UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

ART MUSIC COMPOSITION IN MALAYSIA: A FOCUS ON THREE COMPOSERS

LAM MINGHUEY

FEM 2000 7

ART MUSIC COMPOSITION IN MALAYSIA: A FOCUS ON THREE COMPOSERS

LAM MINGHUEY

MASTER OF SCIENCE

UNIVERSITI PUTRA MALAYSIA

2000

ART MUSIC COMPOSITION IN MALAYSIA: A FOCUS ON THREE COMPOSERS

By

LAM MING HUEY

Thesis Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Faculty of Human Ecology

University Putra Malaysia

March 2000

Abstract of thesis presented to the Senate ofUniversiti Putra Malaysia in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science.

ART MUSIC COMPOSITION IN MALAYSIA: A FOCUS ON THREE COMPOSERS

By

LAM MING HUEY

Chairman: Ms. Audrey Kan

Faculty: Human Ecology

March 2000

Most researches conducted on Malaysian music thus far concentrates on the

area of history and development of traditional music and popular music. There has

been a lack of research in art music composed by Malaysian composers trained in the

Western art music tradition. The objective of this research is to present the

contribution of three Malaysian art music composers and the role they play in the

formation of a Malaysian identity in the world of art music composition.

This research systematically documents the work of three Malaysian

composers, namely, Minni Ang, Chan Cheong Jan and Valerie Ross. These

composers were chosen to represent different styles of art music composition in

Malaysia. The musical backgrounds of the composers are studied in order to

understand the processes that led them to art music composition. A few compositions

that reflect their compositional styles are chosen and analysed.

ii

The research methodology used in this work begins with the collection of

data and information on the background of the composers and their compositions. A

few analysis methods are used to analyse the compositions. These include chord

analysis, formal analysis, and twelve-tone analysis.

The result of this research indicates that the three composers presented in this

thesis compose in different styles. Ang uses various composition styles in different

works. Chan quotes Malay folk tunes or Malay dance rhythms in his music and

presents them in Western classical style. Ross prefers to include traditional

instruments in her compositions and composes in cross-cultural fusion style.

Although the composition styles of these three composers are different, their aims to

assert their own identities in the world of art music composition are similar. As

indicated by the three different compositional styles of the above composers, it is

assumed that there is yet no common direction or trend that exists in the field of art

music composition in Malaysia. As a result, it is still hard to define what stage the

development of art music composition in Malaysia is at, today. With the

establishment of tertiary programs in music and support from government and

private sector, more Malaysian art music is projected to be composed in future,

leading to a trend that should slowly emerge in the field of Malaysian art music

composition.

iii

Abstrak teslS yang dikemukakan kepada Senat Umversitl Putra MalaysIa sebagal memenuhl keperluan untuk IJazah Master Sams

