|
 In
a continuing 4-part series we bring you excerpts from Sabah-born
scholar Charmaine Blythe Siagian's dissertation prepared
for her Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Oklahoma.
For her research Siagian has chosen to study 7 Malaysian and
Indonesian composers and their piano music. This part looks
at her survey of Malaysian composer and Ng Chong Lim.
< back to part 1
In Chapter III of her dissertation,
Charmaine B Siagian begins her survey of four Malaysian composers
of varying styles. The study contains a detailed biography of
each composer and proceeds to examine the chosen work briefly,
with some score excerpts as illustration. As the scope of Siagian's
work is already quite broad, the study of the scores is understandably
limited to offering an introduction and a taste of the music,
rather than a detailed musical analysis.
Some of the biographic information
has been drawn from various published interviews which readers
may already have access to on the internet, others come from
private emails with the composers and yields new and intereseting
details. The structure of this chapter highly suggests that
a full, comprehensive study of these composers works should
be undertaken, and perhaps published into a book that could
encompass greater scope and detail as well as deeper musical
analyses.
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
CHAPTER III
Selected Solo Piano Works from Contemporary Malaysian Composers
Ng Chong Lim
Two Preludes (1999)
Pianist and composer Ng Chong Lim currently lives and works
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Born in 1972, Ng began playing the
piano at age four. Although neither of his parents were serious
musicians, his father loved music and Ng grew up listening to
"jazz, Latin, and a lot of oldies." He composed actively
in his teenage years, representing Malaysia twice (1986 and
1988) at the International Junior Original Concerts held in
Japan. In 1993 Ng won first prize at the Malaysian National
Piano competition.
He went on to receive piano and composition degrees from the
Royal College of Music in London (1994-97) and the University
of Music and Fine Arts in Graz, Austria (1997). In 1994 he was
a prizewinner at the International Newport (Wales) Piano Competition.
The same year he also received the Philip Crashaw Memorial Prize
for Outstanding Overseas Musician in the Royal Overseas League
Competition held in London.
Ng currently maintains an active schedule as concert pianist,
appearing as both soloist and chamber musician globally, including
in Germany, Spain, Holland, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia.
Solo and duo recitals are planned for 2008 in Singapore, Malaysia,
and Taiwan. He is also a Visiting Lecturer in Piano at both
the University of Malaya in Malaysia and at the Nanyang Academy
of Fine Arts in Singapore, commuting regularly between the two
countries. ....
... Ng credits many of the German masters as his inspirations-Bach,
Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert-but also Ligeti, Boulez, and Kurtag.
He also includes performers like Rubinstein, Lipati, Horowitz
and Gould: "They inspire me with their distinctive personality,
their individuality, and their dedication to music, whether
new or 'conventional'." Ng credits the support of his family
and friends for his successes and is candid in his assessment
of his composing career and compositional style: "I won't
say I have found my own voice or style yet. Each work I compose
feels different in both approach and idea, but I continue to
take risks in search of something close to my heart."
... Ng’s Two Preludes were commissioned by the
National Piano Festival of Malaysia in 2000 to introduce new
music to younger pianists, most of whom "do not tend to
play music written after 1920." Six semi-finalists in the
competition had one month to learn both preludes. Both preludes
are accessible to a college-level performer. The first prelude
is highly dissonant and in a free-flowing style. There are four
main tempi: freely, presto, allegro maestoso, and lento. Ng
weaves the various tempi throughout the short piece. The second
prelude is more diatonic and more accessible harmonically. It
is also lento throughout. It is clearly in the key of A Major,
although various dissonances are still heard. The pianist has
freedom to improvise in the middle section.
Ng writes, "I employ some new techniques and sounds, and
use markings and symbols different from [what's used] traditionally.
There are also mood changes affected by unexpected changes of
tempo, dynamics, and a wide range of colors and textures."
.......[end of excerpt]
>
Part III - the music of Tazul Tajuddin and Tan Chee-Hwa
Related Links:
14 Feb 2008
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