V. Conclusion

The arrival of the Europeans in the sixteenth century has marked the start of Western music dissemination in Indonesia. Keroncong, an Indonesian popular music genre, is believed to be influenced by the Portuguese. The Dutch and other European traders introduced Western music through performances at the courts. In the twentieth century, it spread to the general public through the improvement of education. As a result, the first generation of Indonesian composers came to existence in the 1920s, and has led to the development of modern music (classical as well as popular) in Indonesia. The radio singing contest at RRI, “Bintang Radio (Radio Star)”, played an important role in triggering the occurrence of Indonesian composers, and also in the increasing number of vocal works composed in Indonesian language. Musik seriosa –the term for Indonesian classical music used to differentiate its style from musik keroncong (keroncong music) and musik hiburan (entertainment music) –became recognized in a wider range of Indonesian society through the contest in 1950s. The term “Tembang Puitik (poetic songs)” was used for the first time in the year 2000, for it was considered more appropriate than the previous term “musik seriosa”. .............................................................................................................................................. A cycle of six songs “Senyap Dalam Derai (Silence in Noise)” composed and compiled by Ananda Sukarlan was analyzed in this research, in order to figure out his style of composing, as well as the grounds for his proposal for his music to be called “Musik Sastra ”. .............................................................................................................................................. The study found out two points regarding his style of composing: .............................................................................................................................................. 1) Generally, the piano accompaniment depicts the whole atmosphere of the poem. He portrays the scenes of nature, such as rain and lake by utilizing consecutive descending sixteenth notes, sixtuplets of the sixteenth notes, and triplets. When he uses arpeggio chords, unembellished chords, and flowing notes, it is the description of human emotions in certain situations. Ninth, eleventh, and thirteenth chords are frequently used, particularly as the last chords of the pieces, which create somewhat “warm” endings. Musical terms which indicate the ways of playing the piano, such as melodia marcato et molto espressivo, misterioso, molto preciso, lontano, and “like drops of water”, are written detailedly in the score by Sukarlan. The use of pedal and una corda is also noted intricately. Here we notice that his distinguished musicianship in piano playing has influenced on his composing style, especially in the piano part. By using the piano, he can create the appropriate sound for particular scenes. .............................................................................................................................................. 2) In contrast to the romantic style of the piano accompaniment, the melody line is established by the unique intervals, such sixth, seventh, and octave, which create the specific mood of his works. If the melody line is sung without piano accompaniment (‘Kugenggam Erat (I Hold Tightly)’for instance), the tonality of the piece often become obscure. Nevertheless, if the melody and the piano accompaniment are combined together, the result is very picturesque and harmonious. The whole tone and major pentatonic scales are sometimes used, which create mysterious and melancholic atmosphere. Changes of the time signature are frequently found, because there is no regular syllables are found in the poem. .............................................................................................................................................. Hence, his compositions could give the impression of both romantic and contemporary. He combines contemporary elements with romantic styles. An Indonesian soprano, Bernadeta Astari, commented about his works, as follows: “Personally what I think the most difficult thing from his work is his musical genre. It feels like crossover music to me, but at the same time not. So, I must say it is in between. Therefore I have to combine between Classical way of singing and some kind of 'pop' feeling into it.”303 .............................................................................................................................................. Here we notice that Sukarlan’s unique combination has resulted on a unique outcome. He has set up his own style. Sukarlan described his own music as “eclectic”, and added: “It will always have elements of rhythm and certain chords that reflect my musical characteristics. If you notice, my music and singing always separate in order to create a different texture. It’s like a mini opera where they have recitative, interlude, instruments and the aria. It’s different to usual songs where the lyrics and music are all together.” 304 .............................................................................................................................................. Also, unlike some of other Indonesian contemporary composers, he does not use the phonetic elements outside the poem. He wrote: “I never use a phonetic element outside the poem: for example, the words "dang" and "dut" do exist IN the poem itself! I just take it out and establish it as an independent element, treating it purely as sound and not as a word that has a meaning.”305 .............................................................................................................................................. At times he repeats the first line of the verse in the very last part of the piece. However he never intrudes the melody by using largely irrelevant elements. He focuses on delivering the genuine message of the poem. .............................................................................................................................................. As for the term “musik kontemporer (contemporary music)” mentioned in the introduction of this research, Sukarlan does not use the word “avant-garde” or “modernism”. He uses particular elements found in contemporary compositions, such as glances of whole tone and major pentatonic scales, time signature changes, and unique intervals in a classical way of writing. As a result, he has created a particular style of his own. .............................................................................................................................................. Through this study, we found out that Sukarlan portrayed scenes of every poem intricately. He produced sound effects which described the atmosphere (rain, lake, tranquility) utilizing the piano, and created unique yet lyrical melody lines by using particular intervals. Sukarlan expressed his creative process in one of his blogs: “I am not just reading the poems word by word and make a melody out of it. I concentrate on the mood of the poem as a whole. Once I get the music, the words (or phrases) become (a little bit) less important. I always consider a great poet as a great painter: they know how to choose the exact words for the "paint" as a material to create their picture. So, don't get me wrong: individual words are of primary importance for me in the beginning of the creative process, but they become secondary in the RESULT of the musical work. A great painting is not made with only primary colours, right? Its greatness lies in how the painter mixes the colours, and how the result could express what he would like to communicate with the observer ”306 .............................................................................................................................................. Here we notice that instead of dividing a piece (poem) into diminutive parts (like focusing on how each word sounds), Sukarlan takes a wider approach to depict the poem. He concentrates on evaluating the intrinsic values of each poem, transforms them into diverse scenes, and unites them into a harmonious entity. .............................................................................................................................................. Sukarlan proposes his music to be called “musik sastra”, for they are written in the notes. “Musik sastra” means “literature music” in English translation, and is often linked to compositions with words. Nevertheless, he calls “Musik sastra” for all of his music, including the instrumental works. The study proves that “musik sastra” is the term for music which is not merely written, but for the music that contains artistic and intrinsic values. That is, “musik sastra” is the music in which the composer expresses his inner perception, which he gained from his experiences in the nature and in his everyday life. For Sukarlan, music as a whole is the medium for elucidating his ideas and messages. When he composes Tembang Puitik, the songs with words, he places himself really as the poet of his compositions. He tells his story by establishing the settings and the plots of the poems, penning notes by notes, and compiling them into a written score. That is to say, Sukarlan considers his music as his “literature”. .............................................................................................................................................. Sukarlan is a composer of eminent senses, perceptions, and skills. It is hoped that this study will prompt greater acknowledgement of his music, particularly of his Tembang Puitik.