KOMPOSISI MUZIK SENI DI MALAYSIA: FOKUS KEP ADA TIGA ORANG KOMPOSER

Oleh

LAM MING HUEY

Mac 2000

Pengerus: Cik Audrey Kan

Fakulti: Ekologi Manusia

Kebanyakan penyehdikan yang dlJalankan mengenal muzIk dl MalaysIa

tertumpu pada seJarah dan perkembangan muzIk tradItIOnal dan muzIk popular

Didapati masih kekurangan penyehdikan dalam muzIk yang digubahkan oleh

komposer yang dllatlh dalam tradisl muzIk sem barat TUJuan penyehdikan mi adalah

untuk mengemukakan sumbagan komposer muzIk sem dan peranan mereka dalam

pembentukan Identltl MalaysIa dalam bidang muzIk sem

Penyehdikan mi mehputl secara slstematIk, dokumentasl mengenal tlga orang

komposer, laltu Mmm Ang, Chan Cheong Jan dan Valene Ross, dan komposlsl

mereka Komposer ml telah dlPlhh untuk melambangkan gaya komposlsl berlaman

yang terdapat dl MalaysIa Latar belakang muzlkal mereka telah dlkaJI untuk

memahaml proses yang telah mendorong komposer ml ke arah komposisl muzlk

sem Beberapa komposisl mereka yang menbayangkan gaya komposisl speslfik

setlap mdlvldu telah dIPIhh dan dlanaIlSls

IV

Metodologl penyehdlkan yang dlgunakan dalam teslS ml termasuk

pengumpulan data dan maklumat mengenal latar belakang komposer dan komposisl

mereka Beberapa kaedah anahSIS telah dlgunakan untuk menanalisls komposlsl

dlatas 1m termasuk anahsis kord, anallSlsformal dan anallSls dua-belas nada

KeSlmpulan yang dicapal menunJuk bahawa ketlga orang komposer yang

dIkaJI dalam penyehdJkan ml mencipta dalam gaya yang berlaman Ang

menggunakan pelbagal gaya penclPtaan dalam komposlSl behau Chan menggunakan

muzlk rakyat Melayu atau rentak tarIan Melayu dalam komposlSl behau Ross

menggunakan alat-alat muzIk tradlSl dalam komposisl behau Walaupun gaya

komposisl ketiga orang komposer ml adalah berlaman, tUJuan komposlSl mereka

adalah sarna laltu menunJukkan ldentltl mereka dalam duma komposlSl muzlk sem

Dan tlga gaya komposlSl berlaman yang dlgunakan oleh komposer dlatas, boleh

dlkatakan pada masa kml muzlk sem dl Malaysia maslh tldak menunJukan sate arah

ahran yang Jelas Oleh demlklan, tahap perkembangan muzlk sem dl MalaYSIa maslh

sukar dltentul Dengan pewuJudan program pengaJIan tmngl dalam bldang muzlk

dalam umversltl dan sokongan dan keraJaan dan pnvate sektor, leblh banyak muzlk

sem akan dlClpta dlkalangan pemuzlk MalaysIa Saya yakm bahawa satu arah ahran

yang Jelas akan wuJud dalam bldang muzlk sem dl Malaysia

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would lIke to express my thanks to my supervIsors, Ms Audrey Kan, Ms

Llew Al Lm and Ms Martha Lee for theIr patIence, constructIve comments,

mvaluable gUIdance and adVIce throughout the course of wntmg thIS theSIS I would

lIke to thank Dr Mmm Ang, Mr Chan Cheong Jan and Madam Valene Ross for

kmdly lettmg me study theIr composItIOns and provIdmg me the relevant matenals I

WIsh to thank my famIly, for theIr support and encouragement m completmg thIS

research A speCIal thanks to my husband, Ow Yong Che Hong for hIS support,

understandmg and help throughout the course of prepanng thIS theSIS I would also

lIke to take thIS opportumty to thank Dr Mmm Ang and Lee HoO! Theng for helpmg

me WIth mUSIC notatIOn software, Mdm Leong Ngan Pmg for helpmg me m

checkmg my essay wntmg, and Ms Llew Al Lm who supported me WIth her prayers

and contmuous encouragement AppreCIatIOn also goes to Chnstma TIO, Ow Y ong

Fey Neo and Hong Huel Long for sendmg me readmg matenals from the UK and

USA Fmally, I WIsh to thank all those who have helped m one way or another m

makmg thIS research successful

VI

I certify that an Examination Committee met on 6 March, 2000 to conduct the final examination of Lam Ming Huey on his Master of Science thesis entitled " Art Music Composition In Malaysia: A Focus on Three Composers" in accordance with Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (Higher Degree) Act 1980 and Universiti Pertanian Malaysia (Higher Degree) Regulations 198 1 . The Committee recommends that the candidate be awarded the relevant degree. Members of the Examination Committee are as follows:

ZAHID BIN EMBY, PhD.

