CONVERSING WITH BACH through time and space Text by Tracy Low
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全文（中文繁體）請往下。
Who the heck is David Chin? In 2020, he will be leading Malaysia Bach Festival Choir and Orchestra, a group founded by him, to perform in Germany. “A doctorate degree in conducting?” – A question which Malaysian conductor David Chin has often been asked by people who are not in the field of music. Is conducting as simple as merely waving one’s arm to make others sing or play? In the interview, David Chin reminded me that conductor is the only person who is not making any sound on stage. “The world-famous Berliner Philharmoniker could play very well without a conductor”. WHY LISTEN TO THE CONDUCTOR? It seems so easy for one to just stand on the podium and wave the arms, but the hardest job of a conductor is to gather and collaborate with a group of strong-willed musicians, and to unify their musical ideas and bring out the best in them. Another major role of a conductor is making artistic decisions. For example, how should a piece be interpreted, musical lines and directions, the balance between the instrumentalists and the singers, among many other elements, all can affect the final presentation of a musical work. It takes years of strenuous efforts and practice to put on a brief, excellent performance. And to describe how conductors read music with “ten lines at a glance” is not exaggerated, as David Chin has conducted from a score with more than 50 lines. This is not a superpower! A conductor is expected to accomplish many tasks prior to a performance, such as spending ample time on studying and analyzing the score, understanding the musical structure of a work, reading related journals and articles, as well as referring to reference books on the specific work and composer by musicologists and authorities. |
David’s work as a conductor is like an engineer. He takes apart the entire work, analyzes it, and puts it back together and performs it. “A conductor is considered successful if he is able to communicate his ideas to the musicians and convince them perform exactly how he wanted. David adds that “in order to produce great music, one must first be a great person”. He loves interacting with people, and values his collaborations with fellow musicians. These are some of the important reasons why he decided to become a conductor.
BACH’S REVELATION
David Chin has a strong passion in Classical music, particularly the music of Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach. He says, “if I am given a lifetime job solely conduct Bach’s music until I die, I would happily accept it”.
Bach was born into a musical family, and was coined as “the father of music”. He is “the heart and soul” of Western music, and is considered as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. He has been David Chin’s mentor in life and music. David thinks that Bach’s music is an ideal model. He says, “Bach is able to clearly communicate his faith, philosophy, ethics, and thoughts through the form of music. He lost his parents at a very young age. Although he was born into a musical family, he lived a hard and challenging life. He never left Germany his entire life, and spent the last 27 years of his life in Leipzig as the city's music director.
Although his position at Leipzig was not an ideal one for him, he was still able to produce a large amount of original works which integrated musical styles of more than 1,500 years. He is no doubt a very smart, knowledgeable, curious, patient, and thoughtful person. No other composer has able to exceed what Bach has accomplished.” Through the music of Bach, David Chin learned about the humanistic thoughts and development of another time and space. Bach’s music enriched David’s life, and teaches him many life lessons.
BACH’S REVELATION
David Chin has a strong passion in Classical music, particularly the music of Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach. He says, “if I am given a lifetime job solely conduct Bach’s music until I die, I would happily accept it”.
Bach was born into a musical family, and was coined as “the father of music”. He is “the heart and soul” of Western music, and is considered as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music. He has been David Chin’s mentor in life and music. David thinks that Bach’s music is an ideal model. He says, “Bach is able to clearly communicate his faith, philosophy, ethics, and thoughts through the form of music. He lost his parents at a very young age. Although he was born into a musical family, he lived a hard and challenging life. He never left Germany his entire life, and spent the last 27 years of his life in Leipzig as the city's music director.
Although his position at Leipzig was not an ideal one for him, he was still able to produce a large amount of original works which integrated musical styles of more than 1,500 years. He is no doubt a very smart, knowledgeable, curious, patient, and thoughtful person. No other composer has able to exceed what Bach has accomplished.” Through the music of Bach, David Chin learned about the humanistic thoughts and development of another time and space. Bach’s music enriched David’s life, and teaches him many life lessons.
