Music of Indonesia Java and Bali Overview Nation

Music of Indonesia: Java and Bali

Overview • • Nation of 17, 000+ islands World’s 4 th most populous country National language: Indonesian Independence from Netherlands: 1945 Was Dutch colony for 300+ years Historically known as Spice Islands Religious influences via traders/colonizers: Hinduism/Buddhism, Islam, Christianity.

Javanese Court Cities • Yogyakarta (Yogya) • Surakarta (Solo):

Music of the Courts • Gamelan (musical ensemble) • Classical Javanese dance • Wayang Kulit (shadow puppetry)

Javanese Gamelan • Orchestra (70 -80 instruments): • • Metallophones (incl. gong) Drum Rebab Male and female chorus, vocalists

Groups of Instruments • Punctuating (time markers): – gong, kenong (lg kettle gong), kempul (sm hanging gong), kethuk (sm kettle gong), and kempyang • Melody (skeletal): – Saron (metal xylophone) and slenthem • Elaborating: – bonang, gambang, gender, rebab, and suling • Regulating (tempo, start, stop): – drums - kendang.

Gamelan Instruments

Music Terms and Concepts – Scales and Modes – Scales: » Pelog (7 tones, many small intervals) (+ various modes=pathet) » Slendro (5 tones, relatively equal intervals) – Styles – Loud style – Soft style – Form and Structure: – Colotomic structure – Bubaran (formal structure with 16 beats per gongan (i. e. one complete cycle) – Loud style (often used outdoors) – Soft style