DESCRIPTION:
Home Studio Unedited Recording on May 15, 2015
http://www.EmilieLin.com/, http://www.AnnArborPiano.com/

This recording isn't for commercial purposes. I simply upload what I consider the best recording of my playing of this piece. My unedited home recordings are like a journal entry of my musical expression, with some imperfections to reflect real-time reality.
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This past year, I didn't have the time nor the energy to learn any new piece to perform at my annual studio recital--one of the few events in which I perform until parenting isn't so consuming. I cannot remember why I chose Ravel's "Jeux d'Eau" to play and record, but I remember my first encounter with this piece. I was a child being totally amazed by how a piece of piano music could make me feel like water was surrounding me all over.

According to Wikipedia, "Jeux d'Eau" literally means "Water Games," but often it's translated as "The Fountain" or "Playing Water," while Google translates as "Water Sports." I learned the piece in college, but I cannot remember whether I ever performed it in public, or how I felt about learning it. However, when I reviewed it this past year, several distinctive images appeared to me—falling water, mist from waterfalls, raindrops that sparkle under sunlight, fish splashing above water, swimming under water when sound becomes muffled, sliding down from a water slide or waterfall, bubbling brook, playing in the rain as a child and letting raindrops fall onto my face, etc. I therefore incorporated some of these images to go along with the music.

Playing Jeux d’Eau and making its slide show gave me the opportunity to escape from the unpleasantness of life and enter a fantasy world of fun, excitement, and beauty with water. Thank you, Ravel, for creating a masterpiece that allowed both the child and adult part of me to experience water’s magical power in different places.

這一年來, 我沒任何時間跟精力學新的曲子來在一年一度所辦的演奏會演奏給學生跟家長聽. (養孩子實在太累了, 我只有在這個場合會盡量出場演奏.) 我忘了我為何在今年的演奏會選擇彈拉威爾的”戲水”及演奏前錄音, 但我還記得小時候第一次聽到這曲子時, 我好驚嘆我真的感受到水的存在跟玩水時的感覺.

維基百科說明"Jeux d'Eau"直翻的意思是”水上遊戲”, 而Google翻成是”水上運動”. 我所知道的中文翻譯是”戲水”, 然而英文翻譯的名稱也有”噴水池”. 這首曲子是我在大學時期學的, 但我想不起來到底我當時有無演奏過, 及學習過程的感受. 這次我在複習練這曲子時, 一些圖影跟細膩的感覺卻顯然的呈現出來, 如瀑布, 瀑布下的薄霧, 在陽光下閃閃發光的水珠, 活躍的魚兒跳出水來在空中飛舞, 在水底游泳時悶悶的聲音, 從瀑布滑水下來的喜樂, 小溪汩汩的聲音, 小時候下雨時讓滴滴答答的雨水流落在臉上…等. 所以, 我也就找這些不同的情景來配樂囉.

彈拉威爾的”戲水”跟找相片來配樂給我一個機會脫離生活中的一些不愉快, 及用想像力來感受玩水時的歡樂, 刺激, 及欣賞不同種有關水的美景. 感謝拉威爾能創造這首傑作, 使孩童跟大人裏的我能感受到水在不同情景時所散發出來的神奇力量.