Tanjak - Mahkota Alam by Raja Alif (2021) by Raja Mohamad Alif published on 2023-03-07T08:29:54Z Tanjak – Mahkota Alam is a piece for flute and piano. It is inspired by the traditional malay male headgear worn daily by malay warriors, royal families, and the common people during the Malacca Sultanate. Nowadays, these headgears are less common and only worn during ceremonial functions. Mahkota Alam (Crown of Nature) is one of the many types of the Tanjak. This Tanjak is said to be worn by leaders who are so pious that they can govern two worlds (Humans and Jinn). The piece is a depiction of the composer’s interpretation of the Mahkota Alam Tanjak. The composer tries to give sound to a soundless object through the various possible colors produced by the flute and piano. In this piece, the composer uses extended techniques for the instruments, unconventional musical notations, and graphic score to realize his interpretation of what the Tanjak would sound like. Furthermore, he focuses on timbre (the character or quality of a musical sound) more than the other elements in music. The composer also believes that the score itself is a form of visual art which could also illustrate how he sees the Mahkota Alam Tanjak. The piece was performed by the members of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (Ignacio de Nicolas Gaya - flute and Akiko Daniš - piano). Video recording of the performance can be viewed at @DFPMPOStagePlus - "MPOPlaysOn: Malaysian Composers Series - Chamber Concert" on Youtube. Genre Classical