FAITHFUL TO MY LAND A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC WITH A PRIMARY EMPHASIS IN MUSIC THEORY AND COMPOSITION AND A SECONDARY AREA IN CONDUCTING BY WIBOON TRAKULHUN DISSERTATION CO-CHAIRS: DR. ELEANOR TRAWICK DR. KEITH KOTHMAN BALL STATE UNIVERSITY MUNCIE, INDIANA MAY 2011 FAITHFUL TO MY LAND A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE DOCTOR OF ARTS IN MUSIC BY WIBOON TRAKULHUN APPROVED BY: _________________________________ Date _____________________ Dr. Eleanor Trawick Chairperson _________________________________ Date _____________________ Dr. Keith Kothman Co-Chairperson _________________________________ Date _____________________ Dr. Duane Karna Member _________________________________ Date _____________________ Dr. James Helton Member _________________________________ Date _____________________ Dr. Lisa Huffman Member _________________________________ Date _____________________ Dr. Robert Morris Dean of Graduate School Ball State University Muncie, Indiana May 2011 -ii- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to Dr. Eleanor Trawick, my doctoral committee chair and advisor, for her guidance in the preparation of this dissertation and her very generous support in my studies during the past years. It is difficult to fully convey in words the level of gratitude for her enthusiasm and for the countless times she devoted to the severe task of reading this dissertation. Her patience, advice, and encouragement have contributed immeasurably to my composition, dissertation, and education. I would also like to acknowledge and appreciate Dr. Keith Kothman, my doctoral committee co-chair, for his instruction and support of my composition. This piece would not have been accomplished if not for his invaluable suggestions. Special consideration is extended to Dr. Duane Karna, a member of my doctoral committee, who provides me with his emotional support and thoughtfulness in my education in conducting. I would also like to thank Dr. James Helton and Dr. Lisa Huffman, the members of my DA committee, for their generosity and help. Finally, my deepest appreciation and gratitude are also extended to my composition professors, Dr. Jody Nagel and Dr. Vera Stanojevic, for their encouragement and valuable suggestions to improve my composition skill, and every professor in the School of Music for his/her generosity and consistent help to me. -iii- ABSTRACT DISSERTATION: Faithful to My Land STUDENT: Wiboon Trakulhun DEGREE: Doctor of Arts in Music COLLEGE: School of Music, College of Fine Arts DATE: May 2011 PAGES: 127 Faithful to My Land is a composition for orchestra in three continuous movements that reveals my deep admiration for my country, Thailand. This composition expresses my belief in the nation of Thailand, its religion, and its constitutional monarchy. The main materials of each movement refer to source ideas that relate to these three institutions of my country. This composition, which is around fourteen minutes in length, is globally organized within a tonal framework; both diatonic and chromatic notes are employed. The music does not embody traditional common practice but neo-tonality. This composition integrates various musical styles—neoclassicism, nationalism, and minimalism. The first movement refers to the Thai national anthem. This movement mainly grows from a subject, a countersubject, and two main motives. The music of the movement is largely tonal. The main materials are pervasive throughout the movement, and it is thus largely homogeneous, with little thematic contrast. The entire movement continues with a driving rhythm in various alternations. The near-continuous sixteenth notes in the viola and other string parts contribute to this energy and rhythmic drive and reinforce the orchestral color. -iv- The second movement deals with the two religions—Buddhism and Christianity— that are prevalent in Thailand. The music of this movement derives from the three main sources: Miserere mei, Deus by Josquin des Prez, a specially constructed “Buddha motive,” and an anonymous Buddhist prayer. Some compositional techniques derive from the Renaissance period. The movement also employs number symbolism relating to significant numbers in the Buddhist and Christian traditions. The third movement alludes to the constitutional monarchy with high respect. The music of the last movement is based on a twelve-note compositional idea, but it is not truly serial: a twelve-tone row with its developments—retrograde and inversion—occurs in some local areas. The last movement concludes with an epilogue, which derives from the significant materials presented in all three movements. -v- TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION …………………………………………. 1 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF COMPARABLE WORKS …………………. 