Balinese Dance, Drama & Music. I Wayan Dibia

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      Tuning within the Ensemble

      A Balinese gamelan is not tuned to one common scale, but to itself. A village can request a particular tuning for its gamelan when having a new one made or an old one refurbished. Musicians are familiar with both scales—pelog and slendro—which roughly compare to major and minor scales in Western music. The scales are not absolute, for pelog and slendro refer to intervals between notes as opposed to actual pitches. Pelog can be a four-, five-or seven-note scale of uneven intervals. Slendro can be a four-or five-note scale with roughly equal intervals.

      The Balinese use the solfa names (ding, dong, deng, dung and dang) with a gap after deng and dang for the more common pelog scale. An example is E-F-G-B-C. Pelog and Slendro can be further broken down into two saih (scales). Saih pitu (seven-note) is found in the Gambuh, Gambang, Semaradhana and Semar Pagulingan ensembles. The more common saih lima (five-note) is used in Gong Gede, Gong Kebyar, Gamelan Pelegongan and Gamelan Bebarongan. Gamelan Jegog of West Bali is the only ensemble with a four-note pelog scale.

      A typical slendro scale could be construed as A-C-D-E-G. This approximates the Western penta-tonic scale and is used in Gender Wayang, Joged Bumbung, Gamelan Wayang Wong and Gamelan Parwa. The four-note slendro scale is used by Gamelan Angklung, although a five-tone Gamelan Angklung in North Bali is common.

      Battle of the Bands

      During the 1950s, a new phenomena called mebarung occurred where two different gamelan groups would perform against one another on stage. Oftentimes they did the same pieces so that the audience could judge which was the better or more innovative group. Today, mebarung refers more to a friendly evening of music from two well-matched groups.

      Kebyar as a genre of both music and dance continued to develop throughout the twentieth century. In 1968, the first Gong Kebyar competition, called Mredangga Utsava, took place in Denpasar. The public began to favor new Kebyar compositions over the older, classical styles. The festival was repeated in 1969 and 1978, then annually from 1982 when it became a part of the Bali Arts Festival (Pesta Kesenian Bali) held at the Werdhi Budaya Art Centre. Each regency selects a group to represent that area and provides financial assistance. New compositions and dances are created and intense rehearsals occur for six months prior to the festival. Fierce competition takes place between the rival eight regencies and the municipality of Denpasar. The top four contenders present a program pitted against one of the other groups at the amphitheater in Denpasar. Great attention is paid to detail, from the costuming to the entrance of the musicians, to how they move their bodies as an ensemble. These are some of the most anticipated evenings of the Arts Festival. Loyal fans sit in sections behind their group and often hoot and holler, and even throw empty plastic water bottles at the rival ensemble to disturb their concentration. This is not the best forum to hear the music, but the excitement matches the energy of the music. To be one of the winners is a great honor and cassette tapes are made every year of the most acclaimed groups.

      In 1985, a Festival Gong Wanita or Women's Gamelan Festival was started. This was replaced in 2001 with the first ever adult mixed group. Children's Kebyar groups have competed in the Festival since 1992 and are the pride and joy of each region.

      A New SoundScape

      One of the unique elements of Kebyar is the sound byar, when a number of notes are struck at the same time, creating a soundscape spanning octaves. The whole gamut of emotions is heard and felt. It is not music for meditation, but it certainly heightens the senses (and wakes one up!).

      The gender (metallophones) of the shadow puppet play are more prominent in the Gong Kebyar because the keys of the gender are thinner than those of the gangsa, producing a more high-pitched sound. The abrupt starts and stops and complex rhythmic configurations allow a much wider range of expression. The older five-keyed gangsa jongkok now has nine or ten keys, affording a larger musical range. Large ceng-ceng (cymbals) are replaced by smaller ones (ricik), and drum patterns are greatly altered by replacing slower stick drumming with much quicker and more exciting hand playing.

      Carving gamelan stands in a pavilion. The holes are for the bamboo resonators. The artists carve directly onto the finished jackfruit wood stands.