The Spring of Tai-Ba-Lang
Duet for guitar and double
base, 2013 [7'02”]
This duet piece for guitar and double bass was world-premiered
at the National Concert Hall in Taipei by the Yen Ensemble,
performed by Hsiao-Yen Cheng (double bass) and Meng-Feng Su
(guitar) on August 20, 2013.
Program notes
Tai-Ba-Lang is a tribe of the A-Mei aboriginal people of
Taiwan. This piece describes the scenes of a typical
Tai-Ba-Lang village. The villagers greet the rising sun and
prepare for springtime farming. In the onset of spring, they
engage in seed spreading, cloth weaving, wicker making,
folksong singing, and wood carving. Teamworks create a
centripetal force to unite the people and symbolize prosperity
of the tribe. The music is divided into three parts: Sun
Goddess (spring deity), Singing, and Spring Dance.