艾瑞克•韋塔克（1970- ）是當代美國樂壇新生代作曲家，音樂作品種類豐富，尤其在合唱領域展現過人的創作天分，巧妙的融合古典音樂與現代音樂的元素和特色，使他經常受邀為世界各國的音樂活動創作，二００一年更成為美國合唱指揮協會作曲大獎最年輕的獲獎人。
《五首希伯來愛之歌》為韋塔克少數有伴奏的合唱作品，此作完成於一九九六年，編制為女高音獨唱、鋼琴與小提琴，二０００年受合唱團委託，到目前為止，已有五種不同編制的版本。《五首希伯來愛之歌》為組曲形式，以韋塔克妻子席拉•普麗特曼所寫的五首希伯來文情詩為歌詞。第一首〈印記〉描述內心纖細微妙的情愫，就如同烙印在心中的印記。第二首〈亮麗的新娘〉描述新婚男子對愛情的期待，細膩地表達對愛情的渴望。第三首〈通常〉藉著屋頂與天空為主角，巧妙譬喻戀人心中咫尺天涯的微妙距離。第四首〈雪花〉藉由雪花飄落，聯想希望綿密降下的美好，如同愛情翩然而至的喜悅。第五首〈溫暖〉描述樸實直接的愛情，一切盡在不言中。
第一首〈印記〉是一首只寫給女聲二部、小提琴與鋼琴的樂曲，以大三和弦與小三和弦交替出現的手法，使樂曲充滿明暗變化，並以西西里舞曲的節奏素材貫穿全曲，表現似吟遊詩歌的氛圍。第二首〈亮麗的新娘〉充滿段落個性與對比，全曲在速度、和聲、節奏、旋律、織度及力度上展現強烈的變化。第三首〈通常〉運用音階的上行與下行來製造「音畫」的效果，表現歌詞描繪的畫面，全曲多四度與五度跳進音程，使音樂更具起伏波動。第四首〈雪花〉使用音堆模仿雪花，再以即興的自由節奏呈現漫天飄雪的景象。第五首〈溫暖〉以附點節奏基本動機營造出舞曲的節奏，配合富希伯來民族風格的旋律浪漫的結束全曲。
本解說報告分為五個部分，分別為前言、作曲家艾瑞克˙韋塔克生平、作詞者席拉˙普麗曼生平、《五首希伯來愛之歌》創作技法與作品詮釋以及本文結語，最後另有五則附錄，附錄一為基本希伯來文基本簡介及發音規則，附錄二為《五首希伯來愛之歌》歌詞原文與翻譯，附錄三為《五首希伯來愛之歌》歌詞發音，附錄四為普麗特曼回覆之電子郵件全文，附錄五為韋塔克作品一覽表，提供指揮及歌者研究或演唱時之參考。

Eric Whitacre (1970 - ) is a contemporary American composer. Although he is still young, he has composed in many different musical genres, especially in choral music, where he shows his remarkable talent. Because Whitacre tactfully mingles classical and modern musical characteristics, he is always invited to compose music for ensembles throughout the world. In 2001, Whitacre became the youngest recipient ever awarded the coveted Raymond C. Brock commission by the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA).
Five Hebrew Love Songs is one of the few choral works of Whitacre’s with an accompaniment. Completed in 1996, this work was written for a soprano solo, a pianist, and a violinist. In 2000, it was rearranged for a mixed choir. Up to this point in time, there have been five different versions of the the arrangement. Five Hebrew Love Songs are presented in the form of a suite, the lyrics are five Hebrew love poems written by his wife, Hila Plitmann. The first song, Temuna（A Picture）depicts the refined and subtle love inside a person's heart, just like an imprint left in one’s mind. The second song, Kala Kalla（Light Bride）describes a newly married man's expectation for love, and exquisitely expresses his eagerness for love. The third song, Larov（Mostly）uses roof and sky as the main characters, and tactfully takes the close distance between them as a metaphor for the subtle distance between two lovers, which is both close and far. The fourth song, Eyze Sheleg! （What Snow!）associates the falling snowflakes with the frequently appearing perfect hopes, just like the joy of love approaching trippingly. The fifth song, Rakut（Tenderness）depicts the simple, honest, sincere and direct love that cannot be described by more words.
The first song, Temuna is a song especially composed for two-part female voice with violin and the piano, and presented with a C major triad and a C minor triad in an interchanging way. The song is full of alternate changes of brightness and darkness. Besides, the rhythm of a Sicilian dance is employed as the main material all throughout this song, creating a rhapsodic atmosphere. The second song, Kala Kalla is replete with episodic characters and contrasts. The entire song presents intense changes in tempi, harmony, rhythm, melody, texture and dynamics. The third song, Larov makes use of the up and down scale to create the effect of “word- painting” and presents a tableau painted with lyrics. The song is composed of many fourth and fifth intervals, contributing to the music’s feeling of more fluctuations and waves. The fourth song, Eyze Sheleg, is composed of tone clusters intended to imitate snowflakes and to create the beautiful scene of falling snowflakes all around which also accommodates the free rhythm. The fifth song, Rakut, uses a dotted-note motive to create the rhythm of dance music. When matched with the melody of the Hebrew tribal style, the whole song ends in romance.
The master report consists of five parts. The first is an introduction. It is followed by: Biography of the Composer, Eric Whitacre, Biography of the Lyricist, Hila Plitmann, Compositional Techniques of Five Hebrew Love Songs and Interpretation of this work and finally, a Conclusion. There are five appendices added. Appendix 1 is a basic and brief introduction of Hebrew language, and its pronunciation rules. Appendix 2 presents the lyrics in their original language and a translation. Appendix 3 contains an explanation of the pronunciation of the lyrics of the Five Hebrew Love Songs. Appendix 4 is the full text of an e-mail reply from Hila Plitmann. Appendix 5 introduces all the choral works of Eric Whitacre.

