Search - Gamelan Music of Bali :: Gamelan Music of Bali

Timeless and hypnotic

Kean Chhay Chang | Vic, Australia | 12/25/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gamelan Music of Bali contains only four tracks. I quite enjoyed this cd however I was a little disappointed with the qaulity. I had to turn up the volume to just listening to music. The recording was so faint that I had to turn it full blast to hear the orchestra in the first track Ceremoninal funeral music (Tabuh Lelambatan Lawas) performed during the cremation of a royal prince. In the ceremonial funeral music it sounded almost like the typical gamelan gong orchestra. There is much similarity with it's loud ringing of the metallophones and punctuating rhythm produced by the large heavy bossed gongs. I found this to be very lively and it sounds as though it's in the kebyar style. The tempo and dynamics are great... with sudden shifts of mood and strong outburst of colour for a funeral orchestra, compared to some Asian funeral music which tended to be very slow and somber. Yet this is different in it's own accord as one can hear while listening to the music and make out the differences and is very stately in it's own unique style. However in track two I didn't have to turn up the volume because, the metallic ringing of the gender is already loud. This orchestra is called Gender Wayang Kulit used to accompany shadow theatre. The music is different compared to the first track, there are only four metallophones playing in this track and it sounds quite delicate, almost light and dainty, dreamy in many aspects due to the fact that there aren't any other musical instruments added in the Gender Wayang orchestra. Also accompanying track two was a narrative performed by the dalang (puppeteer). Giving the whole track an usual twist because most of the cds that I have which contains Gender Wayang don't have vocals. I find it interesting because the puppeteer does not narrate in the Balinese language however he narrates in kawi or kakawin (Old Javanese language) performing the ancient well know Indian epical tale the Mahabharata. Track three was something a little usual because it's the Barong dance drama and in this recording it features the a suling (flute). Making the whole track more airy and delicate compared to the heavy clatter and hazy shimmer of typical gamelan orchestra. The clatter of cymbals in the beginning of the track is different because most gamelan music I have heard the introduction of the music piece would be usually a drum or a metallophone starting the whole musical piece. Track four Trunajaya (Dance of the Victorious Youth) is a very lively and sudden piece due the pauses in musical compositions mostly commonly found in the kebyar style. Sudden shifts of mood and the vitality and vibrancy found in it's compositions... making it almost a hazy. I can actually hear the light but faint ringing of the huge boss gongs make it a very haunting and the shimmering and metallic ringing of the metallophones which I find so common in some many gamelan music... Track one, three and four have a very unusual but hypnotic sound to the loud booming of the gongs and some repeating of some musical parts over and over again. This cd contains good recordings of music compositions that I have ever heard but I am a little disappointed with the quality it's so faint sometimes that I might have to turn the volume up to hear the instruments playing. Overall the cd comes with notes and photographs of the orchestra... I recommend it to anyone who is interested in Balinese gamelan music and music lovers alike."