Gamelan is the traditional ensemble music of Java and Bali in Indonesia, made up of percussive instruments. The gamelan groups have a ton of different instrument and here are just a few of them. From largest to smallest you have vertically suspended gongs called Kempul. Next has horizontally suspended gongs which include the Kempyang and Kethuck. There are also key metallophones called Slenthem that you play with one mallet and use the other hand to mute the bar after it is hit. Another metallophone instrument is called a Saron. It is played with two mallets and has three sizes for pitch range. Next are the drums and they are called Kendhong, the biggest, Ciblon, the medium size drum, and Ketipung, the smallest drum. The drummer playing the set of Kendhong starts stops and gives tempo for the whole gamelan. Each instrument in the gamelan is tuned for that group of instruments. There is no standardized between groups. A gamelan can be thought as one instrument being played by several people. Gamelan often accompanies dance, Wayang puppet performances, or rituals and ceremonies. A Wayang is a theatrical performance of old indian proverbs . The performance is done by the Dalang using shadow puppet. The Dalang must have a thorough knowledge of gamelan, as he gives the cues for the music. Gamelan can be performed by itself in klenengan style, or for radio broadcasts, but concerts in the Western style are not traditional. The main function of this music is to accompany a ceremony or the theatrical performance involving dance or puppetry. Gamelan is still alive and thriving today in Indonesia and outside of Indonesia. With the groups such as American gamelan in the United States and Malay Gamelan in Malaysia.
This first video shows all the instruments of the Javanese gamelan instruments.
This is video is of a Javanese Gamelan Ensemble playing Singa Nebah (The Pouncing Lion)
This is a video talking about wayang performance.
Here is a video of Javanese gamelan music and dance performance.
My last video is called Suite For Violin And American Gamelan by Lou Harrison called Air.
Becker, Judith. "Indonesian Gamelan Main Page." Indonesian Gamelan Main Page. NIU
Southeast Asia, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <http://www.seasite.niu.edu/indonesian/budaya_bangsa/Gamelan/Main_Page/main_page.htm>.
In the Last video you posted, I really enjoyed how the western violin was interpreted to produce an eastern Timbre. It represented both cultures really well even though it certainly leaned to a more eastern style composition. Very interesting take on the traditional Gamelan.
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