Java: Court Gamelan

Album Description
The greatest collection of instruments--mainly metallophones and bronze gongs of different shapes and sizes--and the epitome of the gamelan playing style are to be found in four princely courts, two each in the neighboring cities of Jogyakarta and Surakarta. This recording, typifying the musical style of one of these courts, the Paku Alaman in Jogyakarta, is an eminently worthy representative of one of the major classical traditions of Eastern art music. Western enthusiasts have often compared the static yet constantly moving state of gamelan music to a river running in its course, or to "moonlight poured over the field".

Recorded in Bali by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1971.

Product Description
The greatest collection of instruments - mainly metallophones and bronze gongs of different shapes and sizes and the epitome of the playing style are to be found in four princely courts, two each in the neighboring cities of Jogyakarta and Surakarta. This recording is one of the major classical traditions of Eastern art music. Recorded in Bali by Robert E Brown. Originally released in 1971. Slipcase. Nonesuch. 2003.

Java: Court Gamelan,Various Artists,Nonesuch,Indonesian,Int'l & World Music,Java,Pop,V/a Compilations,World Music

Average customer rating: Gamelan music Glorious soothing, exotic Javanese gamelan is beautiful!

Java: Court Gamelan Various Artists Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 2 Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 3 Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar, vol. 1 Bali: Music from the Morning of the World ASIN: B000083GHN Release Date: 2003-01-28

Tracks:

1. Ketawang: Puspawarna (Kinds of Flowers)
2. Gending: Tedjanata (Ruler of the Stars)/Ladrang Sembawa/Ladrang Playon
3. Gending: Mandulpati (Strong Leader)/Ladrang Agun-Agun (Quickly)
4. Bubaran: Hudan Mas (Golden Rain)

Album Description

The greatest collection of instruments--mainly metallophones and bronze gongs of different shapes and sizes--and the epitome of the gamelan playing style are to be found in four princely courts, two each in the neighboring cities of Jogyakarta and Surakarta. This recording, typifying the musical style of one of these courts, the Paku Alaman in Jogyakarta, is an eminently worthy representative of one of the major classical traditions of Eastern art music. Western enthusiasts have often compared the static yet constantly moving state of gamelan music to a river running in its course, or to "moonlight poured over the field".

Recorded in Bali by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1971.

Album Description

The greatest collection of instruments - mainly metallophones and bronze gongs of different shapes and sizes and the epitome of the playing style are to be found in four princely courts, two each in the neighboring cities of Jogyakarta and Surakarta. This recording is one of the major classical traditions of Eastern art music. Recorded in Bali by Robert E Brown. Originally released in 1971. Slipcase. Nonesuch. 2003.

Customer Reviews:

Gamelan music.......2006-08-06

This recording has a wonderful feeling of place and reality. One can almost sense the weather. Now and then the sound of birds can be heard. I felt that I was listening to music that was being played for a true spiritual practice and not "performance." I owned a vinyl recording of it for years and was pleased to find it in a CD format.

Glorious.......2005-08-03

I love this album! It was maybe the first gamelan record I heard. I recommend it highly for those interested in Javanese Gamelan traditions. It is a good introduction containing long and short pieces, accelerating and decelerating tempos, group and solo vocals, and variety of atmosphere (although it's mostly a slower paced recording and very relaxing).

There are two short pieces, one with male and female choral vocals that are intoxicatingly beautiful, and one compact yet graceful instrumental. And there are two longer pieces, one reprising the male and female chorus...so delicious, and another amazingly dreamy one with solo female vocals that makes me feel like I am floating slowly and ecstatically on a heavenly river!

soothing, exotic.......2004-04-14

I like this album quite a bit , though I don't adore it. It features mostly bronze and bamboo percussion -- no flute, voice or stringed instruments that you'll hear in other gamelan music. It is also fairly short, about 33 minutes. I find it relaxing enough to give massages to, though there is some spirited drumming in parts. For a gamelan afficianado I recommend it, but for someone getting to know the music I would suggest something longer that includes voice and other instruments, like "Shadow Music of Java" by the Hardo Budoyo Ensemble

Javanese gamelan is beautiful!.......2003-05-21

I picked up this recording in 1984, and it's never been far from my ears. I joined the UCLA gamelan ensemble because of it.
At first, this music is hard to listen to, especially for ears accustomed to Western music-but keep listening to it. It grows on you, and grows, and grows.
The music is deep, timeless, complex and transcendent. Listening to it transports you to the highest realms of musical experience. You're also transported to the court where it was recorded-you can hear birds chirping in the rafters.
There's a reason this was included on the Voyager disc.
Some of it is slow, stately, majestic-other parts fast and abrupt (though not even close to the fiery exuberance of Balinese kebyar). Some of it sounds like rain, or thunder, or the ocean.

