Such a study is perhaps timely. With the growing abundance of high quality Malaysian compositions musicological research can now begin in earnest. Preparing for her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Oklahoma, Sabah-born scholar Charmaine Blythe Siagian has written a fascinating dissertation on Malaysian and Indonesian composers, with a focus on the solo piano repertoire. Here is an exclusive glimpse into this fascinating document.

In December 2006 Charmaine B Siagian sent out a series of questionnaires to Malaysian and Indonesian composers that she had managed to track down after arduous research on the internet and in various journals. Her aim was to put together a document that would serve as "reference point of piano music for teachers and students in both countries, as well as abroad."

The biggest challenge, up to that point, was to identify and locate the composers. Malaysian composers have only been sporadically reported on in the news, and the presence of websites such as Kakiseni.com has been a boon to researchers both at home and abroad.

Siagian managed to track down four Malaysian and three Indonesian composers, who have written solo piano music, for her study. The dissertation, which she completed at the end of 2007, is a detailed study of not just the subject of piano composition but touches on areas of development, pedagogy and cultural history. Along the way she unearths interesting details that may be of interest to future researchers, such as the existence of an earlier study on Malaysian composers by Lam Ming Huey of Universiti Putra Malaysia (2000) which she was unable to track down (Perhaps Lam will eventually come forward and share this work!)

Siagian's has generously consented to reproducing parts of her dissertation here in the interest of promoting further study into the field. Her dissertation will soon be available for downloading via the University website, more information on this will be provided at the end of this four-part series.

In this first instalment we bring you the abstract and excerpts from the introductory chapters, which provide a useful introduction to the contemporary music of our region and weighs some of the issues surrounding our music scene.

Selected Solo Piano Works By Contemporary Malaysian And Indonesian Composers From 1979 to 2007: An Introduction
By Charmaine Blythe Siagian
University Of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma, USA
2007

Abstract

This study provides an introduction to contemporary solo piano works by
seven Malaysian and Indonesian composers. The composers from Malaysia are
Chong Kee Yong, Ng Chong Lim, Tazul Tajuddin, and Tan Chee-Hwa. The composers
from Indonesia are Slamet Abdul Sjukur, Michael Asmara, and Ananda Sukarlan.
Seven solo piano works and three solo piano collections are discussed, all of which have been published, recorded, or premiered at a significant event. The pieces vary in difficulty and style, and they range from highly complex (eg. Chong's Metamorphosis III) to pedagogical (eg. Tan's A Child's Garden of Verses) to avant garde (eg. Asmara's A Little Piece for Pianoforte). Composer biographies represent a significant part of the study.

The purpose of the study is to bring attention to contemporary art music for piano by composers from Malaysia and Indonesia that is available to professional performers, students, and teachers for study. Much of this literature has been little known to date and yet is worthy of study.

The introduction to the document provides background information on the development of art music in Malaysia and Indonesia including a brief look at the challenges of colonialism as it pertains to art music. The review of related literature includes correlated studies and dissertations, as well as relevant books, articles, and internet sources that have explored similar study in Indonesia, Malaysia, and worldwide.

The discussion of each contemporary work includes comments from the composer obtained through a questionnaire and subsequent interviews and emails. Final chapters provide significant composer perceptions and opinions on the state of contemporary music in the two countries, and include observations from other prominent musicians familiar with the regional scene. The appendices provide an unofficial list of known solo piano works by Malaysian and Indonesian composers, as well as a list of piano works by other composers who have been influenced by the music or culture of the region.

CHAPTER I
The Problem, Purpose, and Design of the Study

Introduction

In the equatorial Southeast Asian1 countries of Malaysia and Indonesia, recent trends indicate that art music is flourishing, even if usually relegated to more metropolitan areas. Yet much of the musical research conducted in the two countries has tended to focus not on its new music but, predictably, on the rich cultural traditions-including the famous Indonesian gamelan-that composers like Debussy, Messiaen, Bartók, and Britten were drawn to. The music indigenous to the region undoubtedly deserves the study and respect that continues to be conducted. Many of these traditional gong-chime ensembles continue to be played on cultural holidays, special occasions, and village celebrations (quite often for the benefit of tourists). Ensembles also continue to proliferate at elite academic institutions; these represent a devoted, albeit small, faction that will ensure its longevity abroad. However, the pedagogical inclination in both countries today seems to lean steadily towards instruments conceived of a few hundred years ago in Western Europe: the piano and the guitar, and it is apparent that this inclination has acutely influenced the developing interest in art music in Malaysia and Indonesia.

