【大地之息】──來自臺灣的聲音
米特的第二張專輯,始於一個提問:
演奏著來自西方的薩克斯風,屬於我們臺灣自己的聲音是什麼?
身為臺灣的音樂家,米特自創團以來,常與國際音樂家交流合作,也曾多次將作品帶往世界舞台。在一次次文化交會的經驗中,我們開始反思:在這些交會裡,什麼是真正屬於我們的聲音?臺灣的音樂,可以透過薩克斯風說出怎樣的故事?
2018 年,我們發行了第一張同名專輯,紀錄了米特創團五年來的種種經歷。那是一張里程碑式的回顧專輯,收錄了我們最具代表性的舞台作品,包括曾於國際演出、與大師合作的經典曲目,是我們對外展示演奏實力與舞台經驗的集大成。
而這張《大地之息》,則是一次更深層的內在探尋。它是我們第二個五年的總結,試圖從文化、記憶與土地的角度,回望並回應「我們是誰」。我們邀請多位優秀的臺灣作曲家與編曲家創作與改編,以臺灣的故事與旋律為核心,結合薩克斯風重奏豐富的音色與演奏技巧,讓來自西方的樂器,發出臺灣土地的聲音。
專輯於 2023 年底錄製完成,原預計於 2024 年發行。然而,疫情幾年來讓國際的音樂交流陷入停滯,連結中斷。我們選擇將這份作品保留至 2025 年,再次準備出發之際,才將它推出。對我們來說,這不只是一張專輯,更是一封等待寄出的信。如今時機成熟,我們希望透過《大地之息》,重新啟動與世界的對話,把臺灣的聲音帶得更遠。
專輯以梁婉筠的《大地之息》揭開序幕,這是一首米特薩克斯風重奏團委託創作的重要作品,從呼吸的韻律出發,描繪風拂過土地、陽光灑落田野與雨水滋養大地的景象。作品共分三個樂章,融合文化與自然的意象,包含客家民謠動機,象徵這片土地的靜謐與生機與人們的共生連結。
陳昶安《四月望雨幻想變奏曲》則取材自鄧雨賢的四首經典民謠,透過現代的和聲與節奏語言重新構築記憶中的旋律。《雨夜花》、《望春風》等熟悉的旋律,在此幻化為當代的音樂語言,是一種跨時代的致敬,也展現我們如何看待傳統與當代的對話。
另一首重要原創作品是周宣宏的《恆春古城-琅嶠之憶》,以三個樂章描繪恆春的歷史與文化傳說。從八寶公主的故事、古城門的威儀到《思想起》的思古之情,這部為十重奏所作的大型作品,是音樂敘事與歷史意象的精彩結合。
此外,我們也精選多首由黃珮涵老師改編、原為鋼琴家盧易之創作的臺灣民謠作品,包括《桃花過渡》、《草蜢弄雞公》、《採茶歌》等,以四重奏形式呈現。每一首都保有民謠的韻味,並融合薩克斯風的靈動、對話與炫技,讓聽眾在親切的旋律中,感受到耳目一新的表現力。
還有梁婉筠的《杜普勒效應》與《蒲公英》,分別呈現物理現象與自然隱喻,技術上充滿挑戰,也展現了薩克斯風重奏的音響潛力。
這些作品彼此獨立,卻又共同勾勒出我們想呈現的主題──「臺灣的聲音」。它不只是一種風格,而是一種姿態,一種願意挖掘、回望並勇敢表達的創作態度。
本作品由財團法人國家文化藝術基金會、臺北市政府文化局贊助
藝人介紹 :
Established in 2013 under the direction of Kuan-Wen Chen, the MIT Saxophone Ensemble represents Taiwan’s pioneering professional group dedicated to the art of saxophone performance and systematic training. Originally composed of twelve internationally educated musicians, the ensemble has grown to encompass over thirty performers, each of whom holds graduate degrees or extensive experience abroad, having trained in the USA, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Thailand, Japan, Belgium, and Germany.
