Gamelan Music of Bali

Gamelan Music of Bali

Gamelan Music of Bali

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
On Gamelan Music of Bali, we hear a Gamelan Angklung, and a Gamelan Gong Kebjar producing some of the most powerful, tour de force gamelan performances ever committed to tape. The program includes a dizzying array of pieces which range from quiet anticipation to virtual explosions of synchronized metallaphones, all deftly hammered in furious poly-rhythmic symmetry!

Gamelan Music of Bali,Various Artists,Lyrichord Discs Inc.,Asia,Bali,Gamelan,Int'l & World Music,Pop,World Beat Collections,World Music
Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • This recording is great, but...
  • Sensational Sounds!
  • Exquisite
  • If you were to only own one Explorer disc...
  • Arguably the most beautiful sound in Bali
 Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Bali: Golden Rain
  2. Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar, vol. 1
  3. Java: Court Gamelan
  4. Bali: Music from the Morning of the World
  5. Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 2

ASIN: B00007M57G
Release Date: 2003-01-28

Tracks:

  1. Tabuh Gari
  2. Gambang
  3. Tabuh Pisan
  4. Barong
  5. Sinom Ladrang
  6. Legong Kraton: Playon

Album Description

Of the many kinds of gamelan to be found on the tiny island of Bali, none evokes a more ethereal and enchanted sound world than the rare gamelan of the love god, Gamelan Semar Pegulingan. This is the first commercial recording of the Semar Pegulingan type of gamelan (except for three 78-rpm discs, now rare collectors' items). By the 1930s, Semar Pegulingan, which was originally a palace gamelan, was preserved in only a few villages. Now, however, the gamelan has been restored to life with a repertory that derives from the old traditions, but is strongly influenced by the innovations of 20th-century Balinese music.

Recorded in Teges Kanyinan, Pliatan, Bali, by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1972.

Album Description

Full Title - Bali Gamelan Semar Pegulingan Gamelan of the Love God. Of the many kinds of Gamelan to be found on the tiny island of Bali, none evokes a more ethereal and enchanted sound world than the rare gamelan of the love god, Gamelan Semar Peguilingan. This is the first commercial recording of the Semar Peguilingan type of gamelan, except for three 78-rpm discs, now rare collectors' items. Recorded in Teges Kanyinan, Pliatan, Bali by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1972. Slipcase. Nonesuch. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars This recording is great, but..........2004-05-25

This recording is great, but as an avid fan of Balinese music (and Indonesian music in general) I find it unfortunate that Nonesuch chose to re-release all of these old recordings en masse with new graphics, new titles in some cases, and at bargain prices, effectively flooding the market.
Many people will purchase these recordings online believing they are buying new ( " jan 28, 2003" ) recordings when in fact they are not. What's worse, the unsuspecting buyer may already have one or more of these discs in his or her collection under a different title. For example, "West Java: Sundanese Jaipong" is in fact "Tonggeret " by Idjah Hadidjah. Which, by the way, can be purchased for less right here on Amazon.
The real problem I have with Nonesuch's marketing strategy is that retailers have opted to stock this series in lieu of new recordings from different distributers. It is cheaper and easier.
I think this is a great recording. Actually, it's a classic in the genre. I'm panning it to show my dislike for Nonesuch's creation of market hegemony and the use of deceptive advertising ( to be fair, they do state that these recordings are re-releases on the back of the cd case, but if you are purchasing this on-line you obviously can't see that.)
This situation is to the detriment of fans of Balinese music and performers alike. Bali has an extremely vibrant musical culture. New compositions are being written all the time. In my opinion, the best compositions for Semar Pegulingan have been written recently.
(...)

5 out of 5 stars Sensational Sounds!.......2003-12-15

Gamelan Semar Pegulingan! This has got to be the most refined all Balinese gamelan orchestras for sure! The sounds and the tones as well as the textures are so delicate and wonderful to hear. The vibration and the tinkling of the sounds of the metallophones is enough to make one think of the splendid orchestras which once served the Balinese rajas back in the old feudalistic days when it was considered divine music from the God of Love: Semara. This type of orchestra disappeared when the Dutch took over Bali in the early part of the 21st Century. Many of the gamelans which belonged to wealthy patrons and kings, often the orchestra fell into dis-use and disrepair. Due to the no patronage or anyone willing to finance such huge orchestras which would have cost a fortune to maintain back in the old days before the Dutch took over. While others soon where reforged into the more popular style known as gamelan gong kebyar which was taking Bali by storm in the early 1910s.

Colin McPhee with a few handful of musicians kept the gamelan semar pegulingan alive and its so wonderful to see the music being preserved and handed down from teacher to student as well as father to son. Old compositions being handed down and taught so that it may never be lost. I found the music to be quite relaxing especially the tuning which made it very light and airy because of the jinggling of the metallophones, the wonderful sound of the flute which gave it a unique timbre making the music more alus "refined" as it is. This is the best music I have come so far in regards to gamelan semar pegulingan. The beating of the drums and the clatters of the cymbals gently swaying as the musicians play and ornamentate on the metallophones as well as the trompong (one single musician playing a set of kettle gongs mounted on a horizontal frame, played with beaters).