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AN UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY
David’s earliest musical experiences began in church. Since then, he has encountered a few musical mentors who are passionate about classical music. He decided to pursue music when he was 15. He left for the United States when he was 19 to further his studies in music, and graduated with honors from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Music Degree in Piano and Choral Performance. Additionally, he was also awarded as the “Outstanding Music Student and Keyboard Student of the Year”. He met his greatest mentor, Dr. William Weinert, at the world-renowned Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded full scholarships to pursue both his Master and Doctorate degrees in conducting. He is a frequent guest conductor and lecturer of multiple organizations, and has collaborated with outstanding musicians around the world. His conducting career has brought him to numerous countries. In 2015, David Chin saw that Bach’s music has not been done a lot in Malaysia, therefore he founded Bachfest Malaysia to promote the music of Bach as well as the talents of Malaysia. The first ever concert of Bachfest Malaysia was planned and executed within half a year. David was first planning it remotely from the United States, and returned to Malaysia during the summer to conduct the concert. In the same year, he also co-founded the East Malaysia Bach Cantata Singers and Orchestra, and became the first conductor to introduce Bach’s music throughout the main cities in East Malaysia (Borneo). In the summer of 2017, as part of David’s doctoral studies, he was granted an opportunity to study German in Germany for a month. During the weekends, he attended Bachfest Leipzig for the very first time. The next year, he returned to the same festival with his friend. During one of the concerts in St. Thomas Church, the Artistic Director of Bachfest Leipzig was sitting exactly next to them. He was very thrilled when he learned about Bachfest Malaysia, as he has noticed various Bach activities in Malaysia. Followed that meeting, Bachfest Malaysia was officially invited to perform three Bach cantatas at Bachfest Leipzig in St. Thomas Church in June, 2020. |
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MUSIC IS LIFE
Prior to the interview, I was worried that David Chin will feel lost speaking to someone who is not in the music circle. He comforted me by saying, “Music, is but another kind of language, for the expression of thoughts and feelings. Many people have misconceptions of Classical music, as they thought that Classical music is lofty and difficult to understand, and hence they refuse to listen to it. Music, however, should not be marginalized. Music belongs to everyone, and should be part of our lives. It is everyone’s right to enjoy music, and we ought not to “superiorize” it.” One of David’s goals as a musician is to make music accessible to all.
After Bach’s death, his manuscript of “St. Matthew Passion” was eventually passed to the hand of Felix Mendelssohn’s grandmother. Mendelssohn was another great German composer, and was among the firsts to revive Bach’s music and reached wide popularity.
Bach wrote what was on his heart into the score, and David Chin is responsible to present the music on the score. David Chin feels undeserved to be compared to Mendelssohn, but he goes on to popularize Bach’s music with a mission of sharing in his heart.
REGARDING FAME
Some peers of David Chin think of him as one who is “fond of the limelight”. His reply: “find the right direction, and never give up, as endurance is far more important than talents”. Throughout the different stages of his life, David keeps seeking for opportunities to breakthrough. He is reminded by the motto of the Eastman School, his Alma mater: “Meliora”, which means “ever better” in English. This is also David’s motto as he journeys on this path of music, and he is extremely grateful for all the angels who have granted him opportunities.
I asked David a rather tough question, “Would you want to be like Bach, remain a low profile your entire life, and only “enjoy” the fame after you die”? After a moment of deep thoughts, he answered with yet another question, “Perhaps being famous is not the goal of my life. Why would one wants to become famous? Is it simply so that people will know and remember them? Or is it because they could use the influence of their fame to accomplish something important and meaningful?
Under the leadership of David Chin, Bachfest Malaysia will be presenting three performances of Bach Cantata Lecture Concert in Petaling Jaya and Muar in June this year. In July, they will also perform three performances of Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” in Kuala Lumpur and Muar. David is one busy man!
Are you still curious whether or not a musician can make a living? David’s experiences tell us to “go find the opportunities, do not wait for them to come to you”.
