chapter 7. republic of indonesia 17,000 islands (close to 6,000 inhabited) southeast asia formerly...

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Indonesian Gamelan Music Chapter 7

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Indonesian Gamelan MusicChapter 7

Republic of Indonesia 17,000 islands (close to 6,000 inhabited) Southeast AsiaFormerly Dutch East Indies Company (colonized by Dutch) Independence: 1945 (full sovereignty, 1949) Java

Jakarta (capital)Surakarta and Yogyarkarta (Central Java – gamelan)

National unity efforts: Unity in Diversity (slogan) Bahasa Indonesia (language) Cultural nationalism (including gamelan and related arts)

Islam principal religion (but Hinduism principal religion of Bali)

Gamelan Central Javanese court gamelan (CD 1-7) Balinese gamelan gong kebyar (CD 2-12)

In what ways are do they sound similar? In what ways do they sound different?

Balinese gamelan video (kebyar – “Sekar Jupun”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPIZObNdJb0

Javanese gamelan video (“Puspawarna”): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xQttRtx35s

SimilaritiesInstruments

Gongs, metallophones (gangsa in Bali), drums, end-blown bamboo flutes, bowed chordophones

Cyclic formsRelated tuning systems, scales, modesSimilar polyphony (higher/faster, lower/slower) Melodic layers: core melody, melodic elaborationHindu basis and related musical symbolism Associations with dance, dance-drama, shadow

puppetry (wayang), and other artsUNESCO wayang video (5:00): https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfydro4X2t0

DifferencesEnergy, tempoMoodSocial symbolism DrummingInterlocking vs. multiple-melody texturesPaired tuning (male-female) of instruments

(Bali) OMI 22

The Balinese Gamelan BeleganjurAudio Musical Guided Tour (p. 96)• Instruments

(know reyong, gong ageng)

• Gilak gong cycle• Core melody and

melodic elaboration

• Rhythms and interlocking patterns

• Polyphonic stratification

Kilitan Telu• Ubiquitous set of

interlocking rhythms in Balinese gamelan

• Featured in cymbal (cengceng) interlocking in beleganjur

• Same set of rhythms (aka cak telu) also used in Kecak dance-drama

Kilitan Telu (Cak Telu)

Kecak (CD 2-13) • Sanghyang Dedari

(trance dance) • Gamelan suara • Walter Spies • Island of Demons

(1933 film) • Ramayana Hindu

epic (also Mahabharata)

• Rama, Sita, Rawana, monkey army (Sugriwa, Hanuman)

• Kecak (from Baraka)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAUoa9pmokA

Beleganjur in Balinese Ritual Agama Tirta (Religion of Holy Water) Cremation ceremony (ngaben)

Performed by members of the banjar Purpose: Release soul (atma) to Upper World of Balinese cosmos

Procession of atma to cremation grounds Multi-tiered cremation tower (wadah), followed by gamelan

beleganjur, directed by lead drummer (CD 2-14) Gamelan beleganjur functions:

Frighten and deflect evil spirits (bhutas, leyaks) Give courage to the atma Energize tower carriers Regulate pace of procession

Function of the ensemble most important at crossroads. Why? Beleganjur cremation field video (Bakan):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztlVXln-ZlM

Kreasi Beleganjur Modern, contest styleOriginated in 1986Two pioneering composers: Sukarata,

AsnawaStyle is exhibitionistic rather than functional Innovations of kreasi style:

Compositional originalityEnsemble virtuosity Showmanship emphasis (including gerak) Varied musical textures

Musical ExamplesContest performance – composer: Sukarata (CD 2-15) “Wira Ghorava Cakti ’95” – composer: Suandita (CD 2-16)

Distinctive features of this piece: Gong cycle drops out at some points Unaccompanied feature sections (e.g., reyong section, 0:19) Plethora of melodic and rhythmic variations – virtuosic Many changes in tempo and dynamics Complex interlocking (e.g., 8 rather than 3 interlocking cymbal

patterns) Same group (Meranggi), 1992: https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgWIGNS-zOoFollow Guided Listening Quick Summary GLQS, p. 108Awesome 2005 contest performance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28-5r9-BdwQ

Crossing International Borders Western composers: Debussy, Cage, Reich,

Glass, TenzerIndonesian musik kontemporer: Asnawa, etc. Syncretism of Indonesian and Western

musics in popular, jazz, etc.I Wayan Balawan (Balinese electric guitar

virtuoso) “Country Beleganjur” (CD 2-18)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiz83vNXGZc

Hip hop Gamelan? Fusion of Balinese gamelan (kebyar,

beleganjur) with hip hop/scratch turntabling B.A.Ph.PET (Bakan) (CD 2-19)

Turntable soloist: Charles Tremblay Florida State University Balinese Gamelan (Sekaa

Gong Hanuman Agung) Opening reyong rhythm derived from kilitan telu Kotekan-style interlocking on gangsa

(metallophones)

And one more!! Batik Tribe, “Indo Yo Ey” http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-gunCZGMFg