Average customer rating:

Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 3 Various Artists Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 2 Java: Court Gamelan Explorer: Java - Jasmine Isle - Gamelan Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God Explorer: Bali - Music for the Shadow Play ASIN: B000084T5K Release Date: 2003-02-25

Tracks:

1. Gendhing Prabu Mataram
2. Gendhing Lung Gadhung
3. Gendhing Sumyar
4. Gendhing Rangu-Rangu
5. Golek Lambangsari
6. Gendhing Tedhak Saking

Album Description

The music of the gamelans from the four courts of Central Java represents one of the great classical traditions of Asia. This recording presents the music of the Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, commonly known as the Kraton Yogyakarta, where the Yogyanese style is preserved in its most traditional form. The divisive policy of Dutch colonialism had the unforeseen effect of fostering the performing arts in the protected atmosphere of the courts. The new Yogyanese court strove to produce styles of music, dance, and shadow play that were distinctive from the Surakarta, while not diverging radically from the shared tradition.

Recorded in the Kraton Yogyakarta by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1979.

Average customer rating: A welcome follow up...

Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 2 Various Artists Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 3 Java: Court Gamelan Bali: Gamelan Semar Pergulingan:Gamelan of the Love God Explorer: Java - Jasmine Isle - Gamelan Bali: Music from the Morning of the World ASIN: B000084T5J Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

1. Ketawang Puspawarna
2. Gending Bonang Babar Layar
3. Gending Ela-Ela Kalibeber
4. Ayak-Ayakan Kaloran

Album Description

The music of the great bronze orchestras of four royal courts defines the tradition and exemplifies the highest artistic standard for thousands of similar, if less resplendent, gamelans in the towns and villages of Central Java. Although the origins of these large ensembles of carefully fashioned gongs and metallophones are prehistoric, most derive stylistically from the 18th century, a period of internecine warfare and political unrest. The instruments heard in this recording and the particular musical heritage they represent reflect the unique position of the Mangkunegaran court as it developed over 200 years.

Recorded at the Istana Mangkunegaran, Sarakaria, by Robert E. Brown. Originally released in 1977.

Customer Reviews:

A welcome follow up..........2003-06-28

This is the second recording in the Court Gamelan series by Robert Brown, this time from the Istana Mangkunegaran in Solo. A third CD is also available.
It was originally released in 1977. As on the first CD, there are two long and two short pieces. The Puspawarna to start bodes well for the rest of the disc, a good clear recording with all the individual instruments audible - good to hear the Gambang and Celempung clearly.
Kyai Kanyut Mesem is a very old gamelan, and parts of it are not played - being considered sacred.
The female singers include Nyi Toekinem, who also features on other recordings
(Rebab and Female singing of Central Javanese Gamelan, for example).
Next track is Gendhing Bonang Babar Layar - I'm not a great fan of Gendhing Bonang, but this sounds solid with great crescendos.
Gendhing Ela Ela Kalibeber follows in typical soft instruments style. The Gender is clearly heard, and would be ideal for someone learning this difficult instrument! The piece concludes with the usual pathetan.
Brown has incorporated a mixture of Slendro and Pelog tuning, along with 3 of the modes in these well-balanced recordings which are helped by the wonderful hall in which they were recorded.
Ayak Ayakan Kaloran concludes the pieces, in slendro Manyura - the catchy vocal is quite tempting to join in with - its quite short, with only a couple of drum beats for introduction, which betrays its origin in Wayang (Shadow puppet play)
Unfortunately, there are no twittering birds in this recording, but only some "happy croaking of Javanese frogs, enjoying the puddles left outside by a recent downpour" at the very end of the CD.

