Intercultural Creativity and Exploration through Gamelanistic Elements in Marzelan Salleh’s Puteri Gunung Ledang and John Cage’s Dream

Abstract

Intercultural activity especially through music is widespread and relevant to Malaysian current times. The abundance of music compositions labeled intercultural since the 1900s clearly proves its effectiveness and strength as society continues to embrace them. The emergence of young and new contemporary composers contributes to the advancement of musical ideas and updated knowledge towards contemporary music compositions both locally and internationally. Through them, intercultural resources and tools for composing from various cultures are explored in creative ways. This chapter discusses the composition of two piano works from Marzelan Salleh, a Malaysian composer, and the late John Cage, an American composer. Both explore the possibilities, intentionally or unintentionally, of combining contrasting influences of Asian traditional music idiom with Western traditional and contemporary compositional techniques into personal musical expressions.