Musical narratives in piano solo works by Malaysian Chinese contemporary composers (2000-present)

This research conducts analysis on selected piano solo works composed by Malaysian Chinese contemporary composers to display the musical narratives of the works through interpretation. The formation of musical narrative is a diachronic and temporal process where the meaning and interpretation change according to life experiences and social dynamics. Musical narrative refers to the interpretation and understanding of the meaning of the works. The study aims to share applicable theories and potential schemes of analysis, to enable multi-angle interpretative analysis to be done to reach out to wider audience. Specifically, this study examines the musical narrative of selected piano works and data compiled from interviews and written texts obtained through composers and performers. Main methods employed were textual analysis, music scores analysis, and interpretation as a hermeneutic approach recommended by the concept of musical narrativity suggested by John Rink, which includes views from that of a composer, as well as creativity and ideas from a performer. Through this research design, the musical structure of the compositions, the composers’ intent, as well as the interpretation of the performances will be investigated. Semi-structured interview was conducted on the Malaysian pianists who had performed the selected works publicly. The pianist is required to recall the process of learning the piece and how that affects his/ her interpretation towards the work. Interview and other written texts were interpreted hermeneutically and compared intertextually to identify the emergent musical narratives. Results of the study disclose that the interpretation of the performers might come to a convergent or contrast with the composers’ intent. Analysis of musical narratives from these two different perspectives opens more possibilities to analyze music from a more holistic manner. Any analysis or interpretation should not be based on a single viewpoint but should integrate and consider the perspectives from multiple positions, in contemplation of displaying the meaning of the music from the perspective of the composer and the performer. This research contributes to the cultural and educational development of the Malaysian music industry. By evaluating and analyzing contemporary Malaysian compositions, it enhances the understanding and appreciation of local musical heritage. Further studies could be conducted on Malaysian compositions from time to time by using said method to accomplish a more comprehensive record on the development of Malaysian contemporary works.

Text FEM 2024 24 - Full Text.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (3MB) Text FEM 2024 24.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (4MB)

Actions (login required)

View Item