One of the famous Indonesian cultural richness in music is the art of gamelan . Gamelan easily found in various regions of Indonesia. There gamelan music in Java , Madura , Bali , and Lombok . Of course , variants that use different musical instruments . Neither the name nor form .
For the Java community in particular , gamelan is not something foreign in their daily lives . In other words, people know right where it is called a set of gamelan. They have known the term ' gamelan ' , ' musical ' , or ' fowl ' . But perhaps rnasih many who do not know how the historical development of the orchestra itself , since when gamelan began there in Java ? .
A Dutch scholar named Dr. . J.L.A. Brandes theoretically say that long before the arrival of Indian cultural influences , the Javanese culture have the skills or knowledge that includes 10 grains ( Brandes , 1889) :
( 1 ) puppet ,
( 2 ) gamelan ,
( 3 ) rhythm science poems ,
( 4 ) batik ,
( 5 ) metal working ,
( 6 ) its own currency system ,
( 7 ) science and technology, shipping ,
( 8 ) astronomy ,
( 9 ) agricultural fields,
( 10 ) regular government bureaucracy
Ten grains of the cultural skills instead of giving Hindu nation of India . If the theory is true means the existence of gamelan and wayang has existed since prehistoric times . However, the exact year is difficult to know because in prehistoric times people are not familiar with the writing system . There is no written evidence which can be used to track and trace the gamelan in prehistoric times .
Gamelan is a cultural product to meet the human need for art . Art is one of the cultural elements that are universal . This means that every nation has ascertained the arts , but his form is different from one nation to another nation . If contact occurs between nations the arts culture was also involved in contact that can occur when a nation will absorb elements of the art of other nations adapted to local conditions .
Therefore, since the existence of gamelan until now there have been changes and developments , particularly in the completeness of his ensemble .
The term " musical " is used to refer to the art of gamelan is widely used by the Java community . The term is experiencing growth and pemaknaannya use . Many people interpret "musical" departed from the word "pepper" which means small, delicate or complicated . That said , in the palace of Surakarta , the term musical also been used as an umbrella of several branches of the arts such as inlaid decoration , sculpture , dance , until pedhalangan ( Supanggah , 2002:5 ¬ 6 ) .
In the strict sense of the term used to refer to a musical sound art or music types that contain one or both of the following elements ( Supanggah , 2002:12 ) :
( 1 ) using gamelan instruments - either partially or completely barreled slendro or pelog - most or all of them .
( 2 ) using the barrel ( scales slendro ) and / or pelog either instrumental gamelan or non - gamelan and vocal or a mixture of both.
Javanese gamelan is now not only known in Indonesia alone , has grown even abroad such as in the United States , Britain , Japan , Canada . Musicians have ' global ' . By because it is quite ironic when the Javanese as the direct heir would not even care about the art of gamelan or musical arts in particular or Javanese culture in general . Other nations so diligently studied Javanese gamelan , even in some countries have a set of Javanese gamelan . It is appropriate to appreciate the Java community 's own ancestors masterpiece .
Sources of data about gamelan.
Java after a period of prehistoric culture entered a new era that was a time when the culture from the outside - in this case - ranging influence of Indian culture . Javanese culture began to enter the era of history characterized by a system of writing in public life . Seen from a historical perspective during the period between Vill century until the fifteenth century AD Javanese culture , receive enrichment elements of Indian culture . It seems that the elements of Indian culture can also be seen in the art such as gamelan and dance . Java Transformation to music culture through the Hindu-Buddhist .The data on the existence of gamelan found in verbal sources ie sources - sources written in the form of inscriptions and literary books are derived from the Hindu - Buddhist and a source of pictorial reliefs carved on the temple either on the temples that come from the classic Central Java (7th century until the 10th century) and the temples are derived from the classical period of the younger East Java ( 11th century to century, 15 ) ( Haryono , 1985) . In the written sources of the East Javanese gamelan ensemble group is said to be " tabeh - tabehan " (Javanese new ' percussion ' or ' drumming ' which means anything that sounded or sounded with beaten ) . Zoetmulder explain the word " Gamel " with the percussion instrument musical instrument that is struck (1982 ) . In Javanese word " trash " which means ' bat ' . In the Balinese language there is a term ' gambelan ' which then may be the term ' gamelan ' . The term ' gamelan ' has been mentioned in connection with music . Namur in the Kadiri period ( approximately ¬ 13 century AD ) , a music expert Judith Becker even say that the word " gamelan " comes from the name of a minister and a Burma expert named Gumlao iron . If Becker 's opinion is true, of course, the term ' gamelan ' also found in Burma or in some areas in mainland Southeast Asia , but it did not.