The music and tracks are very wonderful, each of them carefully explained about what the music is and what the purpose is though. I found it full of information and very helpful to read as well, there are some small photographs of the instrumentation and also some of the musicians too. I enjoyed many of tracks and they seemed to be popular compositions that I have heard on other cd recording of the gamelan semar pegulingan. The most well known version of a famous dance piece known as legong kraton is the most popular. There are different genres and also different version of it. In this recording the introduction is different from compared to the one recorded by David Parson in Vol. The Music of Bali: Tirta Sari - Legong Gamelan. Slightly shorter but the same theme running through the whole piece which I found every enjoyable. Though a little loud in this version, there is no narration of the story in kawi (Old Javanese langauge - which is used in Balinese dance drama or theatre). However it has retained that gracefullness that I see in the young little legong kraton dancers as the whole story is enacted though. The climax builds to the end of the story when the Prince Lasem goes and fights his enemy whom he had abducted Princess Langkasari or Rangkasari from. In the short and fast tempo cycle the music becomes very fast and one can hear the gender (metallophones played with two beaters suspended over bamboo resonators) ornamentate the music and also emphasize the sudden movements of the dance and the battle scenes. The gong agung punctate loud but short beats, creating heavy booming tones which is typical of Balinese music. Very wonderful piece composed in regards to this heavenly dance. Danced by young girls at the ages of 7-10. The legong dancers retire by the time they start puberty.

Other recordings contain pieces that have originated from gambuh dance drama like tabuh gari which a piece performed which signaled the end of a performance. This piece contains performances on the trompong which is the lead instrument as well, elaborating its melody above the core melody which I often enjoy the metallic gong ringing. There are other pieces that were composed by the great Wayan Lotring who said he often dreamt about compositions and melodies for the gamelan semar pegulingan music. While others were tradition pieces that have been around for generations, some pieces have been revived and given a whole new playing style even though the playing style maybe different. However the music itself is still good.

The closest music of gamelan semar pegulingan that I would have to say has the same instrumentation would have to be Music of Bali: Gamelan Semar Pegulingan from the Village of Ketewel recorded by Wayne Vitale, Gamelan Semar Pegulingan of the Village of Binoh from World Music Library. These three cds I would have to recommend in regards to wanting to hear some really good semar pegulingan music. The all come from different parts of Bali but their tuning is pretty different from each other which I like at least you get some variations on regards to the tones and pitches of each orchestra. I give this cd the thumbs up. Sweet and divine music from the Balinese God of Love is indeed sweet like honey straight from a beehive.

5 out of 5 stars Exquisite.......2003-10-31

The music heard on this recording is probably my favorite out of all gamelan pieces I have come across, be it recorded or live. Track 2, Gamang, never ceases to captivate me. There is something new to listen to each time I put it on, and it never tires. Certain music, owing itself to human beginnings, eventually reaches a point where there is endless wonder that is beyond human, like a tree that could never be designed by man, but might have been planted and nurtured by one. Forgetting what science my assert, something must be said for musicians that actually believe the spirit of the gods is breathing through them as they play, rather than mortal self-expression of much of western pop culture. In my opinion this can be heard in recordings such as this (if you can't make it to Bali). As a musician myself, and gamelan member, this music -- showing mastery of both composition and performance -- provides much needed inspiration and affirmation.

My other favorite recording is one called "Best of Gamelan Bali," a 6-track CD. Despite the rather tacky title, it is actually quite amazing but not available on Amazon. I believe my father got it in Bali. If anyone has recommendations, I would greatly welcome an email: akuhn@berklee.net

5 out of 5 stars If you were to only own one Explorer disc..........2003-05-09

I came to own this album by an amazing stroke of luck. One day, while fishing around my favorite music store, I walked into the world music section for the first time. Feeling disgruntled with my extensive (though musically shallow) CD collection, I figured it was time to spice things up a bit. I left the store with this CD. Popping it in my car's CD player, I made it through the first ten minutes (and halfway home) when I turned around, went back to the store, and bought four more discs from Nonesuch's Indonesia series. Such is the power of the Gamelan of the Love God.

The music presented here will capture your mind and your spirit, and will whisk them away to a time and place far removed from the doldrums of everyday life. No matter where you are, or what your situation, you'll feel that warm tropical breeze overtaking your senses from the first notes, to well beyond the triumphant finale. The well-written liner notes afford tremendous insight into the Balinese gamelan style, both from a technical and a cultural vantage point. Finally, the digital remastering is a work of art that makes the music shine on even the worst stereo systems.

I now own the entire Nonesuch Indonesia series, and am currently halfway through the Africa series as well. Thanks to this CD, I've been turned on to a music that I had never heard of in my 25 sheltered years of life. However, I'll be collecting gamelan extensively from now on. If you're only going to own one disc in the Explorer series, this is it.

