Origin: Bali
Instrumentation: Xylophones, membranophones, a flute, some kind of gong-like idiophone
Performers: Balinese gamelan performers (The video doesn't give a specific group name)
In both of the books we're reading, the authors talk about Balinese gamelan music and I literally have no idea what they're talking about, so I decided to look it up. I'm glad I did because it is like no other kind of music I've heard. I'm not going to lie, I find the metal xylophones they play on rather strident. However, I like the tightness of the rhythms and the harmonies that they play. As a group, the performer are very tight and together. It is also interesting how the piece is broken up. There will be a section of the xylophones playing then they will drop out and a flute, or the gong-like instrument will come in. I only noticed this a few minutes in, but the group is antiphonal, with a group of performers on one side of the "stage" and another group on the other. It is not very rhythmically complicated, just relentless.
Obviously this is an absolutely authentic example. It is performed in a Balinese palace in the city of Ubud, for Balinese people, performed by Balinese people, with Balinese instruments
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ReplyDeleteI completely agree! I didn't really know what gamelan music was either.
ReplyDeleteAs you said this a perfect example of an absolute authentic model. They are performing in a cultural setting, with the authentic instruments, with members of the culture and in the style of the type of music. It would be interesting how we could adapt this to a general music classroom. The techniques that is used on the xylophone is so specific regarding lengths of notes and rhythms.
If nothing else, it is relentless. What amazes me about the Gamelan group is how tight the rhythms are and how well the ensemble comes together to make one sound. When the group of xylophones play together, it could be heard as just one big xylophone sound, but instead it is many xylophones sounding at exactly the same time. The obliviousness of the musicians to this brilliance is hysterical to me. The one musician sitting in front of the camera is in the middle of playing and just looks around at the audience and the camera, like the piece he is playing is no big deal. Of course, I know nothing of their practice schedules, but they are so nonchalant about the whole ordeal. As Western European musicians we are taught to work hard and do intricate things and make it look easy, but these players make it look effortless. It's a very interesting dynamic. (Side note, who is spammerman? he totally wrote on my blog, too)
ReplyDeleteI was also recently wondering what exactly a gamelan ensemble looks like. This video was not what I was expecting (although I don't really know what I was expecting), but it was enlightening nonetheless! I think the really cool thing about this type of ensemble is that no performer is ever meant to stand out, which is such a contrast to the Western art culture, where we really value solo players and singers.
ReplyDeleteGood to know that this music is new to many of you - we will have to fix that! Thanks, Liz, for giving an aural/visual example. Cat, there are many Orff educators out there who have use the Orff instrumentarium to create sudo-gamelans in their classrooms (Gamelans are very expensive...$8000 expensive). I believe I have a few conference workshop handouts that I can make available on Bb. Remind me!
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