在挪威创作中国音乐Creating Chinese Music in Norway: Interview with Halvard

“我对中国的第一个印象来自一套八十年代叫《妖魔大鬧唐人街》（“Big Trouble in Little China”）的美国电影。里面描绘的中国是个神秘的地方，人会飞来飞去，也有一些神话故事和文化元素。我是听着很多种类的音乐长大的，所以能辨认出各种类型，中国音乐对我来说很有异国味道，感觉是梦幻而快乐的。九十年代，我受一首乐曲影响很深，是1982年法国音乐家Jean-Michel Jarre和北京交响乐团合作录制的《Concerts in China》, 里面一首《渔歌晚唱》，我开始有意无意间谱出有中国音乐元素的音乐，从此我亦被中国音乐吸引。2015年我报读了一个中国音乐的遥距课程，那时候我也遇上了一个中国女生。我们谈了很多，尤其是关于中国未来的发展。因为她，我谱了一首中国式的三部曲。从中国音乐中，我看到的中国文化，是着重形式而充满动力的，人会直接说出心中所想。相反挪威人没有那么着重形式，比较内敛，可是他们其实有很多故事希望与人分享。我相信两者正正可以互相补足，而我希望我的音乐可以使他们更接受对方的文化，创造交流的机会。很多时候，我感到我夹在两个文化中间，并不属于哪一方。当然我没有中国文化的背景，但同时我的作品在挪威也得不到很大回应，所以我是感到颇为寂寞的。但这也没问题，因为我知道我正在做一件美丽的事”

“My first impression of China came from this American movie from the 80s called “Big Trouble in Little China”. It portrayed China as a mythical place with people flying around, showing both folklore and some culture. I grew up with many different kinds of music so I recognize a broad range of styles. With Chinese music I experience a rich inner world. Chinese music to me sounds exotic, dreamy, and happy. I passively learned to compose Chinese inspired music from 1990 by listening to the traditional song “Fisherman’s Song at Dusk” which was performed by The Beijing Symphony Orchestra and the Frenchman Jean-Michel Jarre, published on the album “Concerts in China” (1982). I have since been fascinated by it. To go deeper, I started a long-distance course in Chinese Music in 2015. It was also at that time that I connected with a Chinese girl. We talked a lot, especially about how China will be in the future. Inspired by her, I composed a three-part song in Chinese style. From my impression in Chinese music, Chinese culture is active and formal, and people are not afraid of speaking out, whereas Norwegians are comparatively informal and shy, but they have a lot of stories to tell. I believe the two works well together as opposite; they complement each other. What I want to do with my music is to invite people to open up to each other’s culture, and to create opportunities for them to meet. Many times I feel that I am in between two cultures, not really belonging to either. I of course do not have a Chinese background, but at the same time I am not getting a lot feedback from the Norwegian audience. I feel I am doing this all alone, but to me this also works because I know I am creating something beautiful.”

The interview series is a project to explore the lives of individuals living in the intersection of the Chinese and Norwegian cultures, to show the similarities and contrasts, expectations and surprises, and the possibilities of synergy between the two cultures, experienced by individuals, one story at a time. 人物访问系列 以活生生的个人故事，探讨生活在中挪两个文化之间的人物，面对当中的协调与矛盾、期望与惊喜，以至互相补足提升的可能。