5 out of 5 stars Arguably the most beautiful sound in Bali.......2003-04-03

Bali ý Gamelan Semar Pegulingan: The Gamelan of the Love God

The famous gamelan heard on this recording was kept in composer/ethnomusicologist Colin McPheeýs house in Bali during the 1930s, when he was collecting material for his authoritative work, ýMusic in Bali.ý It is pictured therein, as well as in McPheeýs charming autobiography about those days called ýA House in Bali.ý McPheeýs chauffeur and musical guide was I Made Lebah, one of Baliýs greatest musicians, who directs the present ensemble.

In the early 1960s, some of Dr. Mantle Hoodýs graduate students at UCLA, who had studied with Colin McPhee in the last years before his death in 1964, found their way to Bali and became acquainted with Lebah. Inevitably we all began to ask about the famous Semar Pegulingan, wondering what had become of it. Anak Agung Gde Mandra, a member of the local nobility who owned the instruments and who had been the groupýs drummer in the 1930s, conceived the idea of restoring the gamelan after some thirty years of neglect, and the instruments were collected (some, famously, from beneath Made Lebahýs bed!), refurbished, and Mandera sent them to a banjar in the south of Pliatan village, where Lebah recruited a group, largely of young men in their teens, to start learning the old repertoire.

Those men are now aging, but the group, which visited Europe and Japan in its heyday, continues to play. The present recording, however, the first ever made of the group in 1971, reflects the youthful vigor of the players in its early days. More than that, the repertoire recorded here is what Made Lebah had played at McPheeýs house in the 1930s. This recording, then, is a kind of time warp back to that wonderful period in Bali before the Second World War, when such people as McPhee, Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, Miguel Covarrubias, Walter Spies, and others were creating the legend of a paradise on earth called Bali.

Later on, one of the senior players in the group, Made Grindem, along with others, decided to update things by adding pieces in a newer kebyar-influenced style to the repertoire, and Made Lebah departed. However, the pieces he brought to the group, some of them from the old palace musician, Guru Lunyuh of Payangan village, McPheeýs informant, and from McPheeýs friend, the composer I Lotring of Kuta village, are still played as Lebah taught them, and remain the foundation of the Teges repertoire as it exists today.

On this recording are old pieces like Tabuh Gari and Sinom Ladrang, Lotring's famous evocation of the syncopated music of the gambang xylophone ensemble, and the complete music for a legong, Bali's reknowned classical dance, usually performed by three highly trained little girls. In this case it is the music for the Playon story, not the Legong Lasem, which is most frequently heard today. Although the legong music is now more often played on the larger gong kebyar gamelan, the more delicate gamelan pelegongan, which adds two gender instruments to the semar pegulingan ensemble, is the instrumentation for which is was conceived, and conveys its spirit most perfectly.

I feel proud to have made this recording of the rare and exceedingly beautiful Gamelan Semar Pegulingan from Teges village, and can recommend it as an aural link to the past world of the late Colin McPhee, my teacher, and the late Made Lebah, my dear good friend, sorely missed.

Dr. Robert E. Brown
Center for World Music
San Diego, California...
Explorer: Bali - Gamelan & Kecak
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Unbelievable music
 Explorer: Bali - Gamelan & Kecak
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God
  2. Bali: Golden Rain
  3. Explorer: Bali - Music for the Shadow Play
  4. Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 2
  5. Explorer: Java - Jasmine Isle - Gamelan

ASIN: B000084T5F
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Tracks:

  1. Opening Parade, Bali Arts Festival
  2. Gending Kebyar Kosalya Arini
  3. Sekar Sungsang
  4. Lagu Kodok (Frog Song)
  5. Gending Sekar Gadung
  6. Tabuh Teluh
  7. Sulendro
  8. Kecak
  9. Baris

Album Description

Bali's most popular ensemble is still the large gamelan gong, consisting of 25 to 30 musicians. The principal melody instruments are metallophones, xylophone-like instruments with bronze keys. Sets of small, tuned gong kettles provide melodic ornaments, while the penetrating bass tones of great gongs punctuate larger phrases. Clashing cymbals add to the overall glitter. A flute or stringed instrument sweetens the melody. The entire structure is supported by two drummers, who create the crucial rhythmic underpinning. The kecak is uniquely Balinese. The rhythmic interlocking "tjak-tjak-tjak-tjak," chanted by a large group of male voices, originated as the accompaniment to an ancient trance dance. It is a performance of the Ramayana, where the monkey hordes come to the aid of King Rama in his battle with the evil King Rawana. The 80 members of the Sekaha Ganda Sari are heard in this kecak performance.

