Interests Meme

[kenjari]

Swiped from ivan23:

Pick one interest on my interests list. Ask me about it. I'll tell you about it, or, if you know what it is already, tell you a story related to it. You can do this in your journal, too, if you want. Or don't. Either way is fine. :)

I apologize in advance if I'm a little slow with the replies. I'm a bit busy this week, but this one sounds like too much fun to pass up.

Comments

[kenjari.livejournal.com]

For the uninitiated, the gamelan is the percussion orchestra of Indonesia. I could write tons of stuff about gamelan music, since I studied and played it at Wesleyan (although I am by no means an expert). I'll just focus on the differences between Javanese and Balinese for now.
Javanese is what I did at Wesleyan, so I know a lot more about it. Javanese gamelan music uses two different tuning systems: slendro and pelog. So a complete Javanese gamelan is actually two full sets of instruments. Javanese gamlean music is more meditative in feel and cyclical in form than Balinese, emphasizing the Javanese values of serenity and refinement. However, that is not to say that the music lacks rhythmic drive or interest. Javanese gamelan also makes more use of singing.
Balinese uses only one of the tuning systems (slendro, I think) and is much more animated. The rhythms are more complex, and it "sounds faster". It also has a harder, more percussive sound, while Javanese tends to have a more bell- or chime-like quality. Balinese gamelan uses hardly any singing at all.
Balinese gamelan seems to be a lot more popular in the West: it is much easier to find recordings of it than of Javanese. Personally, I think this is a shame, since both styles are fascinating, and I feel that the listener can get a lot out of being able to hear both.