Gamelan

Gamelan, a la Java Orkestra

Gamelan music is not clear that foreign. Popularity has penetrated various continents and has been automatically mix music new-jazz gamelan, birth institutions as learning spaces and expressions gamelan music, to the famous gamelan musicians. The gamelan music now can be enjoyed in various parts of the world, but Yogyakarta is the most appropriate place to enjoy the gamelan in the city because this is you can enjoy the original version.

Gamelan developing in Yogyakarta Gamelan Java is a different form of gamelan with Gamelan Gamelan Bali and Sunda. Javanese gamelan has a more gentle tone and slow, unlike the Bali Gamelan Gamelan Sunda smart and a very mendayu-dominated sound dayu and flute. The difference is reasonable, because Java has a distinctive view of life expressed in music rhythm gamelannya.

Java is a view of life expressed in music is harmony gamelannya physical and spiritual life, in harmony, so to speak and act does not display the expression of the explosives-ledak and create tolerance among the people. Exist in the real music is pulling ropes that are fiddle, balanced sound mix kenong, saron kendang and xylophone and gong sound in the rhythm of each cover.

There is no clarity about the history of the emergence of gamelan. The development of gamelan music is the appearance since kentongan, fiddle, hand to mouth, rubbing the thin rope or bamboo to dikenalnya instrument of metal. Development of the next named after the gamelan, the music used to accompany this Pagelaran puppets, and dance. Then at some time after it was established as the music itself and equipped with the voice sinden.

A gamelan consists of several musical instruments, including a set of similar musical instrument drum called kendang, fiddle and zither, xylophone, gong and the bamboo flute. The main components of preparing the equipment is bamboo gamelan music, metal, and wood. Each instrument has a distinctive function in Pagelaran gamelan music, for example, a role close gong music is a rhythm and balance long after the music decorated by gending rhythm.

Javanese gamelan is music with a tone pentatonis. One complete game gamelan consists of two cycles, namely slendro and pelog. Slendro has 5 tones per octave, ie 1 2 3 5 6 [C-D E + GA] with small differences in the interval. Pelog have 7 tones per octave, ie 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [C + D-E F # G # AB] with the difference that large intervals. Gamelan music composition was created with a few rules, which consist of several rounds and pathet, limited by a gongan and melodinya created in the unit that consists of 4 tones.

You can see gamelan music as a distinctive and as escort dance or performing arts such as wayang kulit and ketoprak. As a solitary performance, gamelan music is usually combined with the voice of the cantor Java (called wiraswara male vocalist and female vocalist called waranggana). Gamelan music performed by the gamelan now be a classic or contemporary. One form is a contemporary jazz gamelan-gamelan which is a blend blend music pentatonis and pitched diatonis.

One of the places in Yogyakarta where you can see gamelan performance is the Kraton Yogyakarta. On Thursday at 10.00 - 12.00 WIB held gamelan music as a solitary. Saturday at the same time as the gamelan music performed puppet surrounding skin, while on Sunday at the same time performed by gamelan music as a traditional Javanese dance suite. To see pertunjukannya, you can go to Sri Maganti Bangsal. While the device to see the old gamelan, you can go to another ward Palace which is located further to the rear.
gamelan sound

Script: Yunanto Wiji Utomo
Photo & Artistic: Singgih Dwi Cahyanto