From the Pura Paku Alaman, Jogyakarta. K.R.T. Washington, director. Recorded in Java by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1989.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Unbelievable music.......2006-10-05

I owned this recording on the original LP and am very impressed with the remastering done here. The kecak is much cleaner and more distinct without losing any of its power. Those who have not heard this music, especially the Ramayana monkey chant, are in a for a huge treat.
Bali: Roots of Gamelan
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Wonderful!
  • Rare Moment in Balinese Music, Timeless and Teasured!!!
 Bali: Roots of Gamelan
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Arbiter
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:
  1. Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar, vol. 1
  2. Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God
  3. Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar, vol. 2
  4. Music Of Bali/Gamelan & Kecak
  5. Music For The Gods: The Fahnestock South Sea Expedition, Indonesia

ASIN: B00000I7LO
Release Date: 1999-12-08

Tracks:

  1. Kebyar Ding I: Kebyar - Gong Of Belaluan
  2. Kebyar Ding II: Surapati - Gong Of Belaluan
  3. Kebyar Ding III: Oncang-Oncangan - Gong Of Belaluan
  4. Kebyar Ding IV: Batel - Gong Of Belaluan
  5. Kebyar Ding V: Pengrang-Rangan - Gong Of Belaluan
  6. Kebyar Ding VI: Pengawak & Pengecet - Gong Of Belaluan
  7. Curik Ngaras - Gong Of Belaluan
  8. Kembang Langkuas - Gong Of Belaluan
  9. Calonarang: Sisya - Pelegongan Of Kuta
  10. Calonarang: Ngalap Base-Ampin Lukun - Pelegongan Of Kuta
  11. Gegenggongoan - Pelegongan Of Kuta
  12. Gonteng (Djawa) Pengawak Solo - Pelegongan Of Kuta
  13. Lagu 'Tabuh Gari' - Gong Of Busungbiu
  14. Lagu 'Cocelantungan' - Gong Of Busungbiu
  15. Selendro - Gender Wayang Of Kuta
  16. Putih Putih Saput Anduk - Janger Group Of Abian Timbul
  17. Lagu Gending 'Merdah' - Angklung Of Sidan
  18. Lagu 'Ngisep Dublag' - Angklung Of Sidan
  19. Pemungkah - Colin McPhee/Benjamin Britten/Georges Barrere
  20. Rebong - Colin McPhee/Benjamin Britten/Georges Barrere
  21. Gambangan - Colin McPhee/Benjamin Britten/Georges Barrere
  22. Lagu Delem - Colin McPhee/Benjamin Britten/Georges Barrere
  23. Tabu Telu - Colin McPhee/Benjamin Britten/Georges Barrere
  24. Lagu Ardja - Colin McPhee/Benjamin Britten/Georges Barrere
  25. Kambing Slem - Colin McPhee/Benjamin Britten/Georges Barrere

Amazon.com

Since the West became acquainted with it in the late 1920s, Balinese gamelan music has inspired musicologists, given birth to minimalism, and even been mimicked by electronica artists. It's easy to hear why: with its complex, polyrhythmic sounds played out on perfectly tuned gongs and chimes, gamelan music is one of the most exciting and exotic sounds heard in the world. It's gorgeous to listen to, thrilling to witness, and sounds like nothing else on earth. On The Roots of Gamelan, we're given a real treat: the earliest commercially available recordings of gamelan music (dating from 1928), along with the 1941 transcriptions that composers Colin McPhee and Benjamin Britten made in their attempt to recreate gamelan sounds with Western instrumentation (mainly, the piano). Recording quality is mediocre here, but the music pours forth. A wide variety of styles is played (from the lyrical and comedic Janger to the wildly furious Kebyar compositions) by some of the finest gamelan musicians alive in the era of recorded music. This aural history lesson is filled with delights, and it's easy to see why composers Britten and McPhee (and latter, a whole batch of New Music composers, including Harry Partch) were smitten with the music. And, though the pair are unable to convey the power of the gamelan on their Steinways, it's fascinating to hear their interpretations. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful!.......2002-11-27

A worthy addition to any music lover's collection.

5 out of 5 stars Rare Moment in Balinese Music, Timeless and Teasured!!!.......2001-09-21

Very extraordinary cd, itýs not everyday that one would come along and find a cd with such wonderful music apart from the constant hissing since they where recorded on old records. This has to be one of the earliest recordings of Balinese gamelan music before the war or ever in the whole worldý when Bali was just opening up to tourism in the 1930s. Most of the records often indicated that the musicians were actually experimenting with new repertoires for the kebyar style which took Bali by storm a few years after the puputan massacre. This style was just slowly beginning to take root as I can still hear from the playing style they have taken repertoires from gamelan gong gede and transplanted it into the new and more modern kebyar style. The recording still has traits of that distinct old style ýgong gedeý and ýpelegonganý from the metallophones and large boss gongs as it slowly punctuates through each track, yet the music didnýt show any fast tempos, it was stately and grand but over the decades with some recordings the tempo has gone from stately to really fast and chaotic at times. Apart from the tempo speeding up over the decades, the gong gede playing style also disappeared moving away from itýs early beginnings as kebyar style was taking itýs true form that we often hear today, but somewhere along the line the gong gede style goes unnoticed and is very hard to pick up in the music and the only possible give away would be the title or the name of the piece being played which will determine whether itýs secular or ceremonial piece, or when the piece is to be played on the more ancient orchestras that the piece was intended. This has to be the original recordings to Balinese gamelan music.

