Since 2020, the Composers Society of Singapore (CSS) has been releasing a monthly series for our Musings section, Composer of the Month! The Composer of the Month for July 2024 is Nathanael KOH.
Nathanael has currently completed his Bachelor's and Honour's degrees by the tender age of 14. His compositional style draws inspiration from his interest in mathematics and music, and he has been inspired to incorporate new musical tunings into his works. Nathanael is one of the featured composers in the Singapore Composers Festival, with his piece 'Of Eternal Time' performed by local ensemble WeirdAftertaste.
Watch the interview on our YouTube channel here!
Interviewer: MOK Peck Yim
1. Have there been any changes in your compositional style/influences since the last time we interviewed you in 2021? If so, could you tell us more about that?
From 2021 to 2024, I have completed my Bachelor’s and Honours degrees, and I think that with the exposure from two different universities, my style has definitely been influenced by my professors, the people who I meet and the music I am exposed to.
One of the major changes is the introduction of new musical tunings into my musical vocabulary. I have always enjoyed mathematics as well as music, and since early 2022, I found out about alternative tunings and explored them seriously. This has led me to incorporating them into both my bachelor’s degree and honours degree final compositions. The former was the use of Just Intonation from the 3- to the 11-limit in real-world musical styles, and the latter was the use of a 10-note scale in 14-tone equal temperament.
I am also exploring non-Western musical styles, especially Chinese music. What I find interesting is that what we consider out of our 12 tones per octave is part and parcel of many non-Western musical styles. This interests me in how non-Western-trained musicians internalize music from different cultures.
2. Share with us about your inspiration and compositional process for your piece 'Of Eternal Time' that was recently showcased at the Singapore Composers Festival. (Listen to it here!)
I grew up in New Zealand, where nature is a large part of my life. In winter, the nights are long and cold, but it sparks my curiosity in standing out in absolute darkness and staring at the night sky. If I am blessed, I can catch shooting stars or the breathtaking Southern Lights. On cloudless nights, I can see the entire Milky Way just like snowflakes in the night. I always wonder what is there to life besides what we know, just like this composition, which is outside of the 12 tones per octave we are familiar with. ‘Eternity’ is a three-movement piece representing the heavens. It is palindromic in structure, where the first and last movements are slow, but the second movement is fast. The first movement, ‘of eternal time’ depicts the eternal timespan of the Father Sky, or Ranginui in Māori. The decimal chromatic glissandi in the first movement depict the ever-changing sky, and the unpredictable nature of the weather.
When I was studying, my professors said that this type of music would be impossible to perform live. Turns out it was possible, and it wouldn’t be so effective without the adventurous musicians from Weird Aftertaste. The scale is built around 14-tone equal temperament. Picture it like this: instead of filling up the octave with 12 semitones, you fill it up with 14 slightly smaller semitone-like intervals. When finding different tunings which I could work with I chanced upon this scale which was interesting and it can be viewed as two interlocking pentatonic scales, creating 10 notes in this scale. This scale is supported by 14-tone equal temperament as it is the smallest equal temperament which preserves its structure.
It was composed by creating the outer voices first and filling up the middle registers with notes in the 14-tone equal temperament. This creates a different soundscape which represents the mystery of Ranginui.
3. As a young composer, are there any obstacles that you have faced in your compositional journey thus far? How have you dealt with them?
As a young composer, I feel that I need to learn as much as possible and expose myself to various different musical styles. Breaking into the music industry can be challenging due to limited exposure, so I have to actively connect with other composers and network with others.
I am still finding my unique musical style through composing in different genres and exposing myself to various types of music. While I like some genres and not others, it is all part of the learning process of honing my musical style and compositional skills.
When I find something is difficult, I take the challenge in my stride. Every challenge I face, I take it as an opportunity to learn. One challenge is having writing blocks, and I have learned to write any idea down as soon as I have it in my head so that I have a compilation of motifs which I can explore for future compositions.
4. What are some of your upcoming projects/works that we can look forward to?
‘Soaring’ was performed by the TENG Ensemble on 25 May 2024 during their 20th anniversary celebration as part of ‘The Singaporean Composers Series’ (which can be found on Spotify here), while the world premiere of ‘Kampung Spirit’ was performed at the Großer Saal in Berlin on 16 June 2024.
Look out for the co-composition of the National Day Parade Military Tattoo, ‘Diversity in Strength’ for NDP2024! I co-composed this piece with ME1 Gordon Tan and it is also the first collaboration between civilian and military personnel, symbolizing the creative power of unity and diversity.
Additionally, I have a few upcoming works commissioned by the TENG Ensemble, so watch out for them! Thank you to everyone who has supported me and continues to walk with me on my musical journey!
Comments