Photography IAN WONG
Styling SHI YEE
Grooming YUAN
Text TRACY LOW
Location COLONIAL CAFÉ, THE MAJESTIC HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR
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與巴赫隔空對話
DAVID CHIN
陳子虔，究竟是何方神聖？2020年，他將帶領他所創辦的馬來西亞巴赫節合唱與管弦樂團，到德國演出。
“指揮都可以念博士？”面對不了解音樂領域的人，這是年僅34歲的馬來西亞年輕指揮家陳子虔David Chin最常被問起的問題。指揮就是揮揮兩手，“點人”演奏那麽簡單嗎？他提醒我，整個表演臺上，就只有指揮“發不出聲音”。“世界上最著名的柏林愛樂樂團（Berliner Philharmoniker），其實不需要指揮，就可以完成一場演奏。”
- 憑什麽聽指揮 -
憑什麽讓大家都聽指揮的？站在表演臺上揮揮手，動作看似簡單，但要聚集一群有強烈個人意見的出色樂手和歌手合作，匯集大家的想法，將他們最好的一面呈現出來，不容易，這是指揮家的艱辛職務。指揮的另一角色，是做藝術性的決定（artistic decision）。比如，一段曲子該怎麽唱，歌者聲音的強弱、音樂的線條、樂器的和諧度等等，都會影響曲子最終呈現的樣貌。
臺上三分鐘，臺下十年功。用一目十行來形容指揮家看樂譜的方式，也不為過，陳子虔曾一次過看五十多行。這不是超能力！表演前的準備工作繁多，他得花大量時間研讀樂譜，了解曲子的音樂結構，閱讀各類文章，還要參考學者對曲子的分析和研究。他的工作，好比工程師，將一首曲子重新拆解、分析、重組，再演奏出來。“如果能說服樂手，把自己（指揮）的想法透過演奏呈現出來，就是一個成功的指揮。”
他補充“要做好音樂，先要做好人”。他喜歡與人互動，重視與樂手的交流，也是促使他成為指揮家的重要因素。
- 巴赫給的啟示 -
陳子虔對古典音樂情有獨鐘，尤其對巴洛克時期德國作曲家巴赫Johann Sebastian Bach的音樂著迷。“如果給我一份工作，從現在開始直到死亡，只能指揮巴赫的音樂，我會接受這份工作。” 巴赫出身音樂世家，被譽為“西方近代音樂之父”，是西方音樂史上的靈魂人物，被視為最偉大的作曲家之一。他是陳子虔的人生導師，不論在音樂上，還是生活上。
在他看來，巴赫的音樂是理想模式。“巴赫能把哲學倫理思想，通過音樂形式貫徹地表現出來。他從小失去父母，雖出身音樂世家，卻因生活困苦，缺乏音樂資源。他一輩子沒踏出過德國，晚年在德國萊比錫聖多馬教堂（Thomaskirche）出任樂監，長達27年，可謂度過余生。在不理想的工作環境，卻能寫出音樂形式多元的樂曲，綜合了一千五百年西洋音樂史中的多種音樂元素，那一定是個很聰明、很有知識、有好奇心、能夠忍耐，而且思想很有層次的一個人。後來，也沒人能寫出像他那麽高層次的音樂了。”
透過巴赫的音樂，陳子虔隔空學習一個時代的人文思想和歷史發展。巴赫音樂精神，豐富了他的生活，讓他從中領悟不一樣的待人處事。
Prior to the interview, I was worried that David Chin will feel lost speaking to someone who is not in the music circle. He comforted me by saying, “Music, is but another kind of language, for the expression of thoughts and feelings. Many people have misconceptions of Classical music, as they thought that Classical music is lofty and difficult to understand, and hence they refuse to listen to it. Music, however, should not be marginalized. Music belongs to everyone, and should be part of our lives. It is everyone’s right to enjoy music, and we ought not to “superiorize” it.” One of David’s goals as a musician is to make music accessible to all.
After Bach’s death, his manuscript of “St. Matthew Passion” was eventually passed to the hand of Felix Mendelssohn’s grandmother. Mendelssohn was another great German composer, and was among the firsts to revive Bach’s music and reached wide popularity.
Bach wrote what was on his heart into the score, and David Chin is responsible to present the music on the score. David Chin feels undeserved to be compared to Mendelssohn, but he goes on to popularize Bach’s music with a mission of sharing in his heart.
REGARDING FAME
Some peers of David Chin think of him as one who is “fond of the limelight”. His reply: “find the right direction, and never give up, as endurance is far more important than talents”. Throughout the different stages of his life, David keeps seeking for opportunities to breakthrough. He is reminded by the motto of the Eastman School, his Alma mater: “Meliora”, which means “ever better” in English. This is also David’s motto as he journeys on this path of music, and he is extremely grateful for all the angels who have granted him opportunities.
I asked David a rather tough question, “Would you want to be like Bach, remain a low profile your entire life, and only “enjoy” the fame after you die”? After a moment of deep thoughts, he answered with yet another question, “Perhaps being famous is not the goal of my life. Why would one wants to become famous? Is it simply so that people will know and remember them? Or is it because they could use the influence of their fame to accomplish something important and meaningful?
Under the leadership of David Chin, Bachfest Malaysia will be presenting three performances of Bach Cantata Lecture Concert in Petaling Jaya and Muar in June this year. In July, they will also perform three performances of Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” in Kuala Lumpur and Muar. David is one busy man!
Are you still curious whether or not a musician can make a living? David’s experiences tell us to “go find the opportunities, do not wait for them to come to you”.