Other orchestras included gamelan pelegongan which was a five tone version of the seven tone semar pegulingan or better known as ýmusic for the royal bedroom or music from the God of Love Semaraý. The gamelan pelegongan carried wonderful virtuosic sounds and repertoires from the semar pegulingan which soon became are and faded with the royal aristocracy. The sounds were divine with the light sounds, tones and colours of the music being performed for the recording. Apart from gong kebyar and pelegongan there were also gender wayang quartet with their mysterious and shimmering tones as musicians struck each key. Jangger I found was much similar to the kecak that was performed for tourists yet it was also a little bit different because it contained female vocals a rebab which is a two-stringed fiddle and a frame drum making this particularly unusual in the chanting sounding as though if it was a tribal dance. Gamelan angklung was really sweet in sound and in texture. The vibrant tones were bitter sweet and often I could actually pick out in the background the angklung or bamboo rattles which were shaken accompanying the orchestra, however with time angklung had disappeared and has only remained in name for the orchestra making it much rarer to hear in the recording.

There were also transcription of ceremonial music by Colin Mcphee and Benjamin Britten on piano which was wonderful I found it very interesting to see that the Colin Mcphee and his partner were actually experimenting with the music and it did make a contrast one piece that I was familiar with was track 19 ý Pemungkah that would be used at any ceremony at an opening piece. Track 19 ý Pemungkah is similar in playing style to Gamelan Music of Bali recorded by Deben Bhattacharya in track 2 ý Mahabharata (from a shadow play called Wayan Kulit) which played an exact opening piece in the same repertoire. Also there were transcriptions by Georges Barrere playing the flute with Colin Mcphee as the pianist.

I found this cd to be a wonderful and rare moment in music because, Colin Mcphee had put so much effort into his study of Balinese music that he made recordings that were to be or supposed to be publicised to the whole world in the form of a 78 rpm discs. The contents are pretty rare, despite the constant hissing. I guess the musicians in the gamelan where also experimenting with music and they showed a lot of skill in the playing style. The contents were great and the booklet contained a lot of information that was well researched regarding each track which is useful for the listener which is I am happy to comment on. There were a few photos including the famous composer I Wayan Lotring and a few other photos which make it more wonderful to see rare photos of musicians playing with their musical instruments. I can recommend this cd to anyone who is interested regarding the first recordings of gamelan music development with the radical kebyar style in Bali which started a few years after the Dutch takeover of Bali as well as the gamelan pelegongan, gender wayang etcý I give it the thumbs up.
Music Of Bali/Gamelan & Kecak
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Balinese anthology
  • Beautifully Recorded Balinese Music
  • excellent introduction to Balinese music
  • Great recording and music
  • ancient modern music
 Music Of Bali/Gamelan & Kecak
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
BaliBali | Indonesia | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Far East | Compilations | International | Styles | Music
Similar Items:
  1. Bali: Music from the Morning of the World
  2. Bali: Roots of Gamelan
  3. Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar, vol. 1
  4. Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God
  5. Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar, vol. 2

ASIN: B000005IZI
Release Date: 1989-05-11

Tracks:

  1. Opening Parade, Bali Arts Festival
  2. Gending Kebyar Kosalya Arini - Gending Kebyar Kosalya Arisni
  3. Sekar Sungsang - Sekar Sungsang
  4. Lagu Kodok (Frod Song)
  5. Gending Sekar Gadung - Pak Guawan
  6. Tabuh Teluh
  7. Sulendro - Gender Wayang, Sukawati
  8. Kecak
  9. Baris

Amazon.com

Recorded by David Lewiston in 1987, these are fine recordings of both famous and little-heard strains of Indonesian music. In a series of recordings that include both large gamelan orchestras and small ensembles, he has captured the wide scope of the music of Bali. In addition to the gamelan works we are offered some very unique sounds: a palm bark version of the Jew's harp; a reed instrument with a distinctly "Hendrix on the bagpipes" sound. Perhaps most enjoyable is a recording of a passing parade, with various instruments, rhythms, and melodies drifting by in the sort of cacophony associated with Charles Ive's marching band works. Lewiston's offering is invaluable. -- Louis Gibson

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Balinese anthology.......2004-04-09

This disc is a very clean recording of a variety of Balinese musical styles. I bought the disc because I enjoy gamelan music, but it includes much more than that. The liner notes provide comprehensive information on the musical styles represented and make interesting and instructive reading for a dilettante like myself. Some tracks are peaceful and contemplative, others are frenetic and energizing, but all are fascinating to hear. Highly recommended.

5 out of 5 stars Beautifully Recorded Balinese Music.......2002-07-29

This recording is a treasure. It presents a wide variety of Balinese music, from a gamelan parade, through small group "chamber music" to the large ensemble music and even a smattering of Kecak. The music is all expertly played by a wide variety of gamelan ensembles, so you get a sampling of the subtle variety of this music. It is also the best engineered field recording that I've ever heard. Unlike many of the Lyrichord and early Nonesuch Explorer series Balinese recordings, this one is digital and doesn't sound as if it was recorded on a dictaphone. Particularly with Balinese music, this is important. You want to hear all the overtones of this magical music.

