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View all search resultsBook worm: Ananda Sukarlan: Ear for literary works
JP/Jerry AdigunaClassical composer and pianist Ananda Sukarlan is widely known to be a great fan of literary works through his deep interest in both prose and poetry
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JP/Jerry Adiguna
Classical composer and pianist Ananda Sukarlan is widely known to be a great fan of literary works through his deep interest in both prose and poetry.
Literary works have greatly inspired the composer, who is renowned for his project Rapsodia Nusantara presenting variations on traditional Indonesian songs. He has also written the music for two stage productions: Opera Clara (2014) and Opera Tumirah (2016), both of which were inspired by the works of Indonesian writer Seno Gumira Ajidarma.
Recently, he released a new CD titled Love and Variations. The work has a deep connection with literary works, featuring compositions inspired by the literature of great writers like Federico Garcia Lorca and Miguel de Cervantes, as well as Indonesia’s rising-star poet Adimas Immanuel.
“I am a heavy reader because all my family members read. I just feel the need to read because it inspires [my work] a lot. Mostly I read literary works like poetry and short stories, but just recently as I’ve gotten older I’ve also begun to catch up with international affairs as well by reading articles from various media outlets,” he says.
Ananda says he often experiences synesthesia — when he reads something, sometimes he spontaneously hears music in his head.
The Complete Works
by William Shakespeare
This is a staple read for me, which I read so frequently that I always put it beside my bed, alongside the abovementioned Metamorphoses and Symposium, and never in my bookshelf so I can access it immediately. I have by no means read all of the Shakespearean works included in this collection; however, there are works like Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet that have inspired me. Shakespeare’s works are still very relevant because they show us how we humans never learn from history and keep repeating our stupidities, propelled by our lust for money, sex and power.
Symposium
by Plato
Again, this work also talks about love, of seven different thinkers discussing the concept of love. I like the idea that a long time ago, human beings actually had four legs, four feet and two heads before we were subsequently cut apart and divided. This is why we use “looking for my other half” as a metaphor for looking for a soulmate.
Metamorphoses
by Ovid
Not to be confused with The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka. This book by Ovid basically examines all the facets to understand the complexities of what we call “love,” based on ancient Greek mythology. In this book, these facets are embodied by hundreds of characters who take part in hundreds of story forms.
One of them is Narcissus who, obviously, falls in love with his own reflection. Then there is Echo, whose love for Narcissus is unrequited because the latter is incapable of loving anybody but himself. I also composed something based on the story of Ariadne; in this case, I was equally inspired by Ovid’s story as well as [16th century painter] Titian’s painting Bacchus and Ariadne, which was also inspired by Ovid’s work.
Erstwhile: A communion of time
by Joseph Rio Jovian Haminoto
This book chronicles a love story that spans over 700 years, where the characters keep reincarnating, traveling through 14th century Italy to our contemporary time, while transiting in the [14th century Javanese] Majapahit kingdom during their many incarnations. This book is written in several series and this one [published in 2014] is the first volume.
