The mad scientist of music | Mark Applebaum

Translator: Joseph Geni Reviewer: Thu-Huong Ha

譯者: Gina Wang 審譯者: Yuguo Zhang

I thought if I skipped it might help my nerves,

我以為如果我跳一跳會比較不緊張

but I'm actually having a paradoxical reaction to that,

但我其實有種矛盾的感受

so that was a bad idea. (Laughter)

所以那是糟糕的主意 （笑聲）

Anyway, I was really delighted to receive the invitation

總之，我真的很開心接到邀請

to present to you some of my music and some of my work

來向你們展示一些我身為作曲家的音樂和作品

as a composer, presumably because it appeals

我想這是因為

to my well-known and abundant narcissism. (Laughter)

這滿足了我知名且嚴重的自戀傾向 （笑聲）

And I'm not kidding, I just think we should just

這並不是在開玩笑 我只是覺得我們應該

say that and move forward. (Laughter)

先開誠布公再繼續下去 （笑聲）

So, but the thing is, a dilemma quickly arose,

但重點是，這產生一種矛盾

and that is that I'm really bored with music,

就是我已漸漸對音樂感到無聊

and I'm really bored with the role of the composer,

我也對我作曲家的身分感到無趣

and so I decided to put that idea, boredom,

所以我決定將「無聊」這個想法

as the focus of my presentation to you today.

成為我今天演講的主題

And I'm going to share my music with you, but I hope

我將會與你們分享我的音樂

that I'm going to do so in a way that tells a story,

但我希望使用說故事的方式

tells a story about how I used boredom as a catalyst

告訴你們一個故事 有關我如何使用「無聊」

for creativity and invention, and how boredom

來當創意和創造力的催化劑

actually forced me to change the fundamental question

和「無聊」如何迫使我改變

that I was asking in my discipline,

我在這個領域的基本問題

and how boredom also, in a sense,

還有「無聊」如何

pushed me towards taking on roles beyond the sort of

促使我讓作曲家這角色

most traditional, narrow definition of a composer.

超越傳統、狹隘的定義

What I'd like to do today is to start with an excerpt

我今天要以一首

of a piece of music at the piano.

短短的鋼琴節錄作品作為開始

(Music)

（音樂）

Okay, I wrote that. (Laughter)

對，這是我寫的 （笑聲）

No, it's not — (Applause) Oh, why thank you.

不，這不是（掌聲） 謝謝

No, no, I didn't write that.

不，這不是我寫的

In fact, that was a piece by Beethoven,

事實上，這是貝多芬的曲子

and so I was not functioning as a composer.

而我並不是擔任作曲家的身分

Just now I was functioning in the role of the interpreter,

我只是作為一位詮釋者

and there I am, interpreter.

所以我作為一位作品詮釋者

So, an interpreter of what? Of a piece of music, right?

詮釋什麼？一首曲子對吧？

But we can ask the question, "But is it music?"

但我們可以問："這是音樂嗎？"

And I say this rhetorically, because of course

而我是故意這麼說

by just about any standard we would have to concede

因為當然，用任何標準 我們必須勉強承認

that this is, of course, a piece of music,

這當然是一首樂曲

but I put this here now because,

但是我這麼說是因為

just to set it in your brains for the moment,

我想讓你的腦中停留著這個問題

because we're going to return to this question.

因為我們晚一點會回到這問題

It's going to be a kind of a refrain

這會是這場演講中

as we go through the presentation.

我們要不斷檢視的問題

So here we have this piece of music by Beethoven,

我們在這聽這首貝多芬的曲子

and my problem with it is, it's boring.

而我的問題是，這好無趣

I mean, you — I'm just like, a hush, huh -- It's like -- (Laughter)

我的意思是，這就像... （笑聲）

It's Beethoven, how can you say that?

這是貝多芬，你怎麼能這麼說呢？

No, well, I don't know, it's very familiar to me.

