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In
Vietnam as in all colonial countries, the power of the conqueror
leads the colonized people to imitate the way of living, the
outlook, the artistic, and literary style introduced by the
conqueror. Vietnam is called the most Westernized country
in the Orient because of legitimate contacts with the West,
some traditions are dropped, and others will change their
shapes. In recent years, however, the influence of Western
music is very strong and has displaced Vietnamese music.
The
West displays to the Vietnamese young people its flawless
instruments, its accurate notation, its varied repertoire,
its orchestration, and its disciplined orchestras. In contrast,
in the traditional section young people find archaic instruments,
a primitive system of notation, a restricted repertoire, no
orchestration, and a complete lack of discipline within the
orchestra. Thus, Vietnamese music often takes on the figure
of a clumsy old woman for whom one can have a certain respect,
but whose company is rather boring. This inferiority complex
makes it impossible for the traditional teachers to instill
a high opinion of their art into a younger generation which
is attracted for the most part by the bravura, and the scientific
aspect of Western music. It is therefore not surprising that
part of young generation, through carelessness, is neglecting
their own art, an art which should be the pride of their nation.
Such a state of things is to be sorely regretted.
The
fact may be explained by a number of reasons, mostly psychological,
social, and political difficulties. The study of Western music
offers young people a prospect of being able to continue their
training abroad, considerable esteem and a top rung of the
social ladder. In the traditional music, musicians have difficulty
in earning their living, and must have a second job if they
are to make both ends meet. They never attend an international
meeting to make cultural exchanges between East and West,
to establish reciprocal relations with the traditional forms
of music in the East and the Far East. A small number of young
Vietnamese remain faithful to the tradition, but been won
by Western music richness in the domain of harmony and have
tried to build it in a new orientation. This evolution takes
away from traditional music its character, its originality,
and leads it towards the path of hybridizing. For example
there have been traditional instruments concerto with Western
orchestra.
Vietnamese music is the most independent form. The thematic
and the developmental techniques of the Western composition
are no commonly found in Vietnamese music. One must distinguishes
between a superficial understanding of both Vietnamese and
Western music and learn how to apply such principles to Vietnamese
music in order to produce significant composition. In both
Vietnamese and Western music, scales are expendable and compositional
principles. To the extent that Vietnamese music attempts to
imitate the Western music ideal, it will lose its own most
vital elements. In such a situation, it is doomed to eventual
failure.