If you are curious about Balinese gamelan, or if you are an afficienado, this is an essential CD.

5 out of 5 stars excellent introduction to Balinese music.......2001-11-12

The cd begins with the Opening Parade of the Bali Arts Festival, June 13, 1987. You hear the ensembles approaching and passing, and it is such great fun! Excellent recording quality throughout.

The booklet enclosed is quite informative about the different Balinese instruments and orchestras featured.

5 out of 5 stars Great recording and music.......2000-10-18

This cd Music of Bali/Gamelan & Kecak is a pretty good cd for sure. There are different collection of musical styles from the very popular kebyar style which sprung up a few years after the puputan "mass suicide" by the royal families of Bali who opposed the Dutch for taking over the whole island, right through to the slow and mellow style of the Bali Aga's metallophones in track 5 which was pretty light and subtle in many aspects showing the diference between the well known Balinese gamelan. Also in this recording it also features the flute ensemble which was pretty mellow and beautiful however the style is pretty Balinese and sometimes reminding me of flute music from Cambodia. Kecak or Monkey chant also features in this album as well re-enacting stories from the Ramayana between the Monkey god Hanuman who has help Prince Rama rescue is wife Sita from the evil Ravana (Rawana). The Frog Song was a pretty enjoyable track because it mimic the frogs and shows how clever the Balinese are when it comes to nature. Gender Wayan used to accompany shadow theatre was pretty light, hazy and full of drive with the metallic ringing and shimmer of the metal bars as they are being struck creating a beautiful sound. The marching band in the first track sounded like the Chinese Lion dance orchestra used to celebrate Chinese New Year. The track nine was the Baris dance a warrior dance that is packed with sudden outburst of energy and style for sure. The cd also contains a booklet packed with information about the music and it's orchestra and as well as it's purpose. This cd is a good cd for sure... it has everything jam packed with different music styles from the well known kebyar to the rare and gamelan orchestra from Tenganan with the Bali Aga's metallophones. Pack with goodies I recommend it for anyone and for those who couldn't get enough of Balinese music... then this is for you...

5 out of 5 stars ancient modern music.......2000-08-26

In his amazing book Ocean of Sound, David Toop opens with a chapter on the meeting of western composers (especially Debussy) with the sounds of the Indonesian Gamelan (which are essentially orchestras of various sizes). Situating the nexus of much modern music in this meeting by finding strains of these sounds in minimalists like Steve Reich, Terry Riley, and John Cage, but also stretching into the filmic realms of Ryuchi Sakamoto, the electronics of Loop Guru, and the Free Jazz of Don Cherry, just to name a few he cites, Toop indicates the range of influence of this amazing music. David Lewiston's 1987 recordings on this compilation jubiliantly reflect this diversity, even in the fascinating opening track of various ensembles passing by in a parade showcasing the sounds of cymbals, gongs, drums, flutes, metallophones, wooden cowbells, and countless other mostly percussive sounds. The rest of the tracks on the CD are equally varied. The third track, for example, Genggong Duet, takes place with the Balinese Jew's Harp, and could almost sound like the electronic squiggles of some electronic outfits like mouse on mars or matmos; the fourth track, a Frog Song which is produced through a piece of palm bark and sounds like a reed instrument, could pass for a free-jazz improvisation. Another exciting highlight would be the 8th track, a Kecak piece that tells the Indian Legend of Hanuman. Familiar to anyone whose seen the film Baraka, this is a piece where a large group sits in a circle, moving, swaying, and chanting, tjak tjak tajk, in furious rhythm. Like the Master Musicians of Jajouka, whom William Burroughs called a "2000 year old rock band," this music sounds both ancient and progressive at the same time. An excellent introduction based on variety alone, but with digital recording, these sounds are surprisingly clean. For anyone curious about Balinese music, this would be a great place to start.
Gamelan of Central Java, Vol. 3: Modes and Timbres
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Gamelan of Central Java, Vol. 3: Modes and Timbres
    Sobrang
    Manufacturer: Dunya
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    1. Gamelan of Central Java, Vol. 1: Classical Gendings
    2. Gamelan of Central Java, Vol. 6: Kraton Surakarta
    3. Gamelan of Central Java, Vol. 4: Spiritual Music
    4. Gamelan of Central Java, Vol. 2: Ceremonial Music
    5. Gamelan of Central Java, Vol. 5: Gaya Yogyakarta

    ASIN: B00065TZAU
    Release Date: 2004-10-12

    Tracks:

    1. Ketawang Langen Gita Srinarendra
    2. Ketawang Suba Kastawa
    3. Ladrang Golong
    4. Three Short Pieces from the Wayang Kulit Theatre
    5. Macapat Asmaradana
    6. Ketawang Puspa Warna
    7. Ladrang Raja Manggala
    8. Ladrang Sobrang
    The Music of Bali
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		The Music of Bali
      Various Artists
      Manufacturer: Celestial Harmonies
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      1. The Music of Cambodia
      2. The Music of Vietnam 3 CD Boxed Set

