and rhythmic gestures, the whole section is dominated by pizzicato and glissando with short and large interval leaps of specific notes under aggressive rhythmic drive, portraying the vivid image of people playing the firecrackers, suona horn, gong and drum out loud to scare off Monster Nian. In Taiwanese legend, people would play the firecrackers and create loud sounds on Lunar New Year’s Eve to drive away Monster Nian which asks for peace and security in the coming year.
 

Inspired by the unique traditional culture, "Spring" embodies the aesthetics and custom of the Spring Festival in Taiwan, reflecting the beauty and meaning of this season in Taiwan’s history. It is also a piece in dedication to the ancestors of Taiwan and the legacy for generations.

 

 

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