On 19/07/01 23:32, brian albers said in living color:
quoted 11 lines To the person who asked "What exactly is a gamelan?"->
>
> To the person who asked "What exactly is a gamelan?"-
>
> It's a xylophone type instrument originating in Indonesia/Pacific Rim
> islands. They are tuned in a very general sort of way. Like "This one is
> close to 'A' so it goes here." So every instrument is like a grossly out of
> tune piano but when you have a gamelan orchestra of 15 players, it can have
> a very warbly hypnotic sound. Most of us who were brought up listening to
> western/European music at first fint it quite caucaphonous. An aquired taste
> you might say.
Actually, gamelan is the name of the orchestra rather than the instruments
it is comprised of (which include xylophones, gongs and drums).
The most common gamelan are Javanese and Balinese.
And it is an acquired taste indeed. I consider myself extremely open to all
sorts of music (from numerous regions and epochs). But when I went to an
all-gamelan concert, I was bored shitless and left at the intermission
(something I almost never do). I was surprised, cause I really thought I
would like the stuff. I haven't ruled out that music yet, but the experience
has made me, hmm say, slightly more cautious...
g.
--
Guillaume Grenier - gollum@videotron.ca
in space there is no north in space there is no south
in space there is no east in space there is no west
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