Head Department of Faculty of Human Ecology Universiti Putra Malaysia (Chairman)

AUDREYKAN

Faculty of Human Ecology Universiti Putra Malaysia (Member)

MARTHA LEE JIN AI

Faculty of Human Ecology Universiti Putra Malaysia (Member)

LIEW AlLIN

Faculty of Human Ecology Universiti Putra Malaysia (Member)

.GHAZALI MOHAYIDIN, Ph.D.

ProfessorlDeputy Dean of Graduate School Universiti Putra Malaysia

Date: 1 8 A P tt :000 vii

This thesis was submitted to the Senate of Universiti Putra Malaysia and was accepted as fulfilment of the requirements for degree of Master of Science.

viii

KAMIS AWANG. Ph.D. Associate Professor

Dean of Graduate School, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

Date: "t-\ � � 200n

DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the thesIS IS based on my ongmal work except for quotatlOns and cltatlOns, whIch have been duly acknowledged I also declare that It has not been prevlOusly or concurrently submItted for any other degree at UPM or other lllstltutlons

lX

�. (LAM MING HUEY)

Date (c - It - woO

TABLE OF CONTENT

ABSTRACT ABSTRAK ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS APPROVAL SHEETS DECLARATION FORM LIST OF TABLES LIST OF FIGURES

CHAPTER

I

II

ill

IV

INTRODUCTION SIgmficance of Study DefimtIOns and LImItatIOn Problem Statement ObjectIves DeSIgn of Study OrgamzatIOn of ThesIs

LITERATURE REVIEW Role of MUSIC m the FormatIOn of NatIOnal Culture Development of MUSIC StudIes Development of Art MUSIC CompOSItIon

METHODOLOGY Data Sources AnalysIs Method

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Mmm Ang KIm Hual

The War To End All Wars Overture Mmlature No 1 Irama Gamelan Kyal PranaJa

Chan Cheong Jan Mubarak Joget Sonata SUIte Melayu (II) Ash Rhythm SUIte Melayu (ill) Joget Sonata

ValerIe Ross Borne Tathagata

x

Page

11 IV VI

VU IX

XU Xlll

1 6 8

1 0 1 1 1 1 1 2

1 4 1 8 21

28 30

33

37 41 45 48 52 55 60 63 67 71 83

v

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDICES

VITA

A B C D E F G H I J K L

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 00 Suggestions for Further Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 03

Art Music Composer Survey Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Composer Study Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Composition Study Guideline Questions The War to End All War Overture . . . . . . . . . . . .

Miniature No. 1 for Piano Solo '" . . . . . . . . . . . .

Irama Gamelan Kyai Pranaja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 8 Mubarak Joget Sonata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Suite Melayu (II) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Suite Melayu (III) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Borne . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Tathagata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

xi

1 04

1 07 1 08 1 1 2 1 1 3 1 26

1 3 0 1 3 6 1 52 1 5 5 1 64 1 69

1 84

LIST OF TABLES

Table Page

l .Minni Ang Composition Output ......... ...... .. . ....... ,. ... ... ... ... 36 2.Chan Cheong Jan Composition Output ... ... . .. ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 51

3. Valerie Ross Composition Output 69

xii

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 General Structure of The War to End All Wars Overture

2 The Theme ill The War to End All Wars Overture

3 General Structure of M illiature No 1

4 General Structure ofIrama Gamelan Kyal Pranaja

5 General Structure ofM ubarak

6 Theme and vanatlOn ill M ubarak

7 General Structure of Joget Sonata

8 Theme ill Joget Sonata

9 Bar 85-86 of Joget Sonata

lOBar 92-93 of Joget Sonata

1 1 Bar 1 65- 166 ofJoget Sonata

1 2 General Structure of SUlte M elayu (IT) 1 3 Theme ill SUlte M elayu (II)

1 4 Bar 50 ofSUlte M elayu (II)

15 General Structure of SUlte M elayu (III)

16 Theme of SUlte Melayu (III) 1 7 Bar 5 of SUlte M elayu (III)

18 Bar 43 of SUlte M elayu (III)

1 9 Bar 215 of SUlte M elatu (III)