我也不知道，我對這首曲子十分熟悉

I had to practice it as a kid, and I'm really sick of it. So -- (Laughter)

我小時候必須練這首曲子，而我真的很厭倦 （笑聲）

I would, so what I might like to try to do is to change it,

所以我想試著改變它

to transform it in some ways, to personalize it,

讓它個人化

so I might take the opening, like this idea --

所以我可能會把開頭

(Music)

（音樂）

and then I might substitute -- (Music)

改成這樣（音樂）

and then I might improvise on that melody

然後隨興發揮這個旋律

that goes forward from there -- (Music)

它就會變成這樣（音樂）

(Music)

（音樂）

So that might be the kind of thing -- Why thank you.

所以基本就是這樣 謝謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）

That would be the kind of thing that I would do,

就會變成我改編的這樣

and it's not necessarily better than the Beethoven.

雖然它不一定比貝多芬好

In fact, I think it's not better than it. The thing is -- (Laughter) --

我覺得沒有比貝多芬好，但是 （笑聲）

it's more interesting to me. It's less boring for me.

這對我而言比較有趣，不無聊

I'm really leaning into me, because I, because I have

我一直強調「我」，因為我必須思考

to think about what decisions I'm going to make on the fly

當我的手飛快的彈奏貝多芬的曲目時

as that Beethoven text is running in time through my head

我要做什麼決定

and I'm trying to figure out what kinds of transformations

我也必須搞清楚

I'm going to make to it.

我將要做什麼樣的改變

So this is an engaging enterprise for me, and

所以這變成我目前致力的事業

I've really leaned into that first person pronoun thing there,

這就是為什麼我必須一直強調「我」 這個第一人稱代名詞

and now my face appears twice, so I think we can agree

而我的臉已經出現兩次，所以我們可以同意

that this is a fundamentally solipsistic enterprise. (Laughter)

這基本上是個「唯我論」的事業 （笑聲）

But it's an engaging one, and it's interesting to me

但這真的是迷人的事情，我也覺得很有趣

for a while, but then I get bored with it, and by it,

但過了一陣子，我又覺得無聊了

I actually mean, the piano, because it becomes,

無聊的原因是鋼琴

it's this familiar instrument, it's timbral range is actually

因為它是種常見的樂器 但它的音域是被限制的

pretty compressed, at least when you play on the keyboard,

至少當你彈琴時是這樣

and if you're not doing things like listening to it

而如果你不去仔細聽它

after you've lit it on fire or something like that, you know.

就像它被點上火之類的

It gets a little bit boring, and so pretty soon

它很快地也變得有些無聊

I go through other instruments, they become familiar,

我嘗試過其它樂器，也漸漸熟悉它們

and eventually I find myself designing and constructing

最終我發現我在設計和打造我自己的樂器

my own instrument, and I brought one with me today,

而我今天有帶其中一種來

and I thought I would play a little bit on it for you

而我會用它彈奏一小段給你聽

so you can hear what it sounds like.

你就知道它聽起來是什麼樣子

(Music)

（音樂）

You gotta have doorstops, that's important. (Laughter)

你必須要有門擋，這很重要（笑聲）

I've got combs. They're the only combs that I own. (Music)

我也有梳子，這是我唯一擁有的梳子 （音樂）

They're all mounted on my instruments. (Laughter)

它們全都在我的樂器之中（笑聲）

(Music)

（音樂）

I can actually do all sorts of things. I can play

我其實可以做很多事情

with a violin bow. I don't have to use the chopsticks.

我可以用琴弓演奏 不用筷子

So we have this sound. (Music)

所以我們有這樣的聲音（音樂）

And with a bank of live electronics,

若再加上一組電子儀器

I can change the sounds radically. (Music)

我可以徹底的改變聲音（音樂）

(Music)

（音樂）

Like that, and like this. (Music)

像這樣，和這樣（音樂）

And so forth.

