Music in the Malay Shadow Puppet Theater (Volumes I and II).

In this study of music in the Malay shadow puppet play the role of the music is examined in a particular type of Southeast Asian theatrical genre known as Wayang Siam. The Wayang Siam, as discussed in the study, is performed in the northeastern Malaysian state of Kelantan. The style of the music is an "old style," stemming from the late 19th century. The primary focus of the study is the music and its relationship to the puppet movement. The music is an integral part of the performance, for puppet movement cannot occur without sound from the orchestra. The music provides an accompaniment to specific kinds of stylized puppet movement, and the coincidences of music and puppet movement are seen as analogous phenomena. The relationship of the music to the puppet movement is viewed in terms of two specific kinds of musical analogies: close analogies and remote analogies. The musical analogies are analyzed in the framework of the prologue to the shadow play which is known as the Dalang Muda (the student or deputy puppet master's part). This prologue is seen as the shadow play in microcosm, for it encompasses all the basic requirements for the performance of a story. These include narration and dialogue, voice changes, music (both vocal and instrumental), cueing devices and puppet manipulation of all types. The prologue is a vehicle for teaching. It is also ritual and social drama, using the characters of the Ramayana epic to convey its message. Furthermore, the prologue is an overture with structural and thematic relationship to the main story for an evening's performance. In a Southeast Asian theatrical genre all elements which comprise the genre are conceived of as interrelated, if not inseparable, elements. However, in order to define the kinds of musical analogies which occur in the context of the Malay shadow play, a thorough knowledge of the music is essential. The musical analyses of this study contain discussion of musical form, drum rhythmic patterns and orchestration. These elements not only provide accompaniment for the puppet movement, but also constitute the primary aspects of a coherent musical system for the shadow puppet play. Another important aspect of the present study is the function of the musical pieces and musical forms in relation to the dramatic action. The thesis concentrates on the specific musical repertoire which exists for the shadow play, and formulates a possible definition for the term lagu, that is, a coherent musical-dramatic unit which is comprised of a specific dramatic function, musical form, drum rhythmic pattern and , in some instances, melody. The relationship of the many lagu of the repertoire to the structure of a shadow puppet play is discussed in the context of the Dalang Muda prologue and in the performance of an entire story. The structure of scenes as defined by the particular musical pieces is examined at both the detailed levels and the broad, architectonic levels of a shadow play performance.Ph.D.MusicUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/157788/1/8017315.pd