Catskill Mountain Gamelan
Plays in the Widow Jane Mine
on Sunday, August 11, 2019 3 – 5 pm!
A Kingston-based traditional Indonesian Ensemble, led by Dorcinda Knauth, playing beautiful bell and gong-like instruments, with singing, flute, and some non-traditional songs as well. A magical experience in a magical setting!
The word “gamelan” refers to a set of instruments, made usually of bronze or iron, and comes from the island nation of Indonesia. Our ensembles are specifically Sundanese, a culturally rich ethnic group in West Java. Gamelan orchestras are unified by their tuning system (no two gamelans are tuned alike!) and the color of the instruments. There are many types of instruments in a gamelan, including gongs, metallophones, xylophone, drums, flute, bowed and plucked string instruments, and voice. The organizing form of the music is said to be colotomic, which means that each instrument has a unique role in creating the overall sound. Some instruments are time-keepers, others play structural melody, and still others create ornamental patterns to elaborate the melody. Each instrument is equally important in creating the overall sound of the music–there are no soloists in gamelan!
Traditionally, gamelan music is heard at life-cycle events, like weddings and coming-of-age ceremonies. It also accompanies multiple dance forms (such as tari klasik and jaipongan) and puppet theater, called wayang. Nowadays, it is common to hear gamelan music on the radio, at special concerts just for gamelan enthusiasts, and as a background to film scores. It was even featured in the 2013 Oscar-winning film, “Life of Pi.”
For more information about Catskill Mountain Gamelan, please visit: http://catskillgamelan.org/