Xlll

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40

44

47

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58

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59

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65

66

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

MalaYSIa IS rapIdly movmg towards becommg a developed country, m ime

wIth the country's VISIOn 2020 MalaysIa has enjoyed pobtIcal, economIC and

SOCIal StabIlIty, despIte the recent slowdown The country stIll remams relatIvely

stable, eVIdenced by the mcrease m mcome per capIta, the suffiCIency of goods and

servIces the country prOVIdes, and most Importantly, the peace and harmony among

all the races that lIve m the country

Although recently MalaYSIa has expenenced economIC turmOIl, MalaYSIa IS

lookmg upon the finanCIal and stock mdrket cnSIS as an opportUnIty to Improve

finanCIal management (NST, March 1 9, 1 998) WIth many new economIC strategIes

Implemented by the MalaysIan government, It IS belIeved that MalaYSia WIll

pOSSIbly become one of the first countrIes m the regIOn to recover from the turmoIl

At the same time, the area of the arts and mUSIC are flounshmg, WIth the

apprecIatIOn of arts and mUSIC becommg an Important part of lIfe The government

has taken steps to Improve the standard of mUSIC educatIOn and performance m the

country In the area of mUSIC educatIOn, the MInIStry of EducatIOn has been

conductmg a pIlot mUSIC project mvolvmg twenty secondary schools m the country

2

smce December 1 995 The aim of this project is to develop students who are

creative, able to appreciate the beauty of mUSiC, and are sensitive towards the artistiC

values of their own culture The curnculum mcludes Malaysian music, contemporary

mUSIC, tradltional mUSlC, and mUSIC from other cultures as well If thIS project

receives a positive response from students, parents, and participatmg schools, then

mUSiC Will be mcluded m the secondary schools' curnculum m the year 2000

(Mesyuarat Jawatankuasa Perancangan Pendldlkan Yang Ke 127)

At the tertiary level, five local umversities, UmverSit1 Putra Malaysia (UPM),

Umversit1 Sams Malaysia (USM), Umversiti Malaysia Sarawak (Ummas), Umversiti

Perguruan Sultan Idns (UPSI) and Umversiti Malaya (UM) are offenng vanous

tertiary mUSic programs such as mUSiC educatlOn, mUSic technology, mUSiC

performance, and ethnomuslcology In addItion to the government's effort, a number

of pnvate mUSIC mstitutlOns have been set Up m recent years also These mStitutlOns

offer twmnmg programs [MalaysIan colleges m partnership wIth foreIgn

UmversIties, whereby part or all of the degree programs is done m MalaYSIa] m

musIc, which create more opportumtIes for students to pursue a tertIary mUSic

educatlOn These mstitutlOns mclude Sedaya College and Yamaha MUSIC

In 1993, the MalaYSian MmIstry of Culture and Tounsm set Up the Orkestra

Slm/om Kebangsaan [The NatlOnal Symphony Orchestra] under the baton of Mr

Takahisa Ota Smce then, they have performed regularly at the Panggung

Ekspenmen, Kompleks Sem Kebangsaan [Expenmental Theatre NatlOnal Art

Complex] From 15th September 1999, WIth the offiCIal openmg of Istana Budaya,

3

Orkestra Slmfom Kebangsaan as part of Panggung Negara wIll transfer thelf

concerts to these newly bmlt premIses The pnvate sector IS also movmg mto

sponsonng the arts movement Petronas [petroleum NatIOnal Berhad] has set up the

MalaysIan Philharmolllc Orchestra which IS based m the new Dewan Fzlharmomk

Petronas, located m the heart of Kuala Lumpur The Malaysian PhIlharmolllc

Orchestra, WIth Mr Kees Bakels as the mUSIC director and MISS Chean See 001 as

the reSident conductor, IS the first fully professIOnal orchestra to be set up m

MalaysIa Smce Its formatIOn, they have performed a senes of concerts, which have

receIved excellent response from the publIc Many mternatIOnal artIsts and mUSICianS

