First Advisor

KAUFFMAN, DEBORAH

Second Advisor

BELLMAN, JONATHAN

Document Type

Dissertation

Date Created

5-1-2011

Abstract

Western music as introduced to Thailand in the sixteenth century with the use of Western trumpet in the royal court, sacred music in the Thai Catholic Church, Western songs and instrumental practices inside Western communities. Siamese songs of the seventeenth century were preserved in the French records and French Baroque musical compositions to reveal the political relationship between Siam and France. In the early nineteenth century, American civil war songs, marching songs, and Protestant hymns entered Siam. The official establishment of Western music in Thailand began in the middle of nineteenth century when King Rama IV hired two English military men to train soldiers in European style. Western practices in all kind of arts were brought into the country in the reign of King Rama V through the King's will of creating civilization to be equated with the West. During his reign to the next reign of Rama VI, more Western musicians and professors were hired to develop Western music. Small ensembles and brass band were expanded to small size orchestra and developed to standard size orchestra in the early twentieth century. Thai roles extended from welcoming state visitors and courtly entertainments to public entertainments. Traditional Siamese music and theatrical performance had to be modified by borrowing from Western music and dramatic genres including opera, Tableaux vivants, musical comedy, marching songs, and Western music composition to blend with Siamese musical and dramatic practices resulting in new Siamese genres presenting the best of both practices.

Abstract Format

html

Keywords

Music; History; Asian History; MUSICAL EXOTICISM; MUSIC HISTORY; THAI ARTS; THAI HISTORY; THAILAND; WESTERN MUSIC

Extent

210 pages

Local Identifiers

Yamprai_unco_0161D_10069

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by author.

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