和其他類似這樣的

So this gives you a little bit of an idea of the sound world

所以這讓你稍稍了解這個樂器的各種聲音

of this instrument, which I think is quite interesting

我覺得蠻有趣的

and it puts me in the role of the inventor, and the nice thing about —

這讓我成為一位發明家 很棒的是

This instrument is called the Mouseketeer ... (Laughter)

這樂器叫做「鼠劍客」（笑聲）

and the cool thing about it is

而很酷的事是

I'm the world's greatest Mouseketeer player. (Laughter)

我是世界上「鼠劍客」最棒的演奏家（笑聲）

Okay? (Applause)

OK？（掌聲）

So in that regard, this is one of the things,

所以講到這，這是其中一件

this is one of the privileges of being,

讓我感到榮幸

and here's another role, the inventor, and by the way,

讓我成為發明家 順道一提

when I told you that I'm the world's greatest,

當我跟你說我是世界上最棒的人

if you're keeping score, we've had narcissism and solipsism

如果你還記得，你知道我是很自戀和唯我論的

and now a healthy dose of egocentricism.

而現在我還是個自我中心的人

I know some of you are just, you know, bingo! Or, I don't know. (Laughter)

我知道你們有些人早就知道了（笑聲）

Anyway, so this is also a really enjoyable role.

所以這是我很享受的一個角色

I should concede also that I'm the world's worst Mouseketeer player,

我也應該承認我是世界上最差的「鼠劍客」演奏家

and it was this distinction that I was most worried about

而這讓我擔憂，我跟我之前的角色

when I was on that prior side of the tenure divide.

沒有太大的差別

I'm glad I'm past that. We're not going to go into that.

我很高興我已經不再擔憂 我們就不繼續談這件事了

I'm crying on the inside. There are still scars.

我的內心仍在哭泣，心中有疤

Anyway, but I guess my point is that all of these enterprises

我猜我想說的是 所有這些事業

are engaging to me in their multiplicity, but as I've presented them

都讓我對它們有不同的體驗 當我展示給你們看時

to you today, they're actually solitary enterprises,

他們的確是很孤獨的事業

and so pretty soon I want to commune with other people, and so

而很快的我會想再跟其他人交流

I'm delighted that in fact I get to compose works for them.

我會很開心能夠幫別人編曲

I get to write, sometimes for soloists and I get to work with one person,

我開始寫曲，有時是幫獨奏家 所以我跟一個人合作

sometimes full orchestras, and I work with a lot of people,

有時候是跟整個樂團，會跟很多人合作

and this is probably the capacity, the role creatively

而或許這個能力，創意家的角色

for which I'm probably best known professionally.

是我最知名的專業

Now, some of my scores as a composer look like this,

現在，很多我寫的曲子看起來像這樣

and others look like this,

還有其他的像這樣

and some look like this,

有些像這樣

and I make all of these by hand, and it's really tedious.

我都是用手填寫的，非常枯燥乏味

It takes a long, long time to make these scores,

要花很多很多時間來填譜

and right now I'm working on a piece

而現在我正在寫一首曲子

that's 180 pages in length,

譜總共有180頁

and it's just a big chunk of my life, and I'm just pulling out hair.

占了我一大部分的生活，讓我抓頭髮

I have a lot of it, and that's a good thing I suppose. (Laughter)

我有很多頭髮，所以我想這是件好事（笑聲）

So this gets really boring and really tiresome for me,

這讓我感到很無聊且勞累

so after a while the process of notating is not only boring,

所以過了一陣子填譜變得很無聊

but I actually want the notation to be more interesting,

但我其實希望這件事變得更有趣

and so that's pushed me to do other projects like this one.

所以那促使我著手其他像這樣的計劃

This is an excerpt from a score called

這是一段摘錄

"The Metaphysics of Notation."

從《填譜的形式學》這首曲子

The full score is 72 feet wide.

整首歌有72英呎長

It's a bunch of crazy pictographic notation.

