Gamelan of Central Java 2: Classical Gendings - CD Home Page | Newest Releases More music from Indonesia

Search for music Need Help?

Gamelan of Central Java II: Ceremonial Music (Dunya/Felmay)
$17.99

Program
1. Sekaten Gending (Gamelan Sekati Guntur Madu) 15.40
2. Sekanten Gending (Gamelan Sekati Guntur Sari) 20.32
3. Gending Munggang (Gamelan Munggang) 7.08
4. Gending Kodok Ngorek (Gamelan Kodok Ngorek) 6.13
5. Gending Carabalen (Gamelan Carabalen) 10.25

See other recordings in this series: Gamelan of Central Java

From the record label:
After the release of the first volume of GAMELAN OF CENTRAL JAVA - Classical Gendings - the Dunya catalogue has now been enriched by a new chapter in the Javanese music domain.

This second CD features five tracks of varying length aiming to bring to light some the finest religious and ceremonial music from Java's thousand year-old musical tradition. The repertory selected here is thus closely connected with the sacred aspect of the music and the recordings are distinguished by the fact that they were made "in the field" in part in the Grand Mosque and in part in the Mangkunagaran palace in Surakarta. The result conveys the truly spiritual air of five gamelan orchestras captured in their most authentic context (they are in fact only authorised to play the style of music featured here). Listening to these five of the oldest and most revered gendings in the history of music from central Java, lovers of oriental music admire the mystical afflatus emanating from the seductive sounds of the gamelan, sounds that will transport them into a state of meditation and reflection.

The opening two tracks refer to an important Islamic religious festivity (called Sekaten), which takes place over an entire week in celebration of the birth and death of the prophet Mohammed. During the Sekanten gamelans are played continuously throughout the day. A closer listen reveals the loudly resonant qualities of the playing, due to the fact that during religious festivals the orchestras must be audible from far away and must above all cover the rustling and noisy movements of the crowd. An original feature of the gamelan used here, deriving from the need to play loud, is the dimension of the gongs and sarons (bronze xylophones) and of the bedung drums, which are all almost double their normal size (and the same goes for the hammers and sticks). Lastly, the scale used by the Gamelan Sekati must always be that composed of seven notes called pelog.

Of the remaining three tracks, the first, Munggang, represents an example of the oldest known music from Java whose origins have become part of the local mythology. Scholars in any case agree that from the 13th century on the Munggang was connected to the religious rituals of Javanese Hinduism. Its structure is cyclical and is produced partly through the uses of two different series of large gongs of contrasting timbres and different pitches. It is generally performed during festivals and rites or else on pre-established days in the palaces which house this type of gamelan. The last two gendings although not quite as legendary are still part of the proto-gamelan and these too may be heard on special occasions. According to certain etymologies the Carabalen could derive from Balinese music (cara = mode, balen = of Bali) while for others it would seem to be connected with martial functions (bala = band of warriors). Listening to Ceremonial Music promises to be a marvellous experience for those who are able to let themselves be transported by the energy of these five tracks which build slowly up to a final climax. Travelling in the company of a gamelan orchestra you can be guaranteed an amazing experience both musically and spiritually. Recorded by John Noise Manis in Surakarta, 2001 (tracks 1 and 2) and in 1996 (tracks 3-5)