Regional Pride in Music Composition Evoking Gamelan Sounds in Puteri Gunung Ledang

Abstract

Regionalism is a demarcation of a definite area in terms of its topographical, economic, social relationships, government, and organisation. Inevitably, the concept of regionalism also extends into cultural and artistic phenomena, which includes music and music composition. By the 20^th century up until now when global travel and communication is easy, does regionalism in music still exist? There is a misconception that regionalism is thought to have declined by globalisation when in fact, as a reaction, regional identity becomes stronger due to enhanced regional pride. In this article, I discuss the constructive and valuable importance of the emergence of regional pride in contemporary classical music compositions, and justify my approach through a composition for solo piano, Puteri Gunung Ledang, which includes active references towards gamelan musical nuances juxtaposed with Western compositional styles, thus demonstrating two contrasting regional musical influences colliding and collaborating into a single work of art, including an analysis of how my composition corresponds and supports the broader artistic phenomenon.