Picture of gamelan instruments in the temple reliefs.
In some parts of the wall of Borobudur temple can be seen 17 types of gamelan instruments , namely : the roped drum worn around the neck , like a pot -shaped drums , zither and harp , cymbals , flute , saron , xylophone . At the temple Jonggrang Lara ( Prambanan ) relief image drums can be seen cylindrical , convex drums , drum shape stoneware , cymbals ( intelligences ) , and distilled .
Relief image of gamelan instruments in the temples of the East Javanese can be found on the temple Jago ( -13 th century AD ) a stringed musical instrument : the long-necked lute and zither . While in the temple Ngrimbi ( century - 13 AD ) there is relief reyong ( bonang two pencon ) . While it was a great relief found in the temple gong Kedaton ( 14th century AD ) , and the cylindrical drum in Tegawangi temple ( 14th century AD ) . In Panataran main temple ( 14th century AD ) there is relief gong , bendhe , kemanak , similar drums, and xylophone relief in pandapa terrace , reyong , and cymbals . Relief bendhe and trumpet there on Sukuh temple ( 15th century AD ) .
Based on the data on the relief and literary books obtained no clue that the Indian influence on the existence of several types of Javanese gamelan . The existence of music in India very closely with religious activity . Music is an important element in religious ceremonies ( Koentjaraningrat , 1985:42-45 ) . In some Indian literary books such as the book of Natya Sastra art music and dance ceremony serves to activity . religious ( Vatsyayan , 1968) . Overall the music group in India called ' vaditra ' which are grouped into five classes , namely : governance ( stringed musical instrument ) , begat ( stringed musical instrument ) , sushira ( brass instruments ) , Dhola ( drums ) , ghana ( percussion instruments ) . Other groupings are :
( 1 ) Avanaddha vadya , the sound produced by the vibration of the skin membrane from being hit .
( 2 ) Ghana vadya , the sound produced by the vibration of the instrument itself .
( 3 ) Sushira vadya , the sound produced by the vibration of air to be blown .
( 4 ) Tata vadya , the sound produced by the vibration of the strings are plucked or swiped .
The classification can be equated with membranofon ( Avanaddha vadya ) , ideofon ( Ghana vadya ) , aerofon ( sushira vadya ) , kordofon ( vadya system ) . The rhythm of music in India called " laya " standardized using the pattern ' tuning ' is done with the drums . The rhythms are grouped into : druta ( fast ) , madhya ( medium ) , and vilambita ( slow ) .
Origin of Javanese Gamelan.
Originally , gamelan musical instruments made by relief panels in Borobudur temple in the 8th century . In the reliefs in the temple , there are several musical instruments consisting of drums , bamboo flute , harp , strings are swiped and learned , and bells .Since then , the instrument used as a musical instrument in a Javanese gamelan music . Musical instruments contained in the Borobudur reliefs used to play the gamelan . During the Hindu - Buddhist cultural influence growing in the kingdom of Majapahit , Javanese gamelan introduced in the kingdom of Majapahit .
That said , according to the beliefs of the Javanese gamelan itself was created by Sang Hyang Guru Saka era , the god who had control of all the land of Java . The god who created the gong musical instrument , which is used to summon the gods .
Javanese gamelan music in Java itself is called musicians . Musical is a term used to describe the smooth gamelan music . Musical arts that use the gamelan instruments found in the art of dance and the art of Javanese distinctive voice , which is as follows ;
1 . Sound art composed of sinden , take it , Gerong , sendon , and Celuk .
2 . Consists of the art of puppetry puppet , puppet show , puppet gedog , klithik puppet , wayang beber , wayang torches , and puppet revelation .
3 . Dance dance consists of srimpi , bedayan , show, wireng , and dance pethilan .
Javanese gamelan is not only played to accompany singing, dance , puppets and attractions . When the official ceremony held at the royal palace , used gamelan music as accompaniment . Especially , if there are members of a wedding palace Javanese tradition . Javanese gamelan music of any use when holding the wedding reception . Thank you for reading this article.
Written and posted by Bambang Sunarno. sunarnobambang86@gmail.com
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http://primadonablog.blogspot.com/2014/02/javanese-gamelan-history.html
DatePublished: February 22, 2014 at 22:12
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Tag ; Javanese Gamelan history, gamelan.
