Music of Java: Difference between revisions

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The [[gamelan]] orchestra, based on metallic [[idiophone]]s and [[drum]]s, is perhaps the form which is most readily identified as being distinctly "Javanese" by outsiders. In various forms, it is ubiquitous to Southeast [[Asia]]. In Java, the full [[gamelan]] also adds a [[bowed string instrument]] (the [[rebab]], a name illustrative of [[Islamic]] influence), plucked [[siter]], vertical flute [[suling]] and voices. The rebab is one of the main melodic instruments of the ensemble, together with the metallophone [[gendér]]; these and the [[kendang]] drums are often played by the most experienced musicians. Voices usually consist of a male chorus [[gerong]], together with a female soloist [[sindhen|pesindhen]]; however, the voices are not usually featured in court gamelan (as opposed to [[wayang kulit]], [[shadow puppet]] theatre) and are supposed to be heard discreetly in the middle of the orchestral sound. In these [[Abstract music|abstract]] pieces, the words are largely secondary to the music itself.

There are two tuning systems in Javanese gamelan music, [[slendro]] ([[pentatonic]]) and [[pelog]] ([[heptatonic]] in full, but focussingfocusing on a pentatonic group). Tuning is not standard, rather each gamelan set will have a distinctive tuning. There are also distinct melodic modes ([[pathet]]) associated with each tuning system. A complete gamelan consists of two of sets of instrument, one in each tuning system. Different gamelan sets have different sonorities, and are used for different pieces of music; many are very old, and used for only one specific piece. Musical forms are defined by the [[rhythm]]ic cycles. These consist of major cycles punctuated by the large [[gong]], subdivided by smaller divisions marked by the striking of smaller [[gong]]s such as [[kenong]], [[kempul]] and [[kempyang and ketuk|kethuk]]. The melodic interplay takes place within this framework (technically called "[[colotomic structure]]").

==Contemporary forms==