MUS 185 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Shadow Play, Wayang, Gamelan
18 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
In balinese gamelan music, each player/instrument serves a specific function. Gongs are used to mark structural points in a composition. Making a gong is regarded as a spiritual, and even mysterious, process: melodic players. Important: there is no harmony in balinese gamelan. There are only linear parts, stacked on top of one another. Huge point: the core melody is typically buried in the mid-range of the ensemble. It serves as the genesis for other (cid:862)(cid:373)elodi(cid:272)(cid:863) parts. The keyboard instruments, and others, play melodically: lead, or (cid:862)(cid:272)uei(cid:374)g(cid:863) i(cid:374)stru(cid:373)e(cid:374)ts. Wayang kulit: literally (cid:862)shado(cid:449) fro(cid:373) leather(cid:863) Indonesia shadow puppetry: most common in java, but found also in bali, long performances (dusk to dawn, performance area includes screen and a light source, audience members actually surround performance. The dalang: the puppeteer, wayang kulit plays are led by a dalang. Controls all aspects of the performance (puppets, storytelling, gamelan) Usually does not make a living at it.