全都是用怪異的符號寫成

Let's zoom in on one section of it right here. You can see

讓我們放大檢視這個區塊，你可以看到

it's rather detailed. I do all of this with drafting templates,

它其實很詳細，我都是用有銳利手柄的模尺

with straight edges, with French curves, and by freehand,

和曲線模板，用手畫

and the 72 feet was actually split

而72英呎又分為

into 12 six-foot-wide panels that were installed

12個6英呎長的嵌板

around the Cantor Arts Center Museum lobby balcony,

裝在藝術中心大廳的台廊

and it appeared for one year in the museum,

在那待了一年

and during that year, it was experienced as visual art

在那一年，大部分的時間，它被展示

most of the week, except, as you can see in these pictures,

就像一般視覺藝術那樣，除了，如你所見的

on Fridays, from noon til one, and only during that time,

在星期五，中午到1點，只有在那段時間

various performers came and interpreted these strange

不同的演奏家來詮釋這些怪異

and undefined pictographic glyphs. (Laughter)

無法定義的圖像

Now this was a really exciting experience for me.

這對我而言是個值得興奮的經驗

It was gratifying musically, but I think

它在音樂上使人滿足，但我想

the more important thing is it was exciting because I got to take on

重要的是，我很興奮因為我又有其他的角色

another role, especially given that it appeared in a museum,

特別是可以在藝術館展示那種

and that is as visual artist. (Laughter)

我是視覺藝術家（笑聲）

We're going to fill up the whole thing, don't worry. (Laughter)

我們會慢慢把這整個頁面填滿，別擔心（笑聲）

I am multitudes. (Laughter)

我很多才多藝的（笑聲）

So one of the things is that, I mean, some people

所以有時候有些人會說

would say, like, "Oh, you're being a dilettante,"

"喔，你只是半調子的藝術家"

and maybe that's true. I can understand how, I mean,

也許的確如此，我可以了解為什麼

because I don't have a pedigree in visual art

因為我並非視覺藝術出身

and I don't have any training, but it's just something

我也沒受過任何相關訓練 但這只是種

that I wanted to do as an extension of my composition,

我希望我在編曲以外能做的事情

as an extension of a kind of creative impulse.

像是某種創意強迫症的延伸

I can understand the question, though. "But is it music?"

我可以了解這個問題："這是音樂嗎？"

I mean, there's not any traditional notation.

因為那並不是傳統的樂譜

I can also understand that sort of implicit criticism

我也可以了解那些含蓄的批評

in this piece, "S-tog," which I made when I was living in Copenhagen.

這是我住在哥本哈根時創作的作品"鐵路"

I took the Copenhagen subway map and

我用哥本哈根的地鐵地圖

I renamed all the stations to abstract musical provocations,

並將所有的車站重新命名為抽象的音樂術語

and the players, who are synchronized with stopwatches,

而演奏家們都帶著同步的碼表

follow the timetables, which are listed in minutes past the hour.

照著時刻表，是用幾時幾分顯示的

So this is a case of actually adapting something,

這例子就是真的改寫某種東西

or maybe stealing something,

或是偷某種東西

and then turning it into a musical notation.

然後將它轉化為樂譜

Another adaptation would be this piece.

另一個改編是這個作品

I took the idea of the wristwatch, and I turned it into a musical score.

我將手錶轉化成樂譜

I made my own faces, and had a company fabricate them,

我自己製做錶面，請一間公司組裝

and the players follow these scores.

而演奏家照著這個譜

They follow the second hands, and as they pass over

他們照著秒針演奏，當秒針經過

the various symbols, the players respond musically.

不同的符號，演奏家也跟著做音樂性的回應

Here's another example from another piece,

這是另一個作品

and then its realization.

而這是成品

So in these two capacities, I've been scavenger,

所以在這兩種才能中，我是拾荒者

in the sense of taking, like, the subway map, right,

蒐集像是地鐵地圖，沒錯

or thief maybe, and I've also been designer,

或也許像小偷，而我也是設計師

in the case of making the wristwatches.