are mVIted to perform m Malaysia at the Dewan Fllharmomk Petronas Aside from

art mUSIC, the hall also caters for drama and traditIonal mUSIC performances These

developments pomt towards a progreSSIOn of art mUSIC, addmg to a traditIOn that IS

already nch m culture, art, mUSIC and theatre As stated by Dato' Sen Dr Sitl

Hasmah at the launchmg ceremony of the Petronas concert hall, the formatIOn of the

MalaysIan PhIlharmolllc Orchestra and the establIshment of the Dewan Fzlharmomk

Petronas will serve as a catalyst to further ennch the development of the fine arts

and culture of our multI-raCIal SOCIety

AlongSIde the development of mUSIC m MalaYSia, research has been

conducted on MalaYSian mUSIC Much of thIS research concentrates on the hIstory

and development of tradItIOnal mUSIC and popular mUSIC There has been a lack of

research mto the area of art mUSIC [notatIOnally transmItted mUSIC composed by

speCIfic mdividuals as an expreSSIOn of thelf artIstIC creatIVIty] composed by

MalaYSian composers tramed m the Western art mUSIC tradItIOn Such composers

4

mclude Razak AzIZ, Mmm Ang, Chan Cheong Jan, Raymond Kong, Martha Lee,

Fauzi MusIb, Valene Ross, Johan Salleh, Tan Su LIan, John Yong, and others

Some of these composers have developed theIr own dIstmcllve style by

mfusmg vanous Malay, IndIan and Chmese traditlonal mUSIC elements m theIr

composItIOn These elements mc1ude motIves, rhythms, and the utIlIsatIOn of

tradItIOnal mstruments m then compOSItIOns Several of these composers have been

able to establIsh themselves m countnes other than MalaysIa by wmnmg

mternatlOnal compositlOn competItIOns or havmg then works performed abroad The

most notable of these IS Valene Ro ss, who has succeeded m makmg a name for

herself through the pubhcatIOn and performance of her work m the West (Ang,

1 997) These composers are begmnmg to make a mark m the world of art mUSIC

compOSitIon

Smce publIshed works on art mUSIC composers were qUIte lImIted, a

questIOnnaIre (Appendix A) was deSigned and sent to vanous Malaysian art mUSIC

composers through electromc mall and regular mall Those who have receIved the

questIOnalfe mclude A W Nlzam, Saldah Rastam, Raymond Kong, John Yong, FauZl

Muslb, Martha Lee, Razak AzIZ, and others Not all the composers responded to the

questIOnnaire The results of the questIOnnaIre are presented m Chapter IT ThIS

research focuses on the study of three MalaYSian art mUSIC composers and theIr

compOSItIOns

5

The three composers who were selected from these composers mclude Mmm

Ang KIm HuaI, Chan Cheong Jan, and Valene Ross These composers were selected

for theu uruque style of compos ItlOn, as well as theIr accessIbIlIty As mentlOned by

Chopyak m hIs artIcle 'The Role of MUSIC m Mass MedIa, PublIc EducatlOn and the

FormatlOn of a Malaysian NatlOnal Culture', MalaysIan art mUSIC composers employ

a number of techmques to compose art mUSIC that may be perceIved as MalaysIan

The three selected composers, Mmru Ang KIm HuaI, Chan Cheong Jan, and Valene

Ross, all utIlIse m theu compositlOns, some of the techmques stated m Chopyak's

artIcle, such as, the use of vanous mUSIcal elements from traditlOnal mUSIC of

dIfferent ethruc groups, the use of traditlOnal folk mUSIC rhythms, and the

combmatlOn of traditlonal and Western orchestral mstruments

AcceSSIbIlIty means that the composers above have consented to havmg

their works studied Due to the fact that copynght protectlOn for compOSitIonal

works m MalaysIa IS not well enforced, many composers refused to allow theIr

scores to be studIed ThIS IS eVIdenced m the results of the questlOnnaires sent out to

the composers Only four composers returned the questlOnnaues answered

Furthermore, the compOSItIons ofMmm Ang and Chan Cheong Jan were performed

at publIc concerts, whIch I was able to attend, whIle most of the performances of