Photography IAN WONG
Styling SHI YEE
Grooming YUAN
Text TRACY LOW
Location COLONIAL CAFÉ, THE MAJESTIC HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR
------
與巴赫隔空對話
DAVID CHIN
陳子虔，究竟是何方神聖？2020年，他將帶領他所創辦的馬來西亞巴赫節合唱與管弦樂團，到德國演出。
“指揮都可以念博士？”面對不了解音樂領域的人，這是年僅34歲的馬來西亞年輕指揮家陳子虔David Chin最常被問起的問題。指揮就是揮揮兩手，“點人”演奏那麽簡單嗎？他提醒我，整個表演臺上，就只有指揮“發不出聲音”。“世界上最著名的柏林愛樂樂團（Berliner Philharmoniker），其實不需要指揮，就可以完成一場演奏。”
- 憑什麽聽指揮 -
憑什麽讓大家都聽指揮的？站在表演臺上揮揮手，動作看似簡單，但要聚集一群有強烈個人意見的出色樂手和歌手合作，匯集大家的想法，將他們最好的一面呈現出來，不容易，這是指揮家的艱辛職務。指揮的另一角色，是做藝術性的決定（artistic decision）。比如，一段曲子該怎麽唱，歌者聲音的強弱、音樂的線條、樂器的和諧度等等，都會影響曲子最終呈現的樣貌。
臺上三分鐘，臺下十年功。用一目十行來形容指揮家看樂譜的方式，也不為過，陳子虔曾一次過看五十多行。這不是超能力！表演前的準備工作繁多，他得花大量時間研讀樂譜，了解曲子的音樂結構，閱讀各類文章，還要參考學者對曲子的分析和研究。他的工作，好比工程師，將一首曲子重新拆解、分析、重組，再演奏出來。“如果能說服樂手，把自己（指揮）的想法透過演奏呈現出來，就是一個成功的指揮。”
他補充“要做好音樂，先要做好人”。他喜歡與人互動，重視與樂手的交流，也是促使他成為指揮家的重要因素。
- 巴赫給的啟示 -
陳子虔對古典音樂情有獨鐘，尤其對巴洛克時期德國作曲家巴赫Johann Sebastian Bach的音樂著迷。“如果給我一份工作，從現在開始直到死亡，只能指揮巴赫的音樂，我會接受這份工作。” 巴赫出身音樂世家，被譽為“西方近代音樂之父”，是西方音樂史上的靈魂人物，被視為最偉大的作曲家之一。他是陳子虔的人生導師，不論在音樂上，還是生活上。
在他看來，巴赫的音樂是理想模式。“巴赫能把哲學倫理思想，通過音樂形式貫徹地表現出來。他從小失去父母，雖出身音樂世家，卻因生活困苦，缺乏音樂資源。他一輩子沒踏出過德國，晚年在德國萊比錫聖多馬教堂（Thomaskirche）出任樂監，長達27年，可謂度過余生。在不理想的工作環境，卻能寫出音樂形式多元的樂曲，綜合了一千五百年西洋音樂史中的多種音樂元素，那一定是個很聰明、很有知識、有好奇心、能夠忍耐，而且思想很有層次的一個人。後來，也沒人能寫出像他那麽高層次的音樂了。”
透過巴赫的音樂，陳子虔隔空學習一個時代的人文思想和歷史發展。巴赫音樂精神，豐富了他的生活，讓他從中領悟不一樣的待人處事。
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- 機會突然降臨 -
最早接觸的音樂，是在教會唱詩班，陳子虔在那裏結識了許多對古典音樂有研究的專業老師和音樂前輩。潛移默化下，15歲便下定決心，未來要往音樂這條路發展。19歲那年他去美國深造，在弗吉尼亞州利伯緹大學（Liberty University）就讀，主修合唱及鋼琴演奏，並以音樂系鋼琴演奏最高榮譽學士畢業，還獲頒“年度傑出音樂學生和鋼琴學生”獎項。 後來，他遇見伯樂。在教授 William Weinert 的幫助下，美國頂尖音樂學院伊斯曼音樂學院（Eastman School of Music）破例提供他全額獎學金，錄取他攻讀碩士學位，繼而在該校完成博士學位。 