像是設計這個手錶

And once again, this is, for me, interesting.

我再次說，這對我而言很有趣

Another role that I like to take on is that of the performance artist.

我的另一個角色是表演藝術家

Some of my pieces have these kind of weird theatric elements,

我有些作品有這些怪異、戲劇化的元素

and I often perform them. I want to show you a clip

而我經常演奏它們，我想給你們看一段影片

from a piece called "Echolalia."

是一首叫《模仿他人言語》的曲子

This is actually being performed by Brian McWhorter,

這是Brian McWhorter所演奏的

who is an extraordinary performer.

他是一位很棒的演奏家

Let's watch a little bit of this, and please notice the instrumentation.

我們來看一小段，請注意其演奏方式

(Music)

（音樂）

Okay, I hear you were laughing nervously because

我可以聽見你們不安的笑聲

you too could hear that the drill was a little bit sharp,

因為你也聽到電鑽的聲音有些刺耳

the intonation was a little questionable. (Laughter)

這首歌的音調似乎出了點問題（笑聲）

Let's watch just another clip.

我們再看另一段影片

(Music)

（音樂）

You can see the mayhem continues, and there's, you know,

你可以看到這破壞行動仍然持續進行

there were no clarinets and trumpets

而這裡並沒有豎笛、小喇叭

and flutes and violins. Here's a piece that has

長笛和小提琴 而這裡有另一段影片

an even more unusual, more peculiar instrumentation.

更不尋常，有更怪異的演奏方式

This is "Tlön," for three conductors and no players. (Laughter)

這首是《Tlön》，有3個指揮但沒有演奏家 （笑聲）

This was based on the experience of actually watching

這是根據以下的經驗，觀看兩個人

two people having a virulent argument in sign language,

正在透過手語進行惡毒的爭吵

which produced no decibels to speak of,

完全沒有音量

but affectively, psychologically, was a very loud experience.

但卻有影響力、心理層面的「震撼」經驗

So, yeah, I get it, with, like, the weird appliances

所以我了解，這些怪異的器具

and then the total absence of conventional instruments

沒有任何常見樂器

and this glut of conductors, people might, you know,

太多的指揮

wonder, yeah, "Is this music?"

你可能會想"這是音樂嗎？"

But let's move on to a piece where clearly I'm behaving myself,

但讓我們在聽一首我很「安分」譜寫的曲子

and that is my "Concerto for Orchestra."

這是我的《給交響樂團的協奏曲》

You're going to notice a lot of conventional instruments

你會看到很多一般常見的樂器

in this clip. (Music)

出現在這段影片中（音樂）

(Music)

（音樂）

This, in fact, is not the title of this piece.

這不是這首曲子的名稱

I was a bit mischievous. In fact, to make it more interesting,

我有一點調皮，只想讓它看更有趣

I put a space right in here, and this is the actual title of the piece.

我在這裡拿掉一個字，這才是真正的曲名 《給花店老闆和交響樂團的協奏曲》

Let's continue with that same excerpt.

我們再繼續聽這首 《給花店老闆和交響樂團的協奏曲》

(Music)

（音樂） 《給花店老闆和交響樂團的協奏曲》

It's better with a florist, right? (Laughter) (Music)

我做花店老闆肯定不錯，對吧？（笑聲） （音樂）

Or at least it's less boring. Let's watch a couple more clips.

或至少沒有這麼無聊 我們再多看幾個影片

(Music)

（音樂）

So with all these theatric elements, this pushes me in another role,

所以這些有戲劇性的元素 讓我又進入另一個角色

and that would be, possibly, the dramaturge.

那就是戲劇家

I was playing nice. I had to write the orchestra bits, right?

我很安分吧？因為我必須為樂團譜曲

Okay? But then there was this other stuff, right?

