Thanks to all of you for the great suggestions regarding gamelan music
etc... (ach, i have even more music to buy now!!!)
a couple of clarifications about the nature of gamelan music:
every gamelan orchestra is uniquely tuned to itself and only itself (this it
due to the mythology behind the music which holds that each gamelan
orchestra has its own "spirit" and therefore tuning one orchestra the same
as another one would be stealing that orchestra's spirit). due to this
unique tuning, a piece of gamelan music will sound completely different for
every orchestra that plays it. so, a lot of gamelan music is written
specifically for one orchestra with that specific tuning scheme in mind.
The tuning of a gamelan is not "equal tempered" like all western music, but
rather realies on (approximately) quarter tones and other odd distances
between the notes (all of which can be precisely pinpointed using the
"cents" system of tuning , but that's another story). anyway, this is what
gives gamelan its "caucaphonous" sound to western ears. that and the fact
that many of the embellishment parts in the traditional javanese pieces work
on a "tension/release" principle where some notes clash with the main melody
while the next note is in "harmony" (but gamelan's don't actually recognize
harmony - again, another story).
Guillaume - i'm guessing that the concert you attended was a traditional
javanese performance. those performances are characterized by pieces that
are slow and stately and really really long. western audiences unfamiliar
with the music inevitably find it boring. however, i promise that really
immersing yourslef in that music is worth it - there is a lot going on. the
balinese style, on the other hand, was reinvented about 100 some odd years
ago to please western audiences (i'm serious). it is characterized by
really fast and dramatic pieces that are, generally, a lot shorter. the
balinese style is definitely a lot more "fun."
one last thing - i've always found that all recordings of gamelan really
don't do justice to the subtlety of the live performance. so, for those of
you who haven't had a chance to hear it live, don't write it off based on
any recordings you might hear. and, of course for me, nothing else even
comes close to the feeling it get when playing with the gamelan. :-)
thanks again everyone
- d
np: Markant Cat-25 LP2
----- Original Message -----
From: Guillaume Grenier <gollum@videotron.ca>
To: idm <idm@hyperreal.org>
Sent: Friday, July 20, 2001 7:29 AM
Subject: Re: [idm] gamelan and IDM
quoted 9 lines On 19/07/01 23:32, brian albers said in living color:
> On 19/07/01 23:32, brian albers said in living color:
>
> >
> >
> > 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
quoted 1 line tune piano but when you have a gamelan orchestra of 15 players, it can
> > tune piano but when you have a gamelan orchestra of 15 players, it can
have
quoted 1 line a very warbly hypnotic sound. Most of us who were brought up listening
> > a very warbly hypnotic sound. Most of us who were brought up listening
to
quoted 1 line western/European music at first fint it quite caucaphonous. An aquired
> > western/European music at first fint it quite caucaphonous. An aquired
taste
quoted 8 lines you might say.
> > 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
quoted 4 lines sorts of music (from numerous regions and epochs). But when I went to an
> 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
quoted 16 lines has made me, hmm say, slightly more cautious...
> 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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