Valene Ross's compOSItIOns are avaIlable on tapes

The mUSIcal background of the three composers mentlOned above IS studIed

m order to examme the effect of theIr mUSIcal trammg on theIr mUSIC compOSItIOn

output By thIS It means the effect of theu mUSIcal trammg on theu notatIon and theu

6

abilIty to VOice thelf mner thoughts that are culturally mfluenced by their Malaysian

background A number of the compositlOns that reflect the compositlOn styles of

each of these composers were chosen and analysed The reason for choosmg these

pieces Will be discussed later

Significance of Study

Art mUSiC has long been appreciated m the Western world In MalaysIa,

however, art mUSIC IS new, needs to be encouraged and preserved m order for the

high culture of the country to be further developed UntIl now, lIttle has been wntten

on the development of art mUSiC m Malaysia (Ang, 1 997)

Although most MalaYSIan art mUSiC composers go through a Western based

trammg, the preferred compositlOnal style each chooses to explore is very often

different Further more, these composers work mdependently of each other Their

contnbutlOn to the development of Malaysian art mUSIC is essential because these

composers are the plOneers m the field of art mUSIC compositlOn m Malaysia They

are part of an evolvmg process towards establIshmg a umquely distmgUlshable

mUSical style, whIch mtegrates the mstrumentatlOn, themes and rhythms of the local

cultures, such Malay, Chmese, Indian or Ash, mto the Western art mUSiC culture m

which they have been tramed ThIs evolutlOn is SImIlar to the pathway m whIch

many well-known composers m the world of Western art mUSIC have expenenced,

for example, Charles Ives of the Umted States, a country WIth a multlfacial

background lIke Malaysia

7

Dunng the years m whIch Ives started to compose, he was Isolated from the

rest of the mUSIC world and was relatIvely unknown, WIth none of hIS major works

publIcly performed And yet It was probably due to thIS IsolatIOn that Ives developed

a dIstmct style, largely free from the mfluence of other composers He combmed

quotatIOns of gospel, ragtIme and popular mUSIC WIth complex symphonIc and

chamber mUSIC fonns m hIS compOSItIOns After 1921, Ives began to make hIS

compOSItIOns known to the publIc HIS compOSItions managed to attract attentIOn

among some of the young Amencan composers However, he still receIved many

negatIve comments, and some thought hIS compOSItIOns were ImItatIOns and not

worthy of study It was dunng the 1960s that Ives compOSItional technIque began to

be recognIsed, and he was later claImed to be the first and foremost Amencan

composer throughout the world (Morgan, 1991)

Keepmg m mmd the state of tranSItIOn that thIS well-known composer

underwent, It IS clear that MalaYSIan composers are now gomg through SImIlar

transitlOns Most compositlOns by MalaYSIan composers are unpublIshed, and most

remam unperfonned Therefore, It IS necessary for researchers to serve as archIvIsts,

as well as researchers, to collect and study MalaYSIan composers' works, and to

present these works to the publIc One day, the compOSItIOns of these MalaYSIan

composers may be recognIsed as sIgnIficant, makmg thIS research an Important

reference m the field of art mUSIC

There are three ways m WhICh thIS research IS sIgnIficant FIrst of all, the

study bnngs forth MalaYSIan art mUSIC composers and theIr compOSItIons to the

8

knowledge of the publIc Secondly, Malaysian art mUSIC, whIch mcorporates varIOUS

elements of tradIuonal MalaysIan mUSIC and Western styles of composItIOn, WIll

ennch the eXIstmg school mUSIC cUITlculum And finally, by documentmg the works

of these composers, the study wIll Illummate the development of the great tradItIOn