一、 前言……………………………………………………………1
二、作曲家艾瑞克˙韋塔克生平…………………………3
三、作詞者席拉˙普麗曼生平……………………………9
四、《五首希伯來愛之歌》創作技法與作品詮釋……11
1. 〈印記〉（Temuná）………………………………12
2. 〈亮麗的新娘〉（kalá kallá)………………………20
3. 〈通常〉（Lárov）…………………………………30
4. 〈雪花〉（Éyze shéleg!）…………………………38
5. 〈溫暖〉（Rakút）…………………………………47
五、結語…………………………………………………57
六、附錄一：希伯來文基本簡介及發音規則…………61
七、附錄二：《五首希伯來愛之歌》歌詞原文與翻譯64
八、附錄三：《五首希伯來愛之歌》歌詞發音………67
九、附錄四：普麗特曼回覆之電子郵件全文…………69
十、附錄五：韋塔克作品一覽表………………………70
十一、參考書目................................................................72

參考書目
【英文書籍】
Buchanan, Heather J., and Mathew W. Mehaffey ed. Teaching Music through Performance in Choir. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2005.
Brinson, Barbara A. Choral Music: Methods and Materisls. Belmont: Shirmer, 1996.
Collins, Don L. Teaching Choral Music. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1993.
Ehmann, Wilhelm, and Frauke Haasemann. Voice Building for Choirs. Chapel Hill: Hinshaw Music,1981.
Gann, Kyle. American Music in the Twentieth Century. New York: Schimer Books, 1997.
Garretson, Robert L. Choral Music: History, Style, and Performance Practice. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1993.
Haasemann, Frauke, and J.M. Jordan. Group Vocal Technique. Chapel Hill: Hinshaw Music,1991.
The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2001), S.V.“Chorus: 5. The 20th century”by Percy M. Young and James G. Smith.
_______. S.V.“Hemiola”by Julian Rushton.
_______. S.V.“Siciliana”by Meredith Ellis Little.
Strimple, Nick. Choral Music in the Twentieth Century. Portland: Amadeus Press, 2002.
Ulrich, Homer. A Survey of Choral Music. New York : Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973.


【中文書籍】
Kostka, Stefan.《二十世紀音樂的素材與技法》(Materials and Techniques of Twentieth-Century Music)，宋瑾 譯。北京：人民音樂出版社，2002。
劉志明。《中世紀音樂史》。台北市：全音樂譜出版有限公司，2001年。
張大勝。 《合唱指揮研究》。 台北市：全音樂譜出版有限公司，1980年。
陳康。 《盡善盡美：合唱技巧縱橫》。 香港九龍市：宣道出版社，2003年。
王珉。 《美國音樂史》。 上海市：上海音樂出版社，2005年。
楊沛仁。 《音樂史與欣賞》。 台北市：美樂出版社，2003年。
江森一夫、持田留奈、杉上尚次編。《指揮家與樂團》，允迪、祖和、民惠、俞德文譯。 台北市：世界文物出版社，1997年。




【網路資料】
《韋塔克官方網站》http://www.ericwhitacre.com，2008年1月20日查詢。
《韋塔克分享空間》http://www.myspace.com/ericwhitacre，2008年1月20日查
詢。
《普麗特曼分享空間》http://www.myspace.com/Hila Plitmann，2008年2月2日
查詢。

【樂譜】
Whitacre, Eric. Five Hebrew Love Songs. Walton Music, 2002.

【有聲資料】
University Of Miami Chorale, Love Of My Soul. Albany Records, 2002.
Eric Whitacre, The Complete A Cappella Works 1991-2001. ARSIS Audio, CD147, 2002.
Eric Whitacre, Cloudburst and Other Choral Works. Hyperion Records, CDA67543, 2006.