Average customer rating: Interesting bells Beautifully refined Gamelan Music Perhaps the Most Beautiful Music in the World One of the finest recordings of world music

Java: Javanese Court Gamelan Various Artists Manufacturer: Nonesuch ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Indonesia | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music Bali | Indonesia | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music General | Far East | Compilations | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Explorer: Java - Court Gamelan 3 ASIN: B000005IWA Release Date: 1991-04-17

Tracks:

1. Ketawang Puspawarna
2. Gending Tejanata-Ladrang Sembawa-Ladrang Playon
3. Gending Mandulpati-Landrang Agun-Agun
4. Bubaran Hudan Mas

Customer Reviews:

Interesting bells.......2000-01-22

The music is excellent but the sound quality is poor. You have to turn it up really loud to hear it. The last two tracks, of the four, are the best. The bells are beautifully resonous and full sounding, despite the background fuzz.

Beautifully refined Gamelan Music.......1999-11-10

This excellently spiritual CD is played on Gamelans Pengawis Sari (slendro)/Tlaga Muncar(Pelog) of Puro Pakualaman in Jogyakarta Gending Mandulpati, slendro nem, is one of the best examples of refined Gamelan around. The instrumentation is so sparse its wonderful. It segues into Ladrang Agun agun with a subtle drum pattern and gong. The climax at the end is an outpouring of the building tension. It posesses the finest qualities this genre of music has to offer. The pesindhen's voice is especially good. To me, the bird twittering present only enhances it more - they are clearly enjoying the performance! The Puspawarna is a good example too, very melodious, but I'm not so keen on Tejanata, but thats my personal choice. Who cares if its a 1971 recording - this music is timeless.

Perhaps the Most Beautiful Music in the World.......1998-09-14

Passionate, sensual, timeless, grateful, happy, brilliant, filling the dome of the night with voice of the human heart. I hear the people I have loved and love: my mother, my lover, and myself in an evening in the the summer at the edges of eternity.

One of the finest recordings of world music.......1998-07-25

As an ethnomusicologist, longtime performer of this music, and producer of "Shadow Music of Java" CD, I have long admired Robert Brown's recording and its companion release, "Court Music of Java II": superb performances of the court musicians, authentic acoustic ambience of the court pendopo (outdoor pavilion), and--most rare--a good recording of this genre, a fiendishly difficult music to record.

Average customer rating:

Gamelan of Central Java: Court Music Treasures, Vol. 8 Various Artists Manufacturer: Dunya ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | International | Styles | Music Similar Items: Gamelan of Central Java: Songs of Wisdom and Love, Vol. 9 Music of the Gamelan Gong Kebyar, vol. 1 ASIN: B000K7VKWA Release Date: 2007-01-30

Tracks:

1. Gendhing Gambir Sawit [Slendro Sanga]
2. Gendhing Bonang Dhenggung Turulare [Pelog Nem]
3. Gendhing Mandulpati [Slendro Nem]
4. Gendhing Carabalen (KTW Pisang Bali, LCR Glagah Kanginan)
5. Gendhing Kemanak Bedhayan Pangkur [Slendro Manyura]

Average customer rating: Interesting if you listen carefully

Gendhing Bonang - Court Music of Kraton Surakarta III Mlayawidada Manufacturer: World Music Library ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Indonesia | Far East & Asia | International | Styles | Music General | International | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000IWOQ Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

1. Gendhing: Bremara
2. Gendhing Imawinenda

Customer Reviews:

Interesting if you listen carefully.......2000-02-26

This CD consists of two "loud style" pieces, in which only the bronze instruments (and drum) are used. The two Gendhing are Bremara and Imawinenda in pelog and slendro scales respectively. These long pieces start quietly, with the bonang, which is described as "starlight raindrops", although I think thats a bit overstated, as the predominant instrument heard is the high-pitched peking. At first, the pieces appear slow moving and monotonous, but it is important to pay attention, this music needs working at! There is a driving element throughout, and the music gets quite hypnotic, with its precise cycles of notes, and the various marker instruments punctuating it in precise places. As it is in Pelog scale, there is an interesting chromatic coloration to the melody, which can throw up some unexpected tones. The pace builds up to a full-powered, almost manic point, with the full power of bronze thundering, before the brakes are put on to slow to the gong at the end. The second piece is similar, but with a much longer gong cycle - its like writing on elastic and stretching it out. The slendro nem sounds more rounded, and the bonang playing is good too. Interestingly, the piece ends on an unexpectedly optimistic note (literally).

The music is played on the blue and red colored "Kaduk manis" and "Manisrenggo" gamelans of the Kraton Surakarta, which are featured on other World music recordings.

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