m MalaYSIan mUSIC

Systematic documentatIOn of these composItIOns and performances wIll

mcrease awareness of art mUSIC compoSItion acuvitIes, both locally and

mternatIOnally ThIS research also further contnbutes to the study and appreCiatIOn of

mUSIC at all levels Other than studymg mUSIC composed by foreIgn composers,

MalaYSIans can now use Malaysian art mUSIC composItIOns as educatIOnal matenal,

both m schools and UnIVersIties Most Importantly, thIS research further affirms and

defines the need to constrJct a MalaySIan natIOnally IdentIfiable musIc, wh1ch

reflects the culture, as well as the progressIOn towards hIgh culture

Definitions and Limitations

Art mUSIC 1S defined as mUS1C created, composed and wntten before It IS

performed It can also be defined as notatIOnally transm1tted mUSIC composed by

speCIfic mdividuais as an expreSSIOn of theIr artIstic creatIV1ty (Ang, 1 997) The

pomt that has to be emphasIsed here IS that art mus1c IS notatIOnally transm1tted,

therefore It may be reproduced upon demand Th1s IS the most dIstmct dIfference

between art mUSIC and traditIOnal mus1c, or folk mUSIC, wh1ch 1S transmItted orally

9

MalaysIan composers are defined as people born In MalaysIa, and actIve In

compOSIng

It IS beyond the extent of thIS research to IdentIfy all MalaysIan art mUSIC

composers, or even all-promInent MalaYSIan art mUSIC composers It IS also beyond

the extent of thIS work to conduct an analYSIS of all the works of the composers

presented

The three composers presented In thIS study have been chosen to represent

dIfferent styles of art mUSIC compOSItIOn In MalaYSIa MInlll Ang and Chan Cheong

Jan were selected maInly for then accessIbIlIty, and then works have been

performed, publIshed or recorded commercIally or non- commercIally Valene Ross

was chosen as one of the few MalaYSian composers who IS established In the world

of compOSItIOn at an InternatIOnal level, wIth a ulllquely dlstInctive style of

compOSItIOn Selected works that represent the compOSItIonal style of each of these

three composers have been analysed

HIndrances encountered when conductIng the research are dIscussed further

Fnst of all, MalaYSIan art mUSIC composers do not belong to any kInd of NatIOnal

aSSOCIatIOn so that they can be assessed as a group or as IndIVIduals easIly Any

contact has to be through electrolllc mall or personal IntervIews Secondly, there IS a

lack of publIshed compOSItIOns by MalaYSIan art mUSIC composers, WIth many works

not yet WIdely performed In publIc Although MalaYSIa now has a number of

orchestras that perform regularly, the mUSIC performed IS mostly standard repertone

10

by established Western composers, or Malay or Indonesian popular songs that have

been arranged for orchestra. Thirdly, the art music composer survey form sent to

various composers did not receive a good enough response. This made the

compilation of data regarding local composers difficult. I have however produced a

list of Malaysian composers along with some information on the respective

composers, as well as the title of some of their representative works . These can be

found in Chapter Two, under the subtitle 'Development of Art Music Composition' .

Problem Statement

Alongside the improvement of music education and art music performances

m Malaysia, there has been a significant increase in the activity of art music

composition.

No concentrated effort has been made to catalogue or study the works of

Malaysian art music composers as a whole. Most of the research that has been done

so far concentrates on the development of traditional Malaysian music and popular

music. Much research still has to be conducted in order to identify the significance of

these composers contributions towards art composition in Malaysia . . Many more

performances and publications of new music by Malaysian art music composers

must be made available in order for art music composition to flourish in Malaysia.

There is also a lack of published compositIOns by Malaysian composers. This is

partly due to the lack of music publishing houses in Malaysia.