石林雀語 - Tiled City

for string quartet
ca. 5’00”

Tiled City (2019) is written for string quartet. The tiles in the title refer to those used in the game of Mahjong, an extremely popular pastime in Hong Kong, especially among the older generation. Throughout the years, Mahjong has become an integral part of Hong Kong culture - many grew up listening to the sound of Mahjong tiles crashing and colliding with each other whenever their relatives had a chance to play, and a lot of people also eventually play the game themselves. During the early stages of conceptualizing this piece, I wanted simply to capture the sounds and the exhilarating atmosphere of the game and turn it into music. 

However, once I started writing, I slowly realized that Mahjong is actually the perfect metaphor for life in Hong Kong. Hong Kong is well known for its fast pace and relentless drive, and Mahjong reflects those same characteristics. Not only that, but the shape and configuration of the tiles also reminded me of the densely packed buildings in Hong Kong's landscape. 

Yet, these characteristics are often unhealthy both physically and psychologically for a lot of Hongkongers – many yearn for a moment of peace and serenity, and this desire is reflected in the music. Nevertheless, the city never waits, and we soon fall back into the ruthless pulsation of the concrete jungle. 

Tiled City was chosen as the winner of the 2019 Hong Kong Composers’ Guild New Generation Composition Competition.

《石林雀語》(2019) 是一首弦樂四重奏作品。打麻雀（麻將）是很多香港人的集體回憶。不論小時候在酒樓聽著親戚打麻雀，或是長大後和朋友在家中或「雀局」親自上陣，麻雀聲彷彿成為了香港人的共同語言。我在構思這首曲目的時候，本來是想將打麻雀的這種聲音和氣氛直接描寫和呈現出來，將香港人打麻雀的共同回憶轉化成音樂。  

但是在我開始下筆的時候，我發現了麻雀其實更貼切地比喻了香港人的生活態度。眾所週知，香港人生活節奏明快，就連走步路也走得特別快。而麻雀的熱鬧和節奏正正反映香港社會的這種分秒必爭、講求效率的態度。除此之外，麻雀牌的模樣以及「四方城」的擺設，就像香港大廈一般密密麻麻。《石林雀語》這標題正正隱喻了香港「石屎森林」的形象。但是，這種高壓的生活模式其實對香港人有害身心。因此，我在充滿動感的音樂當中加插了一段比較溫柔和動聽的「雀語」，就像鳥兒的聲音一樣舒緩都市人的疲勞、壓力。可惜，香港是始終不會減慢節拍的。不久之後，音樂不得不再次「打麻雀」，香港也再次恢復了急促的節奏。

《石林雀語》是香港作曲家聯會舉辦的 2019 New Generation 作曲比賽之優勝作品。

Performances:

07 Mar 2023
Cong Quartet: Auditorium De Flaine Residency Concert II
Auditorium De Flaine, Arâches-la-Frasse, France
Cong Quartet

14 Jan 2020
The Chinese University of Hong Kong Ensemble-in-Residence 2019-2020 Recital I
Lee Hysan Concert Hall, Esther Lee Building, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Cong Quartet

12 Oct 2019
Bard College Visiting String Quartet Recital: Cong Quartet
László Z. Bitó '60 Conservatory Building, Bard College, NY, USA
Cong Quartet

04 Oct 2019 (USA premiere)
University of North Texas Guest Recital, sponsored by UNT Composers Forum
Voertman Hall, University of North Texas, TX, USA
Cong Quartet

06 Jun 2019 (world premiere)
Hong Kong Composers’ Guild New Generation 2019 Concert
RTHK Studio One, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Cong Quartet