Recently, composer and conductor Tan Dun signed a contract with Decca Records, a classical music label under Universal Music Group, and released the metaverse symphony "Wuyun Tiandi".
Tan Dun's other album "Tears of Nature" will also be released on September 23 this year.
As a world-renowned and highly creative artist, Tan Dun's creative repertoire spans classical music, multimedia performances, and breaks the boundaries between Eastern and Western traditions, leaving an indelible mark on the world music stage.
On March 6, Tan Dun said in an interview with reporters, "My musical imagination is very closely related to nature. As musicians, we use sound to decode nature. I hope to share China's rich musical traditions with the world. , let Chinese music have wings.”
Five singles form the Metaverse Symphony
A new way of thinking about music
Tan Dun's Metaverse Symphony "Five Aggregates Heaven and Earth" contains five singles, H2O Tempo/Water Speed Color, Horch/Ting Shou, WE(West & East)/West and East Thinking, Meta Voyage/Yuanyuxing, Dream Rhythm/Dream Consciousness, these five singles correspond to five movements respectively.
The five-movement small ensemble includes water percussion, harp, brass, strings and didgeridoo.
Tan Dun called it a metaverse symphony.
"For me, the Metaverse Symphony is a new way of thinking that is full of ideas, philosophy, and music." Tan Dun further explained the concept of the Metaverse Symphony, "In the past, our creations were based on different themes, different themes and There will be a direct connection with the background of the times. For example, in Beethoven’s time, when he wrote "Pastoral Symphony", it does not mean that he really presented all the things in the pastoral, because there were neither videos nor photos at that time. , Their thinking about the earth, the universe, and nature comes more from imagination and abstract expressions.” In Tan Dun’s view, the concept of the metaverse has been reflected in the Chinese ancestors more than 2,000 years ago. “Our ancient philosophy The cosmology presented is completely time-traveling, and the Metaverse that everyone shares now basically does not go beyond these philosophies. Tradition and the future actually flow in the same river. I want to closely link the Chinese cosmology revealed in traditional culture with the current world trend part of it is shown.”
In Tan Dun’s view, the creation of metaverse symphony not only has an abstract philosophical worldview, but also relies on many material materials, such as water and metal. These elements existing in the universe can become part of the music.
Decoding the sounds of nature
Continue to explore the connection between nature and music
In fact, nature has a huge influence on Tan Dun's music creation. He always looks for inspiration and sound in nature.
Not only is this meta-universe symphony "Five Aggregates Heaven and Earth" uses the sound of water and metal as instruments, but also imitates the sound of air and the universe.
In another album "Tears of Nature", which will be released on September 23 this year, Tan Dun will also use a 25-minute percussion concerto to describe his feelings after witnessing three natural disasters.
Tan Dun has been constantly exploring the connection between nature and music in his works.
"The sound of nature is the color of the metaverse to me." Tan Dun said, "A composer is very much like a visual artist. Although we do sound presentation, the source of our musical imagination is actually very closely related to nature. Every time I take a plane, I especially like to look at the sky outside the window. As the plane flies in the middle of the universe, you will find that you cannot imitate the colors of nature. The colors it presents are very layered. For me, nature An imaginative source of color and layering of sound forever."
This influence from nature can be traced back to Tan Dun’s childhood. “I grew up in the countryside of Hunan. Your life can be combined with the energy of the earth, and your growth, ecology and imagination will be completely different."
In Tan Dun's view, the task of musicians is actually the process of decoding the sounds of nature, "Nature has given us so many things, and our ancestors have been decoding them all the time, such as gradually discovering that many medicinal materials can cure diseases. As musicians, we use sound to decode many interesting or mysterious things around us. I grew up in Hunan Chu culture, and this thing has slowly poured into my life's music creation. So this time You not only hear the sound of metal, the sound of air, but also the sound of water, and even the sound of gas flowing in the middle of the universe. In fact, many of them are the thinking of nature. The source of this natural sound has been throughout my life. "
Absorb the directors of different art categories
Watching "The Three-Body Problem" and watching "Hurricane" is very enjoyable
As a world-renowned composer, Tan Dun's repertoire spans classical music, multimedia performances, and breaks the boundaries between Eastern and Western traditions, leaving an indelible mark on the world music stage.
He is best known for composing the music for Ang Lee's film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and he has also composed music for orchestras including Lang Lang, the Metropolitan Opera, Beijing Olympics, Shanghai Disneyland and YouTube Symphony Orchestra.
For so many years, he has been committed to the exchange and integration of Eastern and Western cultures, presenting Chinese culture on a broader platform.
In Tan Dun’s view, traditional Chinese philosophy has fully entered modern life, and Chinese education and creation must be in line with international standards, not just follow suit. “We must be more sensitive to catch the world’s trends, because our ancestors have already Leading the trend of the world, why can't we follow in the footsteps of our ancestors? Chinese music is not so much about spreading its wings to the world, it is better to say that the most critical step of Chinese music is innovation, because the change of the world is driven by the energy of innovation and our humanities and art will become the source of energy for the progress of our entire society." As a Chinese musician, Tan Dun hopes to "share our rich musical tradition with the world."
Tan Dun's music often incorporates audio-visual elements, such as musical instruments made of natural materials such as paper, water, and stone, and even incorporates traditional Chinese drama and performance into the creation of music.
In his life, he also constantly absorbs the strengths of various art categories.
Tan Dun revealed, "I watched TV series recently, and the two dramas "Three-Body Problem" and "Hurricane" are very attractive to me. As a musician, I can create videos, movies and background music, which is actually very enjoyable. Yes. When our humanities display and our artistic creation are more diversified, the requirements for musicians’ creation may also be more diversified. So when I usually teach, especially when teaching young people, there will be many movies Music, even the creation of visual music. Here, you can dig a lot. As an educator, I think to share the world of art with the younger generation of artists, especially the feedback from our current life Information is important."
Text/Reporter Tian Wanting
("Beijing Youth Daily", March 7, 2023, page A12)