Trisutji finds herself in religious songs
Trisutji finds herself in religious songs
By Rita A. Widiadana
JAKARTA (JP): The adzhan reverberation from nearby mosques may be heard as just the routine call for Moslems to perform their prayers, but for Trisutji Juliati Kamal, a prominent Indonesian composer, it inspires her music compositions.
"I trembled when I heard the adzhan one day in l974. The sound was so beautiful yet so full of mystery. I was deeply touched. So great was my spiritual enlightenment it moved me to create a song based on the notes of the adzhan," Trisutji said during a recent interview with The Jakarta Post at her house in Cipete, South Jakarta.
The song, Tembang, was her first religious music composition. Tembang is classical Javanese poetry reciting traditionally accompanied by a gamelan ensemble.
"At that time, I felt that my life had just begun. Since I wrote my first religious song, I have never lacked inspiration. It flows from my imagination as easily as water flows from a river," said the mother of three adult children.
Trisutji realized then that she had chosen the right path. She became more impassioned in exploring themes from the Koran and hadith.
Her music began to reflect her self-contemplation and was rich in religious nuances. In l982, she wrote Lakon (The Story), a music composition for piano, percussion and choir which portrays the journey of a man going through several phases in his life.
In l984, she composed Penghayatan Bulan Suci (Suite Revelations of the Islamic Holy Month), which consists of the pieces Ramadhan, Malam Takbir and Idul Fitri.
Her explorations in the religious world became more intense after she performed the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca in l991. Her intangible experience during the pilgrimage inspired her to write a number of compositions which some music critics regard her best.
In this period, she wrote Menara Mesjid Nabawi (The Minarets of the Prophet's Mosque), Zikir (Chant), Wukuf di Arafah (Wukuf at Arafah), Dialog and Persembahan (Offerings).
Dialog was inspired by surah Al Fatihah in the Koran, praise to God, and praise to the Prophet Muhammad.
Royal
Born on Nov. 28, 1936, Trisutji grew in a royal family that loved music and arts. Her mother was a daughter of Prince Hadiwijoyo from the Surakarta Sultanate in Central Java. The prince was the son of Sultan Pakubuwono X. Trisutji's father, Dr. Djulham Surjowijoyo, was a descendant of Sultan Langkat in North Sumatera.
Trisutji inherited her parents' artistic talents. Her mother was an ardent Javanese dancer and she mastered a number of traditional Javanese music instruments. Her father was a talented violinist.
"Although we lived in Langkat, my mother always created a Javanese atmosphere in our home. I learned traditional Javanese dances and music from my mother while my father taught me to play Western musical instruments," she said.
Her mother encoraged her to write compositions, Trisutji recalled.
"My mother always asked me to write a letter in ancient Javanese language to my grandfather in Surakarta once a week. It helped develop my habit of writing. Then I tried to write songs and music lyrics when I was still seven years old," Trisutji said.
Trisutji said she always played her childhood compositions in front of her mother.
"She was my first and most faithful audience. She criticized and praised my works. Therefore, most of my earlier compositions were dedicated to my mother," she said.
Knowing that Trisutji had musical talent, the Djulhams sent their daughter to Amsterdam in l955.
Trisutji registered herself with the Amsterdam Conservatory and became a student of composer Henk Bading.
She continued studying piano and compositions at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris and then at the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome. She graduated in l965 and returned to Indonesia two years later.
Today, Trisutji has is one of the top of the Indonesian music circle. She has produced more than 200 compositions for orchestra, piano, percussion, dance, background music and vocals which have enriched the Indonesian music dictionary.
Her musical achievement is also recognized overseas. Many of her compositions are played by orchestras in Japan, South Korea, Italy, France and the Netherlands. She is frequently invited to perform concerts in foreign countries.
She returned from a tour of Spain, Morocco and Egypt last month.
In December l993, she was invited by the Hungarian Union of Composers and the Indonesian Embassy in Hungary to stage a piano recital in Budapest.
In l994, she visited Scandinavia and performed a duo-piano concert with the accompaniment of Balinese percussion.
In l995, Trisutji and her group held a piano concert in Kuala Lumpur. The group also performed in Bangkok where Trisutji played and arranged a music composition written by the king of Thailand.
Some of her piano compositions were recorded by German radio, West Deutsche Rundfunk, and then broadcast regularly in Germany and other European countries between November l995 and June l996.
"I am very happy to introduce Indonesian Islamic music around the world. We are lucky that foreign audiences appreciate our music," she said.
Asked why many younger musicians prefer to play pop or rock music rather than contemporary music, Trisutji responded that it is because a strong educational background is required to play more serious music.
Indonesian contemporary music derives ideas from traditional Indonesian music and Western classical music.
"Adequate musical background will help a musician express his ideas. But many younger musicians are reluctant to learn more about music," she said.
"Younger musicians should master various musical techniques to enable them to create good compositions," Trisutji suggested.
Ethnomusicologist Franki Raden praised Trisutji's works such as Ramadhan and Mesjid Nabawi as remarkable pieces.
"Most of Trisutji's works are a blend of artistic and spiritual experiences. They are contemplative, suggestive and rich in musical nuances which are hardly found in Indonesian contemporary music," Franki noted.
Technically, Trisutji has succeeded in coming out of the influence of Western music standards. Today, Trisutji's music has matured.
"She is no longer trapped in her previous musical concept which was dominated by pentatonic sounds (derived from Javanese and Arabic sources). Her music sounds original now," Franki said.
Trend
Trisutji explained she does not want to follow any music trend when composing. "I want to be myself and I want to be honest in my work," the 60 year old said.
She admitted, though, that the influence of various music elements is inevitable in any work. She said many musical genres occupy her memory.
"I have been familiar with Javanese and Malayan music since I was a child. Then I studied Western music in Europe for more than 10 years. When I write a song, both traditional and Western music elements will more or less affect my work," she acknowledged.
Trisutji said many people call her both a contemporary and experimental musician.
"Every composer who is still living and producing is categorized as a contemporary musician, but I refuse to be called an experimentalist," she said.
To her, experimental music is something that needs improvement, something unfinished.
"When I create a composition, I feel that it is a complete and finished work. It is not an experiment. I don't mind if people do not like my music. Every musician has his or her own characteristics," Trisutji said.
She also said a musician must go through several career stages. Her early years search for themes from Indonesian folk melodies. She improvised several traditional folk songs into contemporary music.
"With God's blessing, I was introduced to the Islamic music concept 20 years ago," said Trisutji. .
Now, she tries to develop sounds from tajwid, the proper pronunciation for correct reciting of the Koran.
"The tajwid is rich in melodies. I try hard to develop it into a beautiful composition," said the grandmother of a seven-year- old boy. She then admitted that previously she was not as religious as she is now.
"Since I wrote my first religious composition, my inner life has become richer. People change when they are older," Trisutji concluded.