Gamelan

Gamelan has for centuries been a prominent music of certain Indonesian islands (most notably, Java and Bali), central to the temple, the court, and the daily lives of the people. Gamelan encompasses a number of different musical forms, each differing in melodic structure, instrumentation, region, language, and performance contexts. The word "gamelan" also refers to the instruments of a gamelan ensemble.

Gamelan ensembles are usually percussion-oriented and include gongs, drums (kendhang), bar-shaped metallophones (saron, gender, slentem), and cymbals made of iron and bronze. Flutes (suleng) and stringed instruments (rebab, cither, celempung) may also be included.

Gamelan ensembles sometimes perform without any additional visual component, or are integrated into dance dramas and shadow-puppet theatre, known as wayang kulit. Wayang kulit is often an all-night experience, featuring stories of the Ramayana infused with modern political commentary, sung by the pupeteer (dalang) in the national language of Indonesia (bahasa Indones) as well as local dialects and sometimes even English (if there is a large American or Australian contingent in the crowd).

Gamelan became popular outside Java and Bali during the 1930s World Fairs, when ensembles performed for European and American audiences that included composers such as Debussy, Britten, and Poulenc. With the advent of the academic discipline of ethnomusicology (particularly as practiced at UCLA by scholars such as Ki Mantle Hood), sets of instruments were brought to the West and Americans and Europeans began practicing gamelan. Currently, there are hundreds of active gamelans outside of Indonesia, and festivals all over the world featuring gamelan music have become a popular forum for gamelan aficionados.

Sub-Categories:

Organizations

Gamelan-L Mailing List - This list is for anyone with a scholarly, artistic, or practical interest in gamelan. Archives available.
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Explore the World of Gamelan - An introduction to the gamelan of Java and Bali with audio samples and photographs, origins and spread to other areas, comparisons with other music, instruments and ensembles, dictionary, and lists of gamelan CDs, books, and links. In French and English.
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Sinar Anyar - Gamelan scores and choreographies and the stories of Javanese court dances.
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Central Javanese Gamelan - An introduction to the music with reviews of recommended recordings.
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Balinese Gamelan Rhythms - Training exercises and MIDI files.
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Bali & Beyond - A Los Angeles based ensemble presenting concert audio and video, gamelan introduction, history, instruments, scales, audio examples, overviews of Balinese and Javanese gamelan with audio samples, discussion forum, wayang information, and merchandise.
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Gamelan Mitra Kusuma - A Balinese gamelan based in Washington, DC, presents information on the instruments, audio samples, performance schedule, classes, and a mailing list.
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Gamelan in Australia and New Zealand - Profiles of gamelan groups, recordings, courses, mailing list, and links.
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Monkey C - Experimental gamelan band from Santa Barbara, California present virtual gamelan instruments, audio samples, band and instrument profiles, and links.
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Yogyakarta Gamelan Festival - International gathering of gamelan players and gamelan lovers. An annual festival, held every July in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Information about previous festivals, including photographs.
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Naga Mas Gamelan Page - A Scottish gamelan group with information about gamelan, audio files, photographs, links, and dreadful gamelan puns.
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Pusaka Sunda - San Jose, California based gameland degung ensemble with audio samples, discography and ordering information, artists profiles, performance schedule, and workshops.
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Gamelan Semara Santi of Swarthmore College - Information about gamelan in general, including audio clips, and about Swarthmore's gamelan program and how to join.
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The Dartmouth - Javanese Gamelan - Gamelan music teaches cooperation, listening.
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Gendhing Jawa - Javanese Gamelan notation [PDF].
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Gamelan Anak Swarasanti - Balinese gamelan orchestra based in San Francisco. Schedule of upcoming performances, slide shows of past performances, discography with audio samples, player profiles, and articles.
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Musical Malaysia: the Malay Gamelan - And introduction to the music and instruments with photographs and audio and video samples.
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Seleh Notes - The UK Gamelan Newsletter, covering all aspects of gamelan. Subscription-based but features are available on the website.
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Articles in this category:

Debussy and Gamelan According to a 150 Year Old Man - ...

Web Search for Gamelan Regional and Ethnic Styles Music Arts - News search for Gamelan Regional and Ethnic Styles Music Arts - encyclopedia entries for Gamelan Regional and Ethnic Styles Music Arts