TAN, MIZI: A Caged Partridge's Longing
Set the Partridge Free, written by Tang Dynasty poet, Zong Yuan Liu, inspired composer, Mizi Tan, to create his composition A Caged Partridge’s Longing. The humanitarian spirit that dominates Liu’s poem spoke strongly to the composer while he resided in the United States in 1987. The composition can be parsed into three sections. The first portion depicts the partridge confined in his cage, denied of freedom; nevertheless, he refuses to succumb to his destiny. In the second section, the partridge’s dreams of taking flight into the blue skies, completely independent and liberated. The final scene portrays many failed attempts to escape; however, the partridge’s hope has not wavered, as the future is yet to be determined. Instead of ending on the tonic key, the composer has chosen to end on a diminished fifth interval, thus depicting the partridge’s optimism. This composition received its Canadian premiere on September 23, 2006 by Samantha Chang at the George Weston Recital Hall.
楚越有鳥甘且腴, 嘲嘲自名為鷓鴣。
徇媒得食不复慮, 机械潛發罹嗟孚。
羽毛摧折触籠圄, 煙火煽赫掠庖廚。
鼎前芍葯調五味, 膳夫攘腕左右視。
齊王不忍觳觫牛, 簡子亦放邯鄲鳩。
二子得意猶念此, 況我萬里為孤囚。
破籠展翅當遠去, 同類相呼莫相顧。
譚蜜子（TAN, MIZI）
放鷓鴣曲（A Caged Partridge's Longing）
這首“放鷓鴣曲”是長笛作曲家－譚蜜子先生，根據唐朝詩人柳宗元的作品“放鷓鴣詞”所得靈感啟發的創作。1987年，當時正旅居美國的譚蜜子先生深深被詩中所散發的濃厚人道慈善精神所撼動。這首曲子共分為三個段落：第一段所描述的是這隻鷓鴣被困在籠子裡失去自由，即便如此，他一點也不向命運屈服；第二段講述的是困在籠中的鷓鴣不斷夢想著有一天能夠自由自在，無拘無束的在藍天裡翱翔；最后一段則描繪這隻受困的鷓鴣數度嘗試著逃離鐵籠，總是徒勞；即使如此，鷓鴣的願望從來沒被抹去，渴望飛向藍天的夢想只有更加堅定。最後，作曲家不按常規將樂曲結束在主和弦上，而是結束在不協和的減五度音程上，就像是一聲嘆息，一種不明朗的期待...
這首曲子首次在加拿大發表，便是由張秋暘小姐於2006年9月23日在喬志威斯頓演奏廳（George Weston Recital Hall）演出。
《放鷓鴣詞》
楚越有鳥甘且腴，嘲嘲自名為鷓鴣。
徇媒得食不復慮，機械潛發罹嗟孚。
羽毛摧折觸籠圄，煙火煽赫掠庖廚。
鼎前芍葯調五味，膳夫攘腕左右視。
齊王不忍觳觫牛，簡子亦放邯鄲鳩。
二子得意猶念此，況我萬裡為孤囚。
破籠展翅當遠去，同類相呼莫相顧。