gamelan (Javanese orchestra)

why...?

In his book 'music of Java' Jaap Kunst says, "Gamelan is comparable to only two things, moonlight and flowing water. ...mysterious like moonlight and always changing like flowing water ...".

Gamelan is surely not a foreign music. Its popularity has spread to various continents and has created a new blend of jazz-gamelan music, gave birth to the institution as a learning space and the expression of gamelan music, to produce famous gamelan musicians.

The term gamelan refers to the instrument / tool, which is a unified whole that embodied and pounded together.
Gamelan word itself is derived from gamel Java language, which means hitting / beating, followed by a suffix that makes the noun.
Gamelan orchestra there are many on the island of Java, Madura, Bali and Lombok in Indonesia in various ensemble sizes and shapes.

There is no definite history of gamelan. Growth is expected since the emergence of gamelan music (kentongan, rebab, pat into the mouth, the friction on a thin rope or bamboo to the familiar music from metal tools). Subsequent developments after named gamelan, the music was used to accompany performances (puppet show and dances).

according to history
Occurrences gamelan preceded by a Hindu-Buddhist culture that dominated Indonesia in the early days of recording history, which also represents the original Indonesian art. Instrument developed to shape up like this now.
In Javanese mythology, the gamelan dicipatakan by Sang Hyang Guru in Saka Era, the god who controlled all the land of Java, with palaces on the mountain Mahendra in Medangkamulan (now Mount Lawu). Sang Hyang Guru first create the gong to summon the gods. For a more specific message and then create two gongs, and finally formed a set of gamelan
Gamelan orchestra tuning and making is a complex process. Gamelan tuning using four ways, namely slendro, pelog, "Degung" (special area of Sunda, or West Java), and "madenda" (also known as the diatonic, the same as the original minor scale that is widely used in Europe.

Gamelan music is the combined influence of foreign art diverse. Chinese regard the tone of the notes, the musical instruments of Southeast Asia, drum band and move to music from India, bowed strings from the Middle East region, Europe and even the military style that we hear on the traditional music of Java and Bali today.



Javanese gamelan is music with pentatonic melodies. A complete gamelan game consists of two rounds, namely slendro and pelog. Slendro has five tones per octave, ie 1 2 3 5 6 [C-D E + GA] with small differences in the interval. Pelog has seven tones per octave, ie 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 [C + D E-F # G # AB] with a large difference interval. Gamelan music compositions created by some rules, which consist of several rounds and pathet, limited by a gong and the melodies were created in a unit consisting of four tones.

to be continue ...


source:
http://www.yogyes.com/id/yogyakarta-tourism-object/performance /gamelan-show/

http://www.joglosemar.co.id/gamelan.html

id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamelan