The New Style of balinese gamelan
February 26th, 2011
Gong Kebyar – the brand new style
Kebyar (Keh-Byahr) is an orchestra of up to twenty five players. Devices include bar metallophones, racks of gong chimes, drums, cymbals, and enormous and small gongs. The dimensions is one in all two common 5 tone per octave sequences known as Pelog (Peh-Log). It is intervals range from tiny steps to massive jumps, roughly half steps, complete steps, and major thirds. The repertoire is generally for dance, however the model is distinguished musically by it’s virtuosic outbursts. Ref: bali villas
Kebyar originated in North Bali shortly after a royal mass suicide, called Puputan, by the hands of Dutch colonialists. It’s explosiveness is drawn largely from the militarism and chaos of that era. Kebyar is a definitive expression of hassle in paradise. Drums rumble, fierce melodies charge from nowhere, whirling ornaments twist and tangle as if caught by the wind. Kebyar also makes recent use of strategies drawn from archaic types, especially Gender Wayang (see under). Ref: bali villas accommodation
Led by two drummers, the point of interest of the ensemble is a central bronze metallophone known as Ugal (Oo-Gahl). This instrument is performed one handed with a small hammer in a flashy, dance-like, style. Behind the Ugal is a group of eight to twelve metallophones played with small hammers known as Gangsa (Gahng-Sah). These instruments are paired in interlocking elements to play many varieties of variation on the melody. Larger bronze bar instruments, one and two octaves below the Ugal, play the essential line and structural tones of the melody with tender mallets.
An instrument of particular curiosity in Kebyar is the Reong (Reh-Yong), a row of twelve small horizontal gongs played by three or 4 musicians. Although the fundamental instrument is one of the oldest in Indonesia, Kebyar fashion pushes Reong to new extremes. Each player, accountable for taking part in two or three gongs within the row, should interject his respective notes within the line to provide fast ornamental gestures and prospers with the sound of 1 or two super human players. The result’s a bubbling, unbridled layer of variation. Ref: bali villas
Categories: Music and Gadget
