The Taiwan Music Institute of the National Center or Traditional Arts under the Ministry of Culture published the second collection of its "Taiwan Composer Score Series” on Feb. 5 as part of the government's efforts to promote and preserve traditional Taiwanese music.
The seven-volume collection has seven music scores written by three senior composers - Chang Hao, Ko Fang-long and Chien Nan-chang, including Chang's chamber music "Formosa Panorama,” Ko's "The Sound of the Gong,” and Chien's "Ma Ma Sonata.”
The first series was published in 2011. Music professor Yen Lu-fen of Taipei National University of the Arts is the chief editor of the second one; he selected the seven music scores for their strong native style. The length of each piece is about 10 to 15 minutes and they all are considerable difficult in terms of technique and balance, making them suitable for teaching, competitions, performances and cultural exchanges.
Each volume of the collection is attached with brief introductions, in both Chinese and English, of the composer and music score. Ko and Chien as well as Gisela Pause, the wife of Chang, who died in 2003 at the age of 90, took part in the proofreading of the scores and other publication works.
The mission of the institute is the preservation, research and promotion of traditional Taiwanese music, said Su Kwei-chih, director of the institute, adding that is why the institute published the scores to spread and promote such lovely cultural heritage.