The Indonesian island of Bali can rightly be called a paradise for lovers of exotic music. This relatively small island boasts an incredible variety of musical genres and a colorful range of instrument timbres. After dark, music is performed outdoors – in the courtyards of temples or palaces, in the shade of trees.
Many of the instruments are made from natural materials, so their sounds resemble the sounds of the environment. An ensemble of bamboo geng-gong tambourines and ngō flutes creates music reminiscent of frogs croaking. The shadow theater performance is accompanied by a quartet of metallophones called gender wayang. The gamelan semar orchestra of gongs and metallophones and the jegog orchestra of bamboo xylophones have a distinctive sound. The dance and music performance kechak depicts scenes from the Hindu epic Ramayana and is performed by a large male choir. This afternoon, we will listen to recordings from rare vinyl records, and ethnomusicologist Eirimas Velička will talk about Balinese music.
***
CLOSER TO MUSIC events are not concerts, but rather evenings of encounters with music, led by interesting “companions” – musicologists, musicians, music lovers – who are fans of a particular genre, composer, instrument, performer, or country’s musical culture. They talk about the peculiarities of this music, demonstrate it and select characteristic records for listening. The records are reproduced in high quality from vinyl records or high-resolution digital files, allowing listeners to feel the specific emotional content, appreciate the nuances of the performance, and reveal the depths of this music.
-
Balio gamelano pasirodymas (ritualo dalis) šventykloje, Balyje, apie 1920 m.
-
Grojantis gamelanas Kutoje, Balyje
