Javanese Gamelan
No description of the Puppet Theater of Southeast Asia would be complete without a discussion of gamelan, the music which accompanies puppet performances.
"Gamelan is compelling
because it is a very rigorously constructed music while at the same time it has
a physicality and a spontaneity that enables it to interact with the
dance or puppet show of which it is a part."
Outside Indonesia, perhaps the most well-known musical ensemble type is gamelan.
Gamelan refers to a set of predominantly percussion instruments including tuned
gongs, metal-keyed instruments, and drums (as well as bowed lute and voice).
The word "gamelan" also can refer to the music itself and to the ensemble of
musicians who play it. Gamelan music is played as accompaniment to dance, drama, puppet theater, and
martial arts, as well as for concerts of listening music. Gamelan is performed
for special occasions and to mark important life cycle events.
Regional gamelan styles are associated with different ethnic groups on the islands
of Java, Madura, Bali, and Lombok. The gamelan in the exhibition was made in the central Javanese
region of Yogyakarta by the gamelan maker Suhirdjan. Each gamelan has a unique
tuning and character--instruments in one set are tuned to each other and are
not interchangeable with instruments from other sets. Gamelan sets are often
named to reflect their individual character.
The University of Pittsburgh gamelan, which arrived in October, 1995, is named
appropriately “Kyai Tirta Rukmi,” or “Venerable Rivers of
Gold.” The gamelan is actually comprised of two sets of instruments, and
each set is tuned to a different intervallic structure (laras). One set is tuned
to laras salendro (a five-tone tuning system made up of approximately equidistant
intervals), and the other set is tuned to laras pelog (a seven-tone tuning
system with large and small intervals). The instruments shown here belong to the pelog system.
|
This kendhang is used in the Javanese gamelan. The kendhang player is the "conductor" of the ensemble. Through a system of sound cues, he signals the beginning and ending of pieces, commands the musicians to speed up and slow down the tempo, and regulates the dynamic level of the ensemble. |
The gong (large gong) and kempul (smaller gong) hang from a stand decorated with a naga (serpent), representing the cycle of life. These gongs punctuate the recurring rhythmic cycle of beats in a musical piece. |
|
A saron is an instrument with metal keys suspended over a trough resonator. The structural melody (balungan) is played on the saron. There are several saron-type instruments in the ensemble, including those that are used to play melodic parts in the high, middle, and low register. |
The slenthem has large metal
keys suspended over tube resonators. The main structural melody is played
on this instrument. |
|
The bonang has small gongs placed on cords that are strung through a wooden frame. The bonang is one of the elaborating instruments in the ensemble. It is used to play melodies that embellish the main structural melody of a piece. |
The kenong is a a set of large kettle-gongs placed on a wooden frame. The kenong tones represent important structural tones in a melody. |
The Department of Music at the University of Pittsburgh will present its annual Sundanese gamelan concert, directed by Andrew Weintraub, on Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10 at 8pm in Bellefield Auditorium on the Pitt campus. This year's event will feature a performance of wayang golek puppet theater with guest artists from Indonesia, Otong Rasta and Atik Rasta. Admission is $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors (Pitt students free). Call 624-4125 or 624-4126 for information.
