Ba Ban Variations《八板變奏》– Lan Tung (2009 & 2010) －1-3 soloists & chamber orchestra or intercultural orchestra or Chinese orchestra
Inspired by Ba Ban or Eight Phrases, the root of hundreds of pieces in traditional Chinese repertoire, this original work written for improvising musicians explores the contrasts between tonalities and genres. It embodies the paradox of many opposite characters: chromatic and pentatonic passages, composed and improvised materials, contemporary and traditional forms, with sudden shifts between surreal or mysterious quality and an exciting fast 3+2+3 rhythmic cycle. Ba Ban Variations was premiered by the Vancouver Creative Music Institute at 2009 Vancouver International Jazz Festival, and has since then been performed by a number of ensembles, including Turning Point Ensemble, Orchestra Armonia, Upstream Ensemble (Halifax), Little Giant Chinese Chamber Orchestra (Taiwan). The instrumentation is flexible. It requires a minimum of 4 players, and can be augmented to the size of a chamber orchestra with solo improvisers. It is released by Birds of Paradox on its 2009 debut CD.
《八板變奏曲》繼承中國音樂傳統，將「八板」樂句加以發展，但以爵士風格展現。此曲融合了許多看似矛盾的元素：半音階結合五聲音階，依譜演繹對比即興發揮，中國傳統結構對比西方現代手法，神密超現實色彩反差熱烈的快節奏。最早為三人以上即興演奏家所作，不限樂器編制，即興部分為圖像記譜，收錄於非鳥樂隊專輯中。之後改編為即興演奏家與大型樂隊協奏曲，由Turning Point Ensemble、小巨人絲竹樂團、溫哥華跨文化管弦樂團、Proliferasian於加拿大及台灣多次演出。