While the guitar tends to be a mostly self-taught instrument, it is almost expected for middle- and upper-class parents in many Malaysian and Indonesian towns to enroll their children in piano lessons. These students, like their counterparts around the world, often begin with American method books and then continue on by studying the masters. Because of this, the assumption that art music is only produced by Western composers is prevalent: many remain unaware that regional composers write serious, playable music that is artistic, and may in some cases be more relatable-more of a reflection of their own milieu. There also still exists a mindset of not truly "making it" until one makes it abroad, and this remains a detriment to the growth and progress of the local composer. That said, the nationalistic element should also be cast as positive: playing good and respected music by composers who seem more "real" and relatable to students of both countries would (presumably) serve as motivation for better practicing and performing habits and inspire better musicianship overall.

Background

[excerpt]...... While East Asian countries such as Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and China are thriving on art music - "Asia's rising musical sophistication," as one TIME critic calls it - more recently formed Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia still tend to go on the defensive when labeled "developing" or, worse, "third world." Nevertheless, recent media trends indicate that the art communities and, to some degree, the government in both countries, are increasing support for local art musicians in their quest for recognition and respect from an elitist global music society. ......[end of excerpt]

Purpose

The main purpose of this document is to provide an introduction to contemporary solo piano works of the region, and to bring together a diverse and exceptional collection of works by both Malaysian and Indonesian composers. It gives evidence for the growing quality of the compositions by means of annotation and discussion of a selected few. Accurate and updated biographies of the composers for the selected pieces represent an important part of the document. The study especially seeks to promote pieces that are published or have been given a significant premiere performance, and that are easily available for purchase from the publishers or the composer. Since published piano music by local composers in both countries is still relatively rare, a chief goal is to introduce these pieces and their composers to performers, students, and teachers in Malaysia and Indonesia as well as abroad, with the hope that due appreciation and recognition be given to composers of both countries, and with the anticipation that this new music be played, performed, and exposed to pupils of the instrument.

An auxiliary reason for the study is the author's personal hereditary connection with the two countries, along with an honest curiosity to discover current compositional trends and serious piano music that is, or can be, currently available to performers and students.

Need for the Study

The lack of collective or published material on Southeast Asian composers and piano literature in general establishes a basic need for this study. No formal study has attempted a compilation or analysis of solo piano works by Malaysian or Indonesian composers.

CHAPTER II
Related Literature - Piano Literature in Malaysia, Indonesia, and in Other Countries

Southeast Asia Art Music Sources

In most articles about Western art music in Southeast Asia, the discussion of serious classical music is presented in a way that seems almost overwhelmed by the diverse culture that surrounds it. Many modern composers seem to wrestle with the specifics of blending influences learned overseas and those learned at home: As a cultural expressive form, music composition in Asia has been practiced as a means of striving for national identity ever since it was imported from the West . . . . The Asian composer feels a strong responsibility to transmit and enhance the collective national heritage through his or her creation.....[end of excerpt]

In the above sections Siagian discusses the growth of classical music in Malaysia and Indonesia, and the challenges that it faces in light of more popular Western musical influences and the lack of infrastructure such as highly-trained performing groups in the region and high-level centres of music education to support a vibrant new music scene. She also touches on issues of what constitutes art music especially in Indonesia, which has a strong gamelan tradition, contrasting it with its northern neighbours Singapore and Malaysia, in which music itself has had more of a propaganda value than purely artistic.

She also skirts past our brief music history circa 1950s and 60s with the music of RTM's orchestra, which like it or not does constitute a part of our legacy that perhaps should be formally studied at some point. A critical look at the ABRSM system in Malaysia, revealing a staggering statistic that should read healthily for our music scene but alas, gives plenty of food for thought.

Her introductory chapters end with a discussion of musicians living abroad: "The lack of music conservatories in Malaysia .... may explain in part the reason for the explosion of students leaving the country towards the latter part of the twentieth century to further their studies and careers overseas," writes Siagian.

The study proper begins with four Malaysian composers and a selected piano work:

• Metamorphosis III by Chong Kee Yong
• Two Preludes by Ng Chong Lim
• Torrent of Images by Tazul Izan Tajuddin
• A Child’s Garden of Verses and Through the Windowpane by Tan Chee-Hwa

Continued Next Fortnight: Part II - the music of Tajuddin, Ng and Tan

1 Feb 2008