Bali Early Dance Performance of a GAMBUH DANCE by the MEKAR BHUANA CONSERVATORY plus HD video of the complete performance Photo Gallery by hellmut issels at pbase.com

Bali Early Dance Performance of a GAMBUH DANCE by the MEKAR BHUANA CONSERVATORY plus HD video of the complete performance

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To view the HD video of a GAMBUH DANCE performance by the MEKAR BHUANA CONSERVATORY click here: http://vimeo.com/62071975

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hellmut issels		04-Sep-2013 11:39
Mekar Bhuana Conservatory was established in 2000 by ethnomusicologist Vaughan Hatch and dancer Putu Evie Suyadnyani, with the aim of documenting and reviving unusual forms of gamelan music and dance. Based on serious research in the villages, the conservatory’s musicians and dancers study with senior guru and reconstruct from vintage recordings. The semar pgulingan court orchestra your hear is more than 100 years old and has seven tones, in contrast to the modern five-tone ensembles. There are only a handful of original sets left in Bali. What you are witnessing tonight are extremely rare, Balinese cultural treasures. Tabuh Gari (Banjar Pagan Kelod, Denpasar style, selisir scale) Tabuh Gari is an instrumental piece that traditionally would opening all performances of classical court music in Bali. It is a fairly complicated piece that has four long pengawak sections followed by a short closing pengecet section. In this version of Tabuh Gari, the piece reveals three different modes from the fascinating intervals of Bali’s ancient seven-tone scale. Pegambuhan – Kakan Kakan Kakan Kakan are the servants of the Balinese royal palace of the 14th century. Speaking in an ancient Javo-Balinese language called Kawi, they are depicted as two young, beautiful girls who introduce the Princess’s courtier, Condong, who is an older motherly figure. They dance to an instrumental piece of music called Perong Subandar which is in a sweet tuning called selisir because it is feminine and spritely. Prabu Gambuh (King’s Dance) In the Balinese gambuh dance drama, the king is the most authoritative character. This is revealed in the way he dances, with commanding mannerisms. His utterances are in the ancient Balinese Kawi language and he talks about how he is King of a great kingdom and that he is popular with his minions. Accompaniment: Jaran Sirig (Pagan Kelod, Denpasar style, baro scale) This is a beautiful, stately piece that is made up of three sections: opening, body and finale. The longer body section is played slowly to create a royal, refined atmosphere. It is played in just one mode: the haunting baroscale. Pegambuhan – Putri Putri,meaning ‘daughter’ in Balinese represents one of the princesses of the court. This dance portrays an interaction and dialogue between her and one of her courtiers (Condong). The Putri speaks in the ancient Balinese Kawi language and the condong translates in high Balinese to the audience, as she praises her divine beauty and wisdom. Once extinct, the musical accompaniment, called Sumambang Jawa, was learnt from a crackly field recording made by Balinese researcher, Professor Pande Made Sukerta, in 1977. It is played in an unusual, yet mysteriously beautiful scale called ‘lebeng’ and also modulates in two other different modes: selisir and sunaren. Topeng Bujuh – Masked Dance After a brief ostinato introduction on the gamelan, the audience will be confronted with a clownish dancer dressed in a court style costume wearing a ridiculous mask with protruding, rounded lips. His foolish dance is composed of imaginary scenarios and mimes and includes some audience participation – watch out, you may just be invited to get up and dance with this leering buffoon! Godeg Miring (Pagan Kelod, Denpasar style, selisir scale) This is the final section of Godeg Miring, as piece that is normally used to accompany Prabu Keras (a King with a strong character). This is an opportunity Prabu Keras (a King with a strong character).

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