但這裡又有這個花店老闆

There was the florist, and I can understand that,

所以我可以理解

once again, we're putting pressure on the ontology of music

我們再度挑戰音樂的本質

as we know it conventionally,

不是像我們一般熟悉的那樣

but let's look at one last piece today I'm going to share with you.

這是我今天要與你們分享的最後一首歌

This is going to be a piece called "Aphasia,"

它叫《失語症》

and it's for hand gestures synchronized to sound,

它讓手勢跟聲響同步

and this invites yet another role, and final one

而這又賦予我另一個角色，是最後一個

I'll share with you, which is that of the choreographer.

那就是編舞家

And the score for the piece looks like this,

這首歌的譜看起來是這樣

and it instructs me, the performer, to make

它指導我這個表演者

various hand gestures at very specific times

在特定的時間做不同的手勢

synchronized with an audio tape, and that audio tape

並與錄音帶同步，而那錄音帶

is made up exclusively of vocal samples.

是只用語音樣本所製成的

I recorded an awesome singer,

我錄下一位很棒的歌手的聲音

and I took the sound of his voice in my computer,

而我將他的聲音放到電腦

and I warped it in countless ways to come up with

並用各種方式扭曲這個聲音

the soundtrack that you're about to hear.

做成你現在要聽到的這首歌

And I'll perform just an excerpt of "Aphasia" for you here. Okay?

而我將表演《失語症》的其中一段給你看

(Music)

（音樂）

So that gives you a little taste of that piece. (Applause)

所以你們大概知道這首歌的樣子 （掌聲）

Yeah, okay, that's kind of weird stuff.

這首歌的確很奇怪

Is it music? Here's how I want to conclude.

它是音樂嗎？我將這麼結論

I've decided, ultimately, that this is the wrong question,

我最終決定，這問題是錯誤的

that this is not the important question.

因為這問題並不重要

The important question is, "Is it interesting?"

重要的是："它有趣嗎？"

And I follow this question, not worrying about "Is it music?" --

而我接續這個問題 不再擔憂「是不是音樂」這件事

not worrying about the definition of the thing that I'm making.

也不擔憂到底該如何定義我的作品

I allow my creativity to push me

我讓我的創意引領我

in directions that are simply interesting to me,

走向我感興趣的方向

and I don't worry about the likeness of the result

我並不擔心結果如何

to some notion, some paradigm,

是不是合乎一些講述樂曲應該如何構成 的見解和先例

of what music composition is supposed to be,

是不是合乎一些講述樂曲應該如何構成 的見解和先例

and that has actually urged me, in a sense,

這某種程度促使我

to take on a whole bunch of different roles,

身兼許多角色

and so what I want you to think about is,

所以我希望你們思考的是

to what extent might you change the fundamental question

對於你領域的基本準則 你會做何種程度的改變

in your discipline, and, okay,

對於你領域的基本準則 你會做何種程度的改變

I'm going to put one extra little footnote in here,

我要再註明一小件事

because, like, I realized I mentioned

因為，像我之前提到

some psychological defects earlier, and we also,

我有些心理上的缺點

along the way, had a fair amount of obsessive behavior,

而我們在某些事情上都有不少的偏執行為

and there was some delusional behavior and things like that,

就像某些人有妄想的行為

and here I think we could say that this is an argument

我認為我們可以這麼論定

for self-loathing and a kind of schizophrenia,

是自我厭惡 或用比較常見的說法

at least in the popular use of the term,

是精神分裂症

and I really mean dissociative identity disorder, okay. (Laughter)

而我其實覺得這是自我認同分裂失調（笑聲）

Anyway, despite those perils, I would urge you

但除此之外，我鼓勵你

to think about the possibility that you might take on roles

思考你可以扮演其他角色的可能性

in your own work, whether they are neighboring

在你的職場專業中，不管有關

or far-flung from your professional definition.

或是完全不相關

And with that, I thank you very much. (Applause)

非常感謝（掌聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）