Since 2016, under the artistic leadership of Lars Mlekusch of the Zurich University of the Arts, the ensemble has deepened its engagement with contemporary European repertoire. That year also marked a significant milestone with their debut at the Asia Saxophone Congress and the initiation of collaborative projects with distinguished saxophonists Vincent David and Philippe Geiss. Among these was their participation in the Mr. Sax Voyage tour, which brought performances to audiences in Hong Kong and Macau.
In 2018, the MIT Saxophone Ensemble represented Taiwan at the World Saxophone Congress in Croatia, premiering the original composition Benedictus and thereby significantly enhancing their international profile. In 2024, the ensemble achieved a pioneering milestone by organizing the first-ever concert featuring one hundred saxophonists at Taiwan’s National Concert Hall. In 2025, they marked another significant achievement at the Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts by hosting an international saxophone festival that brought together over twenty esteemed faculty members, culminating in a large-scale performance featuring a one-hundred-member ensemble in collaboration with the pipe organ.
The MIT Saxophone Ensemble’s performances have taken them to Taiwan, Croatia, Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore, where they have collaborated with esteemed conductors including Lio Kuokman, Ching-Hsin Hsu, and Lien-Chang Kuo. Their artistic partnerships also extend to renowned artists, namely Nobuya Sugawa, Debra Richtmeyer, Valentin Kovalev, Hiroshi Hara, Yo Matsushita, the Kerius Quartet, and the FIVE SAX ensemble.
Versatile in classical, jazz, contemporary, and folk music, the MIT Saxophone Ensemble regularly commissions works from Taiwanese composers, having premiered nearly twenty new pieces by 2025. Their debut album, MIT Saxophone Ensemble, released in 2018, highlighted significant collaborations with Vincent David and Philippe Geiss. Their forthcoming 2025 album, The Breath of the Land, explores Taiwan’s cultural narratives, employing sophisticated saxophone techniques and expressive artistry to offer a profound musical reflection on the island’s heritage.
In the realm of interartistic collaboration, the MIT Saxophone Ensemble actively engages with various art forms. In 2022, they worked alongside director Hung Hung and documentary filmmaker Ke Chin-Yuan to produce the music-theater piece Scenary Taiwan, which intertwines sound and imagery to present Taiwan’s environmental memories. In 2023, the ensemble partnered with the century-old Tung-Hua Shadow Puppet Troupe to create Saxophone Shadow Tales, blending traditional shadow puppetry with live ensemble performance and cutting-edge visual technology, thus forging a new vocabulary that merges tradition with modernity in performance.
With steadfast support from a range of enterprises and foundations, the MIT Saxophone Ensemble envisions the coming decade as a period of artistic innovation, international engagement, expanded audience outreach, and sustainable development—continuing to enrich Taiwan’s saxophone tradition while sharing it with global audiences.
Credits :
MIT米特薩克斯風重奏團製作發行
Produced and Released by MIT Saxophone Ensemble
風潮音樂國際股份有限公司總經銷
Exclusively Distributed by Wind Music International Corporation
監製 Executive Producer:陳冠文 Kuan-Wen Chen
製作人 Producer:陳冠文 Kuan-Wen Chen
製作統籌 Production Supervisor:陳力鋒 Li-Fong Chen
錄音師 Sound Engineer:左興 Hsing Tso
剪接/混音/母帶後製 Editing / Mixing / Mastering:左興 Hsing Tso
錄音助理 Recording Assistant:林采萩 Rachel Lin
錄音室 Recording Studio:ff studio 錄音室
專案統籌 Special Project Supervisor:微小創造 Peiti Production
文案 Copywriting:微小創造 Peiti Production
裝幀設計 Graphic Design:狄諺工作室 Diyen Studio
版權 Copyright:MIT 米特薩克斯風重奏團
編號 | 曲名 |
---|---|
1. | 《大地之息》 |
2. | 《恆春古城-琅嶠之憶》,第一樂章〈八寶公主〉 |
3. | 《恆春古城-琅嶠之憶》,第二樂章〈古城意象〉 |
4. | 《恆春古城-琅嶠之憶》,第三樂章〈風的聲音:思想起〉 |
5. | 《桃花過渡》 |
6. | 《杜普勒效應》 |
7. | 《蒲公英》 |
8. | 《採茶歌》 |
9. | 《草蜢弄雞公》 |
10. | 《四月望雨幻想變奏曲》 |