      ASIN: B00000080C
      Release Date: 1997-04-29

      Tracks:

      1. Selamat Datang (Welcome) - Swara Cipta Priyanti, Jegog
      2. Amuknama (Driving The Water Buffalo) - Swara Cipta Priyanti, Jegog
      3. Penutup (Ending) - Swara Cipta Priyanti, Jegog

      Tracks:

      1. Sekar Jepun
      2. Puspa Mekar (A Welcome Dance)
      3. Legong Kraton
      4. Kebyar Trompong
      5. Ujan Mas (Golden Rain)
      6. Kapi Raja (King Of The Birds)
      7. Sekar Gendot (The Flowers)
      8. Truna Jaya (A Welcome Dance)

      Tracks:

      1. Kecak Dance - Tojan, Kecak & Rama Budaya, Tektekan
      2. Tektekan (Bala Bhuta) - Tojan, Kecak & Rama Budaya, Tektekan
      Music From The Morning Of The World: The Balinese Gamelan & Ketjak, The Ramayana Monkey Chant
      Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
      • Hot and beautiful
      • oh well the music of my home town
      • exuberant and packed with energy and life
      • Balinese Music Before Mass Media
      • Very energetic!
      		 Music From The Morning Of The World: The Balinese Gamelan & Ketjak, The Ramayana Monkey Chant
      Various Artists
      Manufacturer: Nonesuch
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | International | Styles | Music
      BaliBali | Indonesia | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B000005IZB
      Release Date: 1990-10-25

      Tracks:

      1. Ketjak Dance
      2. Gamelan Gong Kebyar: Baris; Gambang Betjak
      3. Sekehe Gambuh: Sekar Leret
      4. Gamelan Gong: Barong Dance (Excerpt)
      5. Lullaby
      6. Gamelan Angklung: Margepati
      7. Sekehe Genggong: Pemungkah; Frog Song; Flute Solo
      8. Gender Wayang: Ansarun
      9. Golden Rain (Hudjan Mas)
      10. Ketjak: The Ramayana Monkey Chant

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Hot and beautiful.......2005-07-25

      The transition midway through "Golden Rain" made me think "Wow... balinese gamelan is the punk-rock of world music". Probably not really a good description, but this is the recording that turned me on to gamelan, leading to joining a gamelan orchestra.

      4 out of 5 stars oh well the music of my home town.......2001-05-25

      well I just give my comment to this music, Im a balinese. I like to hear the music from my hometown, it is a part of our energy and powerfull spirits by playing the gamelan orchestra. Besides the hinduism ceremonial music the artists played, I also feel that the international music media are interrested in the morning eastern music than the Techno,...ha ha ha ha!!!!!! Oh well,..I wish ya well and have a fun with this record, if you have a highly spirit and you will have a hardly energy too.

      5 out of 5 stars exuberant and packed with energy and life.......2000-10-18

      Great music and very well recorded for sure, I really enjoyed this cd because, it's nothing like I have ever heard before, packed with energy, life, vibrant and full of sudden shifts in mood. Gamelan gong kebyar or just kebyar mean "to burst into full bloom, lightning or to strike a match" and indeed it does desrcibe this musicial style for sure. Track 1 and track 10 is the ketjak or kecak the monkey chant which enacts scenes from the well known Hindu epic of the Ramayana. Very exotic and unusual even though it had been recently developed and spawned from an older vocal chant used to put girls into trance. The vocal chant is interesting as it shifts in vocals and moods and also the style... pretty good... even better is to watch them perform live and get the experience performance. Track 2 packed with energy and colour from the musical composition used for a dance, 3 is the traditional and rare dance theatre which was believed to have originated from Java, this style is very mellow and quite distinct however the conclusion of the track ends with a large ringing of the gong, track 4 an excerpt from the barong dance which is often performed for tourist, track 5 a very rare and unusual vocal performed by a young girl, quite beautiful and delicate and my favourite was track 6 with the gamelan angklung this track was packed with everything from the quick and sudden intro through to the shifting of moods and compositions and the list just goes on for sure. This cd is great packed with goodies... The quality of the music is very outstanding as well. To record music from Bali was a break through for sure... The booklet contains information about the music but not as spectacular as the cd and music itself... I recommend it for music lovers who like something exotic...

      5 out of 5 stars Balinese Music Before Mass Media.......2000-10-07

      This is a classic recording. The only grounds on which you can really fault it is that it is just excerpts of these different genres, so each selection is, by traditional Balinese standards, incomplete. But they do shine and pulsate with the different energies of Balinese creativity. The Ketchak excerpt is evocative of far more spiritual, visceral energy than you feel seeing a typical performance these days in the big hotels, or down on Kuta beach, or even in Ubud nearer the old cultural center. The same goes for the other excerpts. A classic recording by a pioneer of fine quality field recording.