3 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ……………………………………….... 17 CHAPTER 4: THE FIRST MOVEMENT ………………………………… 23 CHAPTER 5: THE SECOND MOVEMENT ……………………………... 28 CHAPTER 6: THE THIRD MOVEMENT ……………………………….. 34 CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION …………………………………………….. 39 APPENDIX ………………………………………………………………… 41 BIBLIOGRAPHY ………………………………………………………….. 43 FAITHFUL TO MY LAND: TITLE PAGE ……………………………….. 46 INSTRUMENTATION ……………………………………………………. 47 FAITHFUL TO MY LAND: SCORE ……………………………………… 48 -vi- CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION This dissertation is an orchestra composition in three continuous movements that reveals my deep admiration for my country, Thailand. Since the beginning of the twenty- first century, my country has confronted many problems––political discord, religious disputes, and royal decline. Thailand has been a democratic country for more than seventy-five years. Throughout the country’s history, the Thai people have had great faith in both our religion and our royalty. Regretfully, the three institutions are being simultaneously challenged within the community’s belief at this time. This historical moment, along with my intense love for my country, are the inspiration for composing Faithful to My Land, which mirrors my belief in nation, religion, and the constitutional monarchy. This composition is globally organized within a tonal framework; both diatonic and chromatic notes are employed. However, tonality and modality are constructed explicitly in each area by using local tonal organization or tone centers throughout the composition. The main materials of each movement refer to source ideas that relate to the three crucial institutions of my country. These materials are transformed and modified in an effort to serve the local and global organization, both melodic and harmonic, of each movement of the piece. 2 The first movement refers to the nation. Thailand is a country where people with various ancestry and ethnicity coexist. Some people descend from original Thai ancestors. Some emigrated from other countries many generations ago. Previously, Thailand has been a land where people have existed together in peace, but now the political deadlock affects the overall development of the country. For this movement, the main source material is from some portions of the Thai national anthem. The second movement deals with the main Thai religion, Buddhism. There are many religions––Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hindu, etc.––that people in my country have a freedom to believe in. Every religion has independent freedom to propagate their beliefs in Thailand. However, Buddhism is the principal religion of Thailand in which most people have faith. For the second movement, the name Buddha is transformed into musical notes, and this motive constitutes the main thematic material. The third movement alludes to the royal institution with high respect. Siam, as Thailand used to be called, had been governed by absolute monarchy for more than seven hundred years. In 1932, Thailand replaced the absolute monarchy with a constitutional monarchy. The Thai people, however, continue to revere the royal institution. The last movement is composed with high respect; the principal material is from some portions of the Thai royal anthem. Finally, I wish that, with great concentration and deliberation, I will succeed in leaving a positive impression on those who hear the piece. I hope that composers, conductors, performers, singers, educators, learners, and audiences, who are interested in any aspect of music, are able to touch the pleasure and beauty of the work, understand the components of the composition, and eventually perceive the significance and conviction of the piece. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF COMPARABLE WORKS During the first half of the twentieth century, modern orchestral works employ many musical styles—impressionism, expressionism, nationalism, neoclassicism, neoromanticism, serialism, and aleatory or chance music. During the second half of the twentieth century, minimalism was a new musical style that came out first in the United States in the 1960s. “Minimalism emerged as an effective alternative to the rigors of serialism and the randomness of indeterminate, or chance, music.”1 The composers LaMonte Young, Terry Riley, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich made up the first generation of this style. Their works were mostly composed for solo instruments, duets, and small ensembles. John Adams’s well-known Nixon in China (1972) is an early minimalist opera. Its music is characterized by stasis and repetition of the melodic passages. Most of Adams’s works are composed for classical instrumentation, including full orchestra. Meanwhile