他常受國際團體之邀，擔任合唱與管弦樂團的客席指揮和講師；與多國音樂人才合作，足跡遍布加拿大、美國、印尼…… 2015年，陳子虔意識到巴赫音樂在馬來西亞極少受推廣，他興起創辦巴赫音樂節的念頭，也好讓本地音樂人才被人看見。他從美國遠程遙控策劃，花了半年時間，終於在暑假返馬時，完成了在馬來西亞第一次的巴赫音樂節演出。同年，他還創辦東馬巴赫清唱劇聖歌與管弦樂團，成為首個將巴赫音樂帶入東馬的指揮。 2017年，正在修讀博士班的陳子虔，獲得到德國學習德語一個月的機會。期間，他去了巴赫生前重要居所——聖多馬教堂出席萊比錫巴赫音樂節。隔年，他與友人再次回到萊比錫參加同一個音樂節，殊不知，坐在他們旁邊的，竟然就是音樂會的主席。主席得悉他是馬來西亞巴赫音樂節的創辦人兼藝術總監，對他十分賞識，於是邀請他在2020年6月，帶領馬來西亞巴赫慶典合唱與管弦樂團，到萊比錫巴赫節呈現數個巴赫的清唱劇。 - 音樂就是生活 - 訪問前，我曾擔心陳子虔會覺得與不太了解古典音樂的人對話，像對牛彈琴。他安撫我：“音樂，只不過是另一種語言，用來表達思想和情感。大部分人對古典音樂有錯誤的觀念，認為那太高檔，自己聽不懂，所以拒絕接觸。音樂不該被邊緣化。音樂屬於每一個人，是日常生活的一部分，每個人的權利，不需要把它變得很高級。” 他從事音樂工作，就是想把音樂普及化。 |
巴赫逝世後，他的樂譜輾轉傳到德國著名作曲家費利克斯門德爾松Felix Mendelssohn的婆婆手中。門德爾松對巴赫的曲子極為欣賞贊嘆，在巴赫死後79年，首次公開演出他的作品，成為推廣巴赫音樂的關鍵人物。
巴赫將他心裏的音樂寫在紙上，陳子虔就負責把紙上的音樂呈現出來。陳子虔不敢自喻為門德爾松，但他帶著宣教和分享心態，推廣巴赫的音樂精神。
- 如何看待名氣 -
在同齡人眼中，有人覺得陳子虔愛出風頭。他如此回應：“找對方向，不要放棄，堅持比才華更重要。”
他在人生中各個階段不斷突破自己，就像伊斯曼音樂學院的拉丁語校訓“Meliora”，英文註解為“ever better”，一直更好的意思。這是他走在音樂這條路的理念，也感恩生命中能遇見那些給他機會的天使。
我對他提出了個刁難的選擇題：寧願像巴赫一樣，死後大紅大紫；還是默默付出，一輩子低調？
他沈思後反問：“大紅大紫，可能不是我的目標。人想要成名的目的，純粹只是被人記住，還是借著名氣的影響力，推動某些事情呢？”
在陳子虔的帶領下，馬來西亞巴赫節將於2019年6月，在八打靈和麻坡舉辦三場巴赫清唱劇巡回講座音樂會。同年7月，將在吉隆坡和麻坡舉辦三場《聖馬太受難曲》巡回音樂會，有得他忙的。
你還在好奇做音樂能找得到吃嗎？陳子虔分享經驗：“自己去尋找它，不要等機會上門。”
Photography IAN WONG
Styling SHI YEE
Grooming YUAN
Text TRACY LOW
巴赫將他心裏的音樂寫在紙上，陳子虔就負責把紙上的音樂呈現出來。陳子虔不敢自喻為門德爾松，但他帶著宣教和分享心態，推廣巴赫的音樂精神。
- 如何看待名氣 -
在同齡人眼中，有人覺得陳子虔愛出風頭。他如此回應：“找對方向，不要放棄，堅持比才華更重要。”
他在人生中各個階段不斷突破自己，就像伊斯曼音樂學院的拉丁語校訓“Meliora”，英文註解為“ever better”，一直更好的意思。這是他走在音樂這條路的理念，也感恩生命中能遇見那些給他機會的天使。
我對他提出了個刁難的選擇題：寧願像巴赫一樣，死後大紅大紫；還是默默付出，一輩子低調？
他沈思後反問：“大紅大紫，可能不是我的目標。人想要成名的目的，純粹只是被人記住，還是借著名氣的影響力，推動某些事情呢？”
在陳子虔的帶領下，馬來西亞巴赫節將於2019年6月，在八打靈和麻坡舉辦三場巴赫清唱劇巡回講座音樂會。同年7月，將在吉隆坡和麻坡舉辦三場《聖馬太受難曲》巡回音樂會，有得他忙的。
你還在好奇做音樂能找得到吃嗎？陳子虔分享經驗：“自己去尋找它，不要等機會上門。”
Photography IAN WONG
Styling SHI YEE
Grooming YUAN
Text TRACY LOW