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Making an identity : a study of three compositional strategies in the music of Tan Dun
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Type
Thesis
Author
Gooi, Tah Choe
Supervisor
Howard, John
Dairianathan, Eugene
Abstract
This thesis is a study of three compositional strategies in Tan Dun's music through detailed analyses of selected works by the composer. The aim of this study is to explain how Tan creates and affirms an identity for himself through the act of composing and performing his own works. The researcher argues that this creation is the central motif in some of Tan's most important works, and the compositional strategies used in these works are where the traces of this creativity lie. Thus, this study opens up a new perspective from which Tan's music can be interpreted with regard to the formation of his identity -- one which is already (and readily) a discursive construct in the media due to his fame. The main interest in this thesis, however, is not to set strict definitions and subsequently, to finalise a conclusion on the nature of Tan identity. On the contrary, it highlights, first, the symptoms, and secondly, the strategies and processes of identity making in his music. Mikhail Bakhtin's concepts of authorship and authorial position as well as Stuart Hall's definition of "identity" are used as the underlining foundation of this thesis.
The first chapter of this thesis introduces Tan's biography. The name "Tan Dun" is, in the first place, a discursive formation. Parallel to this formation is Tan's participatory act of investing and adding to this formation through his compositional strategies. Hall's and Bakhtin's concepts mentioned above are discussed in detail.
The second chapter is a study of Tan's Vocal Calligraphy. With the analysis of On Taoism, this chapter explains how Tan uses the vocal technique not only as a personal style but also as a strategic means of positioning, where the vocalist is put in an authoritative position in relation to the orchestra and the performance space.
In the third chapter, the researcher explains a special compositional strategy which Tan refers to as the "Mosaic". This strategy concerns the fusion or merger of two or more musical derivatives into a single unity. Tan has discussed this method on both cultural and multicultural levels. Yet, through a thorough analysis of Tan's string quartet, Ghost Opera, the research exposes a more substantial aim at self-validation that lies in the treatment and fusion of different musical ideas.
In the fourth chapter, Tan's merger of the orchestra and theatrical genres is studied with reference to his Orchestral Theatres. With a detailed analysis of Orchestral Theatre III : Red Forecast, the research uncovers a strategic aim of self-authoring and authorisation concealed under the guise of historical and cultural themes.
Chapter five offers a dialogue between the researcher and Tan Dun before the thesis is concluded in chapter six.
The first chapter of this thesis introduces Tan's biography. The name "Tan Dun" is, in the first place, a discursive formation. Parallel to this formation is Tan's participatory act of investing and adding to this formation through his compositional strategies. Hall's and Bakhtin's concepts mentioned above are discussed in detail.
The second chapter is a study of Tan's Vocal Calligraphy. With the analysis of On Taoism, this chapter explains how Tan uses the vocal technique not only as a personal style but also as a strategic means of positioning, where the vocalist is put in an authoritative position in relation to the orchestra and the performance space.
In the third chapter, the researcher explains a special compositional strategy which Tan refers to as the "Mosaic". This strategy concerns the fusion or merger of two or more musical derivatives into a single unity. Tan has discussed this method on both cultural and multicultural levels. Yet, through a thorough analysis of Tan's string quartet, Ghost Opera, the research exposes a more substantial aim at self-validation that lies in the treatment and fusion of different musical ideas.
In the fourth chapter, Tan's merger of the orchestra and theatrical genres is studied with reference to his Orchestral Theatres. With a detailed analysis of Orchestral Theatre III : Red Forecast, the research uncovers a strategic aim of self-authoring and authorisation concealed under the guise of historical and cultural themes.
Chapter five offers a dialogue between the researcher and Tan Dun before the thesis is concluded in chapter six.
Date Issued
2001
Call Number
ML410.T136 Goo
Date Submitted
2001