      3 out of 5 stars Very energetic!.......2000-01-22

      An interesting recording that is of excellent quailty. All voices and bells and other musical instruments are crystal clear and at the appropiate recording levels. The tonality of the vocal music can to tinny and high pitched at times, hard to the sensative ear, and the majority of bells that are used are high pitched as well. A tough hear if one is used to the deep resonous tones.
      Sunda Song
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • A soothing escape to a tropical paradise
      		 Sunda Song

      Manufacturer: Naxos
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      CDs $7 - $10CDs $7 - $10 | International General | International | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music
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      Similar Items:
      1. Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God
      2. Ngaio Gamelan

      ASIN: B00030ERI8
      Release Date: 2004-10-19

      Tracks:

      1. You
      2. Sweet Grapefruit/Fireflies
      3. On The Corner
      4. Arang Arang
      5. Turban Floating Away
      6. Illusion
      7. From The Window
      8. Solar Eclipse

      Album Description

      Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan is an ensemble of eight professional Canadian musicians with classical western musical training and extensive performance experience. They perform and record on an extended gamelan Degung indigenous to the Indonesian province of West Java (Sunda). Founded in 1983 and based in Toronto, Canada, this unique performing ensemble is dedicated to the development and expansion of its repertoire through the commissioning of new works by composers from Canada and around the world, as well as performing traditional Sundanese music. This recording presents a selection of such traditional pieces together with recent works by Sundanese composers, all in new arrangements by Evergreen Club members.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars A soothing escape to a tropical paradise.......2005-03-12

      The title says it all. It is an experience of music from another culture which in my mind is associated with a tropical paradise which I imagine existed prior to Dutch colonialism of now present day Indonesia. The gamelan orchestra consists of various sizes of suspended metallophones (percussion instruments with tuned metal bars), small bulbed gongs, large suspended gongs, and drums. With the soft gentle percussive nature of the music, the experience that I get from it is an expression of the slower tranquilizing rhythms of nature. This album is well worth the $9.98 for anyone looking to explore other realms of music.
      CUDAMANI: The Seven-Tone Gamelan Orchestra of Pengosekan, Bali
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Must-have Balinese gamelan CD
      • old and new music of Bali
      		 CUDAMANI: The Seven-Tone Gamelan Orchestra of Pengosekan, Bali

      Manufacturer: Vital (City Hall)
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      Similar Items:
      1. Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God
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      5. Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 2

      ASIN: B00007JXQN
      Release Date: 2002-12-01

      Tracks:

      1. Geregel
      2. Pengastung Kara
      3. Legong Candra Kanta
      4. Topeng Tua
      5. Taruna Jaya

      Album Description

      CUDAMANI: The Seven Tone Gamelan Orchestra of Pengosekan, Bali, features one of Bali's most vibrant new gamelan ensembles. The thirty virtuosic musicians of CUDAMANI, led by Dewa Putu Berata, play on an unusual type of hybrid gamelan orchestra created in the 1980s. With seven tones rather than the usual five, this gamelan semara dana allows the freedom to play in unusual modes -- and thereby create and re-create a dazzling variety of music and dance works, opening up entirely new vistas in contemporary gamelan performance.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Must-have Balinese gamelan CD.......2004-09-08

      I had the absolute pleasure to actually study gamelan with Dewa Berata and Cudamani in Pengosekan. Not only are these some of the most talented musicians I've ever had the pleasure of working with, but they are truly playing from the heart. If you have ever thought about purchasing any Balinese music, get this CD. I left Bali with it and whenever I want to go back there I put it in. They are also touring the US next spring, so do a search online to see if they're playing anywhere near you. AND GO!!!

      5 out of 5 stars old and new music of Bali.......2004-04-03

      The music on this album has a great range- from very new sounds to the classics. The seven tone gamelan is quite unique and becoming more popular in recent years. The musicianship of this group is breathtaking--- technically brilliant, complex, and filled with a range of feelings.

      Transports me to Bali- where of course we all wish we were. Congratulations for this your first album- keep them coming
      Balinese Music, Vol. 2: Barong & Keris Dance - The Fight of Good and Evil
      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
      • great balinese music
      		 Balinese Music, Vol. 2: Barong & Keris Dance - The Fight of Good and Evil
      Various Artists
      Manufacturer: Interra
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      1. Smoking Cloves: Bamboo Gamelan of Sangburni
      2. Bamboo Gamelan of Bali

      ASIN: B000003ZO4
      Release Date: 1995-04-18

      Tracks:

      1. Three Masked, Tiger & Monkey (The Keris)
      2. Servants of Rangda Seek the Servants of Kunti
      3. Sadewa Becomes Immortal (Transformation of the Barong)

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars great balinese music.......2003-03-04

      This cd has a wonderful sampling of Balinese music. The rhythms are captivating. They gamelon is exciting. Almost music to dance around a ritual pyre to.

      Music Review:

      1. Gilberto With Turrentine [Import]
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      4. Hope
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      7. Invisible Girl [CD-single] [Import]
      8. Kate Chadbourne
      9. Knife